This candid photography series quite fittingly named 'Scream Portraits' by Billy Hunt is an inventive collection of captures with people screaming. These portraits show a variety of people in mid-scream and completely unaware of how they look like. These photographs attempt to emphasize the complete lack of care of one's appearance.
According to Hunt, portraiture subjects always seem awkward. "You can see the war in these people's brains when you try to take their picture...people always want to present themselves in a certain way." In order to battle this awkwardness and allow people to truly let go, the scream-activated photo booth, also known as the Scream-o-Tron 3000 was created. The photo booth is designed to only snap photos once a certain volume or noise decibel is reached which then triggers the camera. The camera snaps a photograph of the subject when they are screaming at full volume; these photographs attempt to remove all the artificial prep that goes into image-making.
All of the subjects were invited to stand in front of the camera and not to worry about their appearances, but instead be carefree and open themselves up. Through the countless captures that Hunt has collected since starting this project, he still sees hints of vanity and struggles of self-perception when his subjects are screaming. Hunt has documented that many of his portraits have tried to maintain an attractive face in the midst of letting out their screams. The main message is to let go and not worry so much about what people think of you.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Scream-activated Photo Booths
- Creating a fun experience for people to let go and take photos by designing photo booths that require screaming or yelling to snap pictures.
- Candid Photography Series
- Encouraging authentic self-expression by capturing candid photographs of people without them being conscious of their appearance.
- Emphasizing Lack of Care of Appearance
- Challenging societal beauty standards by showcasing portraits of people in mid-scream, removing artificial prep that goes into image-making.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Photography Industry
- Developing and implementing new photo booth technologies and setups to create memorable and fun photo experiences for events, parties, and entertainment venues.
- Marketing and Advertising Industry
- Using the candid and authentic nature of the photos to create more relatable and accessible advertising campaigns and marketing content that highlights the message of letting go and being oneself.
- Mental Health Industry
- Utilizing the idea of full-volume screaming as a therapeutic release and marketing the benefits of self-expression and taking control of mental wellbeing.
