Photography as a form of self-expression with Heather Agyepong and Daisy Ifama

How does The Mind in Focus examine photography and mental health?

Daisy: I wanted to create an unexpected portrayal of mental health discussions – one focusing on playful, instead of slow and solemn, shots. Heather and Vanessa’s work helped drive this further, with their interesting interpretations of what conversations around mental health can, and do, look like. The use of prism filters on the lens was inspired by Heather’s ego death (Heather’s photography series inspired by psychiatrist Carl Jung’s concept of ‘the shadow’) and produced beautiful, fractured images representing the different layers of the self.

Heather: My photography helps me slow down and process complex ideas and emotions. Creating my own visual culture feels cathartic. As I say in the series, the camera allows me to unravel layers of myself and understand myself deeper.  

How did you want to present the Nikon cameras?

Daisy: I wanted the photography to feel accessible by focusing on showing the Nikon cameras in action in a way that wasn’t complex or overpowering. The key element is the images and what they evoke, versus an intricate set-up or a complex settings system.

How would you describe your creative style?
Daisy: I hope it feels truthful. I really interrogate storytelling and focus a lot of my time on what people are saying to make sure we don’t pull too far away from the words with the visuals. I also love a moment of humour – people are funny, and I find them much more interesting than pure construction!

Heather: My work is self-portraiture and crafting a sense of personal excavation. My work is primarily for myself, and I’d always advise photographers to be authentic. People can sense authenticity.

Run us through the prep prior to filming. Where did you start?

Daisy: By working out exactly the story we wanted to tell. Heather and Vanessa are both so articulate and introspective – I was lucky I’d feed them questions and they returned such expansive, colourful answers – and the similarities they both found in each other’s work become our foundation. For the edit, music and sound design, I did an initial base edit, before the excellent Max McCabe finished it off, creating a unique energy paired with key moments of calm.

How does Heather’s selection of photos at 0:42-0:55 add to the film’s discussion?

Daisy: Heather has an incredible photography catalogue. I love that she is the subject of a lot of her work, so I wanted to introduce that early on in the film – it provides a certain accessibility to exploring self that is unique to her and, as Heather is also an actor, you can really feel the message she wants to portray.

The film draws from her ego death series, but her work is very varied, from the brown tones of Le Cake Walk (0:44) to the bright yellows in Yaa (0:49) to the blues in The Gaze on Agbogbloshie (0:52). They catch your eye in both colour and subject, so it was important to show this variety as she talks about her journey into photography.

Heather: I loved that Daisy let us be free in conversation and be honest with our personal experiences.

Heather, you mentioned an inner critic (0:51). How do you embrace or silence your inner critic?

Heather: You can’t ignore it. It’s often telling you it’s fearful, but you need to lean in and ask, “What is it fearing?” It could be failure, or success or vulnerability, but the more you lean into your inner critic, the less power it has. I’m also a big believer in therapy and talking to therapists to help with mental blocks.

What are your top tips to help creatives embrace their own narratives?

Daisy: It’s easy to downplay all of your natural strengths because they’re not always tangible or easily measured, or something you set out to craft, but the experiences we have in life teach us the biggest lessons and are unique to us! Embracing all that you are and learning to see that as your own personal strength, and a way to build up your own distinctive voice, will set you apart from others and help you create memorable work that connects with people.

Heather: Journalling is everything to me. It allows me to express my thoughts and note down creative ideas. Never filter these thoughts – they’re just for you and no one will judge you.

Nikon magazine‘s five steps for better videography  

1. Set your resolution and frame rate. For cinematic quality, 4K at 25fps is ideal.
2. Use N-Log for post-production flexibility. N-Log captures a wide dynamic range, preserving more details in highlights and shadows for greater flexibility in post-production.
3. Adjust White Balance. Consider your environment before selecting your preset options, alternatively manually adjust the colour temperature using the Kelvin setting.
4. Use ND filters. Neutral density filters reduce the amount of light entering the lens, allowing you to use wider apertures and slower shutter speeds without overexposing your footage. There are other filters to experiment with, too.
5. Check your battery and storage. Check your storage, charge your batteries (or grab a power battery pack) and you’re all set.

Watch The Mind in Focus here.

The team

Director: Daisy Ifama

Featuring: Vanessa Anglade and Heather Agyepong
Production Company: Park Village
Executive Producer: Adam Booth

Head of Production: Angelica Riccardi
Producer: Jo-Jo Ellison

Editor: Max McCabe
Director of Photography: Caleb Johnston  
1st Ac: Ben Meads and Alex Carpenter
Gaffer: Joe Kennedy
Spark: Stefan Anderson
Art Direction: Sophie O’Brien and Oliver Langton
Sound Recordist: George Davies
Runner: Yasmin Boxall
GFX: Ewan McIntosh
Additional Editing: Julian Quantrill
Sound Design: Luis Isserman
Colourist: Vic Parker

Opening image: Lot’s Wife (Triptych), ego death, commissioned through the Jerwood/Photoworks Award, 2022, featured in film at 1:57, ©Heather Agyepong