Lung-Chi Lin
Abstract :
This creative photographic project investigates a transitional moment encountered during the author’s PhD journey in 2024. Captured at Phaya Thai Station in Bangkok, the image portrays the coexistence of stillness and uncertainty within a public setting. Taken spontaneously during sunset, the photograph conveys emotional states of introspection, self-doubt, and psychological ambiguity. The project examines how intuitive photographic practices can reveal internal experience through engagement with ordinary spaces.
The work aims to document and analyze an emotionally significant moment using a practice-based photographic method grounded in lived experience. The image was not staged but developed organically through the interplay between spatial context and the photographer’s immediate emotional response. Rather than offering a structured narrative, the photograph emphasizes affective atmosphere and invites interpretive engagement.
The photograph was taken using an iPhone 16 Pro Max, selected for its technical flexibility in low-light conditions. Post-processing was intentionally minimal, limited to tonal adjustments to preserve the integrity of the scene. A reflective journal entry written immediately after the image was captured provided conceptual grounding and supported the integration of creative process and critical inquiry. This combination of visual and textual elements underpins the project’s methodology.
The research demonstrates how routine environments can function as sites for emotional resonance and critical reflection. By employing an intuitive approach, the work highlights the value of immediacy and emotional awareness in creative practice. The project contributes to discussions within art and design research by positioning photography not only as a tool for visual documentation but also as a method of inquiry into affective and experiential dimensions.
Ultimately, the image stands as a visual record of a personal moment within a broader academic trajectory. It reinforces the potential of artistic practice to produce knowledge and meaning through the direct engagement with space, emotion, and reflection. The project supports further exploration of everyday experience as a generative context for research in the visual arts.
Objectives :
Objective 1: The first objective is to capture and express a moment of emotional uncertainty encountered during an ordinary activity in a public space. It seeks to translate internal psychological tension into a photographic form that reflects the interplay between personal emotion and environmental context.
Objective 2: The second objective is to examine how public spaces—particularly transit environments—may mirror or influence emotional experience. By observing how light, structure, and atmosphere relate to emotional states, the project aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of spatial affect in visual culture.
Objective 3: The third objective is to apply intuitive photography as a practice-based research method. Through spontaneous image-making and reflective documentation, the project investigates how emotionally responsive creative processes can produce insight within academic and artistic contexts.
Conceptual Framework :
This conceptual framework draws from theories in visual ethnography, everyday aesthetics, and affective spatial studies. These perspectives inform the approach to understanding how visual practices can represent internal emotional states within ordinary environments. The photograph is situated within the broader discourse of the BANI framework (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) (Cascio, 2020), which characterizes contemporary conditions of instability and complexity.
The work also applies an autoethnographic lens to connect the personal with the contextual. It considers how individual emotional experiences can be meaningfully located within physical and social spaces. This framework allows for the exploration of spatial atmosphere as a reflection of internal states and supports the role of creative practice in revealing such experiences. Drawing on Pink’s (2013) approach to visual ethnography, the project integrates image-making and reflection as a valid research method. The photograph becomes not only an artwork but also a site of inquiry into emotional and spatial relationships.
Process / Methodology :
The project employed a practice-based methodology combining photographic observation and reflective writing. The photograph was captured at Phaya Thai Station using an iPhone 16 Pro Max. Natural sunset lighting was used to establish atmosphere. No prior planning or composition sketching was involved; the composition was based entirely on immediate emotional response.
Post-processing was limited to minor tonal and contrast adjustments using Adobe Photoshop. The use of complementary colors—blue and orange—follows established color theory principles and contributes to the psychological tension expressed in the image (Eiseman, 2006).
This approach highlights the value of affective responsiveness in creative practice. Avoiding pre-determined planning and over-editing supported the project’s aim to retain authenticity and foster reflective engagement. The methodology demonstrates that meaningful outcomes can be achieved using accessible tools and intuitive methods.
Techniques and Materials :
The photographic process involved accessible technology and ambient lighting conditions. The image was taken with an iPhone 16 Pro Max, which was selected for its high-performance capacity under low-light conditions. The natural sunset light provided tonal subtlety appropriate to the reflective theme of the work. Artificial lighting was intentionally avoided to preserve environmental authenticity.
Post-processing was minimal and restricted to essential adjustments in contrast, clarity, and color balance via Adobe Photoshop. Color selection was informed by complementary color theory, particularly the psychological tension generated by blue and orange combinations. The project adopted an observational method with minimal editing, emphasizing the role of intuitive perception and affective experience in the creation of photographic work.
Result / Conclusion :
The outcome of the project is a photographic image capturing a moment of reflection within a familiar public space. While the surface appears calm, the composition conveys internal conflict and psychological ambiguity. This form of visual expression aligns with the project’s aim of integrating personal experience into research through creative methods.
The project achieved its stated objectives by translating a subjective emotional state into visual form. It demonstrated the potential of intuitive photographic practice as a methodological tool and contributed to broader discourse on affective engagement in artistic research.
This work highlights the importance of presence and affective responsiveness in the creative process. It suggests that moments of emotional ambiguity, when documented through attentive observation, can contribute to research-oriented creative production. The study supports further inquiry into emotional experience in everyday visual environments.
References :
Cascio, J. (2020, April 30). Facing the age of chaos. Medium. https://medium.com/@cascio/facing-the-age-of-chaos-b3f950c55e3d
Eiseman, L. (2006). Color: Messages and meanings: A Pantone color resource. Hand Books Press.
Pink, S. (2013). Doing visual ethnography (3rd ed.). Sage.2. Eiseman, L. (2006). Color: Messages and meanings: A Pantone color resource. Hand Books Press. 3. Pink, S. (2013). Doing Visual Ethnography (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
