This series of photographs was the first I ever created. Taken a year before I embarked on my BA (hons) in Photography, I created it with a simple premise in mind, that, given the right circumstances, everyone was capable of a ‘monstrous’ or darker side of their own personality and that recognising this within ourselves is fundamental to allowing us to become the best possible versions of our characters. These portraits were created with help from fellow students at South Essex College, as well as students from a Special Effects Make-Up class, which helped me visualise these ‘monsters’ by drawing on creatures from popular myth, legends and stories. The portraits seek to embody a recognised fear that we hold within ourselves and towards others, both consciously and subconsciously.

Black and white portrait of a young man with curly hair who has a large, textured scar running across half of his face.

Black and white photo of a man with a hat, with makeup resembling a zombie or horror character, staring intensely at the camera.

A woman with black, disheveled hair and dark makeup, smudged face, and black jewelry, looking at the camera in a dark setting.

Black and white photo of a person with face paint resembling a clown or mime, with dark makeup around the eyes and mouth, wearing polka dot clothing and a necklace, against a plain background.

Black and white photo of a young man's face, half of which appears normal, and the other half painted or edited to look like a cracked skull.

Black and white photo of a woman with half of her face bruised and battered, staring directly at the camera.

Black and white photograph of a woman with long dark hair, her face painted with a design resembling a stitched skull, smiling slightly, wearing a patterned shirt, standing against a plain wall.

A person's face is painted with half skull makeup, revealing a skeletal design on the left side and a normal face on the right side in black and white.

A black and white photo of a woman with long, wavy hair, looking directly at the camera. The right side of her face is normal, while the left side appears to be covered in a textured, possibly painted, dark substance resembling paint or makeup, creat