Depression 01

Photo taken by contributor Mike Wacht, a 50-year-old professional photographer and communications consultant from Orlando, Florida, who lives with Type II Bipolar Disorder and Anxiety. He is married for the third time with daughters from his previous marriages. In his spare time, he rescues pugs, who then provide him with much needed “lick and snuggle” therapy. He considers himself a storyteller, and uses photography as a primary medium. He completed a personal project in 2013, documenting his feelings during his wife’s deployment with the military through photography and senryu. He is starting a second project in which he is collaborating with models to interpret a variety of emotions.

About this photo: “This photo is the first in my project tentatively titled “Human Emotions”. I decided to start with depression/sadness because it’s an emotion I know well. The model and I first met through this shoot. We collaborated on the image, each of us providing input into the final image: she provided the wardrobe and makeup; I selected the location and props. Together, we worked through a number of poses to get at one we both believed told the story. The creative process was inspiring, and as I reflect on the image, I am struck by the way we found creative commonality through our experiences with darkness in our lives.”

Find more from Mike at his website.

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