Thinking is an everlasting topic in our life. We can think anywhere and anytime. Thinking represents people’s mental activities. When people are thinking about something, they always immerse in their internal world and do not know what their countenances and actions are at that time. In Hunter College, thinking takes place at everywhere, and every second. I think in order to capture many interesting expressions and the looks on people’s faces when they are thinking. You can also try to find out what they are thinking and sort of create any kind of story that might relate to them.
1. Under the guidepost, you need to think about where you need to go, where you must go, or where you want to go. There are no people seen in this picture, but behind this picture, we can see thousands of people thinking every day.
photo by Mengyun Luo
2. In the Cafeteria.
This woman is thinking about what she should eat, or she is thinking about what she wants to eat. Maybe the food she should eat and the food she wants to eat are two different kinds of food. Therefore she is lost in thinking and stands there motionlessly. It could have thousand possible in one picture.
There is a comparison in this picture. The woman in the front moves quickly and the woman stand there motionlessly. For this picture, I used slow shutter speed, and the movement resulted in a blurred image. Therefore, the movement around that woman just represents her thinking status.
photo by Mengyun Luo
3. In the Cafeteria.
There was only one man seen in this picture. It seems like the whole world was quiet and there was nobody in there, and he was just thinking about what he wants to drink. His hands are moving just like what we usually do when we are thinking. However, most of the time, we do not acknowledge our motions at certain moments. For this picture, I used wide shot to show the subject and surrounding environment.
photo by Mengyun Luo
4. Another Shooting Angle in the Cafeteria.
There are five people in this picture. Four of them are thinking about what kind of food they want to eat. Eating is a very important topic in our daily life. There is a huge variety of food we can choose from. When different people see the different food, their facial expressions would be different. The figure was viewed from behind in this picture. We cannot see anyone’s face in the front side. Because of this, we can image their facial expressions randomly. You can tell the boy on the right side is serious; the girl in the middle is intoxicated for the foods. This is the point of this picture. The picture does not merely show what people can exactly see, but also the image behind the picture.
photo by Anthony Chan
5. Front of Vending Machine.
This picture shows a girl standing in front of a vending machine. She is thinking about what snacks or beverages she wants to buy or she just is think about whether or not she should buy snacks.
I also used slow shutter speed for this picture. The people around this girl are moving very fast, and she is just standing there and thinking. Personally, I really like this style. Because it can focus more on the main character in the photo and represent the topic of the photo better.
photo by Mengyun Luo
6. In the Library.
Library is the best place to help people think. The setting of the library is quiet and serious.
Therefore I took the picture in the library very carefully. This picture was shot on the fifth floor. Most of people in this picture are doing their homework or writing papers. Writing is another way to express thoughts through thinking. When you are writing, you need to think about what you want to write next and what you should not write. In the middle of this picture, that person is sleeping there. I think sleeping is another way to show the thinking while you are in a state of unconsciousness. Because most time, dreaming is always reflected the moral actions in your mind and what you are thinking throughout the day. The only fly in the ointment is the man in the front, who catches me shooting a photo. But I think this also could be thinking, maybe he was thinking:”why she is shooting?"
Photo by Mengyun Luo
7. On the Bridge between West and North.
I used long shot for this picture. It includes many people. They were chatting, eating, reading, doing the homework, watching the laptop, and walking. Every action was potentially involved with thinking. For example, eating is always easier to help people think, especially when you are eating alone. You can think of anything you want. In this picture, the majority of people have their heads slightly bent which could symbolize the act of thinking. Also, the posters hung on the bridge are another way to show thinking. It is a silent type of thinking.
photo by Mengyun Luo
8. Stay Alone in the Corner.
I used wide shot for this picture. The main character is located on the right side. This unbalanced composition makes the picture more realistic about the whole picture, and not only focus on the one person. This man is sitting alone in the corner and typing on the computer. He feels like he is the only person in this world. But the reality is there are two more people in this picture on the left side. This is a contrast of these two groups’ people, the real world on the left side and the self world on the right side.
photo by Mengyun Luo
9. Stand Front the Elevator.
I shot this picture in the north building. People were waiting for the elevator. I used wide shot for this picture. Therefore we can see the people and the elevator. This helps us to realize the environment and the topic of this picture easier. Waiting time for the elevator is very short, so you do not have enough time to read the book, have a long conversation, or eat your lunch. The only and best thing for us to do is to think. In this picture, people seem to be really silent and expressionless. This is the real reflection of the thinking. And sometimes, these people are not thinking, rather they just stare at someone or something blankly.
photo by Mengyun Luo
In conclusion, I think thinking is a really interesting aspect in our life. These pictures show that we are in fact thinking everyday in our school life. Sometimes we do not know when we are thinking but we are. Finding the thinking and thinking about it help me to realize more about people’s actions and thoughts.
