When I was given the opportunity to choose a theme for my last year of High School photography, I knew I wanted it to be unique and something I could look back on in future years that would hold a special meaning behind the images.

This led me to my theme, ‘Identity’. My Grandad discovered that his life had completely changed when he discovered he was adopted at a young age. It was in his late 20s that he found this out. Since then, he has embarked on a quest to discover his true identity. This story holds personal and symbolic significance to my family and has taken us on a journey of discovery, leading me to find my ancestral history.

My Grandad and I have a special connection through our shared passion for photography and a love of retro memorabilia. Expressing this emotional story through images will be significant to my family as I will hopefully create a legacy. The pictures I share represent his confusion and the process of coming to terms with this life-changing event.

Through photographic techniques such as aperture, lighting, composition and colour, I can explore unique concepts that create his story. I have used my friend to represent a ‘younger version’ of Grandad, showing the concept of time and generation, which I will develop further throughout my 3-panel folio board.