Final Project Proposal

PROJECT TITLE: Blue Cup

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Blue Cup is a photographic series that explores the surreal logic of dreams—spaces where reason and absurdity coexist. I have always been fascinated by the way dreams distort familiar environments, turning ordinary moments into something uncanny and irrationally beautiful. This project visualizes that dreamlike dissonance through a sequence of images depicting strange people in strange places, doing inexplicable things.

A central aesthetic device in Blue Cup is extreme exposure contrast: severely overexposed foregrounds against dark, underexposed backgrounds. This technique intentionally subverts traditional photographic “rules,” using overexposure—often considered a technical flaw—as a metaphor for the instability of perception within dreams. The brightness erases identity and detail, evoking both intimacy and distance.

Conceptually, the project questions what makes an image “correct” or “complete,” and whether mistakes can hold their own kind of meaning. Like dreams that appear vivid yet contextless, the series embraces randomness, disorientation, and ambiguity. The title Blue Cup refers to an insignificant but recurring image in my dreams—an object that feels meaningful for no clear reason, reflecting the project’s focus on inexplicable significance.

OUTCOMES:

  • A photographic series of 7-10 digital prints 

METHODS AND MATERIALS:

  • Digital camera with adjustable exposure and manual focus. 
  • Flash lighting for controlled overexposure. 
  • Post-processing in Adobe Lightroom / Photoshop for tonal manipulation. 
  • Studio and outdoor night shoots using long exposure and artificial light.

 REFERENCES