julia howe, anxiety is overwhelming (PEOPLE 2021)

The water pouring down on the subject in this image reflects the overwhelming and never-ending, suffocating nature of anxiety, as it pours continuously down upon her head overpowering her and reflecting the uncontrollable nature of her emotions. Just as when anxious the world feels as though it is pouring down on you at once, I replicated this visually with the water and figure. I also conveyed these emotions through her facial expression which is made more impactful through her desperate eye contact with the viewer. She appears trapped in the maze of her own mind. The girls dress reflects her innocence and helplessness to her situation. The dark background surrounding her reflects the isolating loneliness of suffering from anxiety as it appears to engulf and consume the subject in an ominous mass of shadows.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.