Thematic Image 1: This year I participated in more extracurricular activities than ever before. Between badminton and JNHS, I was extremely busy throughout this semester. I feel that these school magazines and the bold, enthusiastic lettering reflect that idea of participation well. They represent my jump outside my comfort zone; I have never really been one to get involved in action. In fact, most of the time I prefer to sit on the outskirts of the latest events and watch everything from a bird’s eye view. This year I tried to challenge myself and expand past homework and obligation. I went on various field trips, I went to badminton competitions, and I expanded my circle of friends.
Thematic Image 2: I liked imprinting this new geometric structure on the typical square window. To me, it symbolizes branching out in new viewpoints. When I took this picture, I was walking around with other people with their cameras out. They too shot this picture, so, when I had a turn at taking the image, I challenged myself to figure out a new way to spin it. Throughout this year, I think I have tried to implement this mentality more than I have in the past. How can I make this different? How do I give this project, this paper, individuality? These thoughts always stream through the back of my head.
Thematic Image 3: When I think of “branching out,” I not only think of going past my boundaries and out of my comfort zone, I think of making new connections. Risking myself on precariously thin attachments to people and trying to strengthen that bond. This year especially, I think I have had to focus more and more on maintaining my relationships with other people, both new and old. Over the course of junior year, it has been both a mind-boggling hassle and an exciting experience trying to balance between the people I have known for years and the people I do not know very well but would like to. I think the transition between the typical, sturdy metal fork and the brittle plastic fork works perfectly into that mindset.
Thematic Image 4: As senior year approaches, and I have to branch out beyond Los Gatos High School, I realized just how lost I am. I visit colleges and try and figure out majors, and I discover that, really, I do not know what to expect. I do not have direction. I have a blank slate with a few inklings of ideas, nothing more. With that line of thought, I decided to capture the brick floor. I also wanted to capture the line across the monotonous bricks because it is a leading line. It is an indicator of general direction, but not much more. I always like taking close up photos because anything beyond what is right in front of the lens is blurry. That is how I feel most of the time.
Thematic Image 5: This is my personal favorite image section, I think. It reminds me that I cannot expand without being messy. I took this picture at another school and they left strings of yarn on their school banisters. At first I thought it looked a bit unkempt and unprofessional, like they were not prepared for the next step or the next day. After I thought about it for a while, I realized that it represents the chaos of transitioning, because branching out isn’t perfect. It doesn’t mean success all the time. It means experiencing new things. New colors in life. It can’t be orderly.
