The Concept of Expression: Oli Regan / Uncovering Unseen Emotions

DISCLAIMER: This photoshoot was produced back in February, which was a month prior to when the virus was upgraded from an epidemic to a global pandemic, given the rapid widespread of COVID-19 affecting the UK the following month.

The next subject I picked to photograph for this photography series is Oli Regan.

With a more refined approach to mental health, this photo-set is the third photo-set featuring Oli, but this time, with mental health being the main talking point that is currently becoming the most talked about alongside the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the emotions and body language Oli created in these photos uncovers the unseen emotions you don’t often see.

You’re Not Making Sense & Now You’ve Definitely Lost Me!
What?!
Good Vibes Only.

I wanted the anger and fury in the emotions Oli showed in these photos to express that sometimes, what you don’t see is the emotions underneath that often affect anyone battling mental health.

What Are You Looking At?
Get Out of My Sight! Now!
Are You Looking at Me?

In this instance, he exhibits the anger and fury you can see, but he could also be feeling like his blood will boil to such a point where the fury will boil over.

Don’t Test Me!

I wanted to make sure these photos conveyed that meaning, as it creates a feeling of power, but where the power of these photos capture the emotions he feels at those specific moments in time.

In the face of this pandemic, mental health has been one of the main focal points considering that this pandemic has resulted in everyone being forced to stay indoors to comply with the government guidelines, and has essentially caused anyone battling mental health on a regular basis to suffer due to the fact no one is allowed to go out unless they’re shopping for the essentials they need or that they’re an essential key-worker that means their job results in them being unable to work from home.

Now, more than ever, we all need to come together by asking each other, whether it’s over a text message or video call, how we all are, as we all need to stick together even when we’re apart.

I am gutted to say that this will be the last photo-set for now considering my initial plans were to photograph more subjects for the series, but in a way, I’m relieved as I’m putting my health and well-being, my family’s health and well-being, including my friends’ health and well-being first.

What I’ll be doing instead, to pass the time, is I’ll be continuing to work on the book, as I want to make sure I can pass the time while the lockdown is in place, and while the pandemic is still ongoing.

I cannot promise I’ll be able to release the book this year given the extent of this pandemic and how much it has affected the world on a global scale, but I can tell you that I’ll be taking the time to put the book together as I want to make sure that it consists of the photos I’ve hand-picked from the series so that I can show you how far I’ve come since I started the series in July 2017.

I wanted to express my gratitude to all of you as I know this wasn’t something I was prepared for myself like everyone else, but however long it takes, once everything returns back to normality and goes back to the way things used to be before the pandemic after the pandemic is over and everything is back to normal, I will be trying to get some photoshoots in, but for now, let’s all stick together even when we’re apart.

If you liked this photo-set, please feel free to let me know below and I hope you all stay safe while we’re in the midst of this pandemic.

Alex Smithson

Equipment Used: