Loreal Prystaj


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When looking for inspiration for my final photography assignment, I actually stumbled upon Loreal Prystaj's work that she did with the mirror. This is what inspired me to try using a mirror in my work. I did don't see all of these photos, but without even trying, I think I created some photos that have a similar feeling to them, especially the one with the sky in the reflection. I think the idea of reflecting the sky in the surrounding nature can represent a few things, such as recognizing that all energy on earth comes from the sun originally and is then just converted into other forms of energy by living organisms. Especially in the photo below, the surrounding grasses look to be dead, which is heavily juxtaposed to the bright blue and lively sky. I think moving forward, I may try and also use the mirror to cover and distort my body. By replacing what should be the identity of her body with a reflection of nature, a whole new layer of how humans and nature go hand in hand is added. 


Reflecting on Nature — Loreal Prystaj

While these photos are part of a different series, I think they capture a big idea that I was also trying to achieve with my photos. The picture where there are plants surrounding the girls face can represent how we are completely intertwined with nature and plants are the thing that hold our lives in their hands, as they produce the oxygen we breathe and a lot of the food that we eat. The picture with the hand next to the branch with leaves also shows humans' connection and similarity to the surrounding world. I think this idea is very important to capture and expose people to, because especially recently, humans disconnect themselves with nature and think they are something separate. An example of how this arises in our every day lives is people will say, "I am going to go in nature," when in reality we are nature. We feel we have to escape our everyday lives to be a part of this, but we are it. We just partake in activities and locate ourselves in places where we feel disconnected, therefore disconnecting humans from this beautiful phenomena. I think Loreal Prystaj does a very good job of showcasing this connection in a way that almost anyone can feel very strongly about. I am happy that I looked at these images now, because I think I will continue to take inspiration from her moving forward. 

Perennial Breath: A Tapestry of Faces - PhMuseum


Loreal Prystaj - The Eye of Photography Magazine

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