Dasuni Choudhary Photography

When hearing the word mask, many people envision a physical mask that is worn on Halloween or in a play. Masks are used to dress up and become someone or something that you are not. This idea really stuck with me, so I kept along that route and thought of other situations in which people act like someone they are not. As a teenager, I gravitated to the fact that I am surrounded by people who act “fake” everyday in school and outside of it. They do share their true likes and dislikes. Instead, they just jump on the bandwagon and do what everyone else is doing.

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High school students are constantly trying to find themselves. The only way to do find who they are is by trying different “masks” and figuring out which one fits the best and allows your personality to show. Most teenagers are afraid to let their true personality show; they fear that they may feel judged or like an outcast. This idea led me to shoot two different situations: one in which a girl has a mask on and is acting like everyone else, and one in which she is being herself. I portrayed a teenage girl as my character because girls have more hormones, fear what others think of them, and have a harder time trying to fit in. I know I definitely worried about all of these things much more than my brothers do.

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The first image is the group image in which my character is smiling and laughing with her friends. Shooting this image in digital was important because I wanted the color to make the environment evident. The girl is having a good time in this image because she does not want to drag her friends down.

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In the second image, the girl is in her bedroom. In her room she feels all of the stress and pressure from everything: school, friends, family, expectations, etc. She is sad and is letting herself express that emotion. In her room she is alone and does not have to worry about other’s judgment. Personally, when I go out, I tend to forget about all the work I need to get done. However, when I get home and see my bag or books, all of that stress comes rushing back. I felt that this image needed to be in black and white because it helps convey a depressed mood. The open book on her bed symbolizes the pressure to do well in school and keep grades up. The open laptop represents all the pressures from social media that remind her to keep appearances up.

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Everyone gossips, no matter how old they are. At some point, everyone, not only teenagers, feel the need to put on a “mask”. It is hard to let other people know that you are struggling but that is not how it should be. People should be able to be sad in public and seek help instead of fearing the judgment. I believe this diptych evidently shows the contrasting personalities. My hope is that it reminds people to always be themselves, no matter where they are!