Christian Hopkins started photography when he was 16 after a trip to China with his family. His mother gave him a camera and he forced himself to use it. He spoke about how he wanted to take pictures of things worth capturing such as short moments that were intriguing and beautiful to him that are rare and would disappear as they only lasted moments. After awhile he changed from capturing events to capturing emotions. For his senior year's solo project he chose photography and decided to try and create and document his ongoing issues with major depressive disorder.
He is now in his mid twenties and continues to create surreal images shared on his Flickr and Facebook page. This is used as a personal outlet of emotions or as some call it "an educational resource for those who may not understand what people with depression so often encounter". Hopkins wishes that mental illness was known to more people. He taught himself photography for 6 years before finally joining a class about digital photography but that was just so he could use their equipment. His project started due to his depression his independent project made me chose something that didnt involve being around other people or talking to them. He used them as his own personal therapy as capturing the emotions, which he was struggling with in his head, gave him some control in his life.
He continues to do photography as he find it doesnt just help himself with his struggles, but it also helps others suffering aswell. He estimates 15 hours (depending on the image) to format the image as he says the final piece just comes to his head so it is hard to say exactly how he finds the best way to represent each emotion. Hopkins doesnt sit and brainstorm ideas as it will frustrate him and he captures something already there rather than create something new.. Hopkins tries to keep himself out of his photographs as much as possible to make it easier for others to place themselves onto the images.
Christian Hopkins is a valuable artist for me to research. This is because i love the reasoning behind his photographs. I too would like people to see a part of themselves within my images and use them to help others and help break the stigma of mental illnesses. Alot of my work and my area of expertise in photography is digital manipulation which using elements of Christian Hopkins surreal photographs could help me develop my images and refine them going through my project.
Christian Hopkins will inform my ideas and work with his processes to design and create his photographs with his use of Digital and Physical work.