ABSTRACT
We are judged as individuals by our appearance, our actions and our status within society. These judgements contribute to our awareness of ‘self’ and our self image. The images we choose to represent ourselves help to establish our identity. In photographs we might find evidence of the way we conform, share similarities and fit in with society, e.g. uniforms, fashion, dress code etc. In photographs we might find evidence of what makes us an individual, a unique person within society, e.g. expression, make-up, jewellery, important personal objects, locations and other people. The images we put forward of ourselves may vary depending on how we would like to be perceived by others. An individual may like to be seen as smart, serious and powerful in a business setting, but casual, friendly and relaxed in a family setting. The images we choose to frame or keep in our albums will tend to portray positive aspects of our self image, e.g. happiness, success and security. This, however, is only one aspect of our ‘self image’.
