Velvet Rage II expands upon previous work to further explore themes of childhood, sexuality and religion. Its combination of queer and religious symbolism narrows the gap between two selves whose worlds were kept separate. In exploring my evolving identity, how do these two worlds merge? Can they?
This project was all about experimenting with studio lighting and having fun with self-portraiture, inspired by Thomas Ruff’s passport photos and Cindy Sherman’s characters. Using a two-light setup, I created two contrasting images: a straightforward, passport-style photo and a playful “valley girl” persona. I wanted to see how far I could push the contrast between the two, both in tone and style. Playing around with modifiers like softboxes and umbrellas, I explored different lighting angles and setups, focusing on how the key and fill lights shaped each shot. This project was less about perfection and more about enjoying the process and learning how to use studio lights to create distinct moods and characters.