The Story behind “Bloody Murder” from the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Page.
One of the greatest things about a photograph is that each person will always have their own interpretation of it and a different feeling about the image. This particular composition that I put together, with great difficulty I might add, was perhaps the most risky thing I have done thus far in my photography endeavours. However, being a hobbyist with a dSLR and a rather vivid imagination, risks should be something routine to me – I assure you, it is not.
The idea of such a gruesome composition came to me after I read a few too many articles about serial killers and psychopaths. I admit that I had the idea lingering in the back of my mind for some time now. Why? Well, I wasn’t too sure how my mother would feel if she just happened to walk in while I was partially covered in blood, dripping blood onto the floor, with a reasonably large kitchen knife clutched in one hand.
If that wasn’t a big enough reason to pause, there was also the making of the “fake blood” and wondering if the whole idea would seem clichéd. If there’s one thing that frightens me when it comes to taking pictures, it’s reproducing something that has already been done successfully by someone else. Perhaps that’s why so many of us try to create our own story.
A lot of stories can be imagined behind this picture, but one or two will jump out at you from the very first glance. Perhaps a psychopathic wife who is out to slaughter her husband or of a woman seeking bloody revenge for years of being unappreciated and silenced. Both stories can be said to be similar but they are not the same.
Even as I got the idea in place, and the fake blood covered, there was still that question of where and how this was going to be done. Having a tripod, a remote control for the timer, not forgetting a very patient little brother (to press the button on the remote because I was too busy being bloody); were the main reasons this picture was able to happen. People may think that pulling off something like this may be a piece of cake, but let me tell you my friends, it is not. It gets really messy. Literally!
In the beginning the light didn’t seem right, it was too dark. And I didn’t want to take the picture anywhere else in the house because, to me, the look wouldn’t be the same. The corridor, whether dark or not, was going to have to take one for the team. I set the ISO to 3200 and light didn’t seem to be much of a problem after that.
I let the camera automate the rest of settings for me because unfortunately I haven’t mastered the art of shooting in manual mode. Currently, my best friend is the 
Program mode. Yes, I am very disappointed in myself for not being able to use manual mode especially since I’ve owned my dearest Canon Rebel T1i 500D for two years – give or take a few months.
Nevertheless, the object of the composition/photographs, despite the glitches here and there (no one’s perfect), was to allow me to explore a side of my creativity that I had always been afraid to express. The end result was gory, eerie, haunting and mysterious, which was enough to satisfy my creative urges. I’m sure that sooner or later my imagination, combined with some amount of creativity, will surprise me yet again with another story to put in photographs.
Jessica Angelique Jardim.- is a fan of nature photography and photojournalists like Philip Jones Griffiths and Eddie Adams for their ability to capture chaos and human misery in their photographs.
Her work can be found at MelancholyJane93 on DeviantArt
If you have suggestions for future articles in this series please email the suggestions (including the link to the photo on the Guyana Photographer’s Facebook Group) to Story@GuyanaPhotographers.com
Very nice write up, I love these more personal stories of how an image came to be, rather than a cold recitation of steps taken. Thanks Jessica.
…Thank you Nikhil 🙂 Really enjoyed doing this!
very interesting. love the idea of doing something outside the box. it shows that u are creative an explore emotions quite well. i like that u are evoking emotions of the viewer
Interesting stuff Jessica, can’t wait to see your next idea 🙂
Thank you so much for the motivating comments 🙂
Good read. Viewing the first image larger with the hands and knife, I personally found that one to be the most stimulating of the set; it’s open to the most interpretations, as it could be the hands of a male, female or even child. The subject reaching for the knife helps build anticipation, allowing the viewer to imagine what happened before to cause all the blood, and what may happen next. Environment is especially important to this story, so the tiles really help place the viewer there.
I like the toning of the images. They may have benefited from some blurred edges, and a dutch angle, or even higher or lower angles to help add to the idea of psychosis and a cinematic, less staged feeling.
I would like to suggest that not being able to shoot in full manual mode does not take away from your art or its integrity. Especially when it comes to SPs, where you have limited control over the scene as you’re not behind the camera all the time. The camera is merely the tool to help convey your idea, which you have done. Your creative process and efforts are sound – from conception, to producing an image series, to your own self-critique which is important for creative growth. Thumbs up.
Wow, i love everything about this article and the photos, very creative. You done a really good job. I must say keep the good work up Jes 🙂