Photographer

Olivia Bramley

School/Institution

Shenton College, WA

Finalist in

Upper Secondary Category

Written Statement

Mental health is a big part of people’s lives, whether they suffer themselves or a loved one suffers. A person’s mental health can be very fragile, more fragile than people realise.

These images are to show how fragile a mind can be. Mental health and suicide are briefly mentioned in society, but is never talked about in depth. It is an important topic to talk about, as well as the impact that suicide has on those left behind. You can remove a person physically from a loved one, but you can’t remove them from the loved ones’ hearts or memories.

These photos are aimed at those who are considering leaving the world, and to encourage them to stop and think about the consequences their actions will have on others, especially those they love and care about. Utilising reflection, light and shadows, the photos are designed to convey the message of the impact suicide has on the loved ones that are left behind.

Colour and sepia are also used to emphasise the memory someone has left on the loved ones that are left behind and how it can impact on their daily lives. The space in the photos is mostly filled with the models and their reflections, if not, black is used to show the memory is fading, but the people are not forgotten. The photos are an insight into the minds of those left to struggle on after a suicide.

It shows that not only the mind of a person that is gone is fragile, but also the ones left behind that are left to make sense of what has happened. The photos are also timely given what is happening in the world. Mental health is about to become a big issue, with the social isolation and the financial hardship people are now facing.