Connor

"I chose this photo because it portrays several important aspects of my identity. On a light note, it speaks to my love of all things food-related. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a huge foodie, so that is an important part of this picture. It also represents my relationship with my girlfriend, who is a major part of my life and identity (something everyone also undoubtedly knows about me). This demonstrates my white heterosexuality, and by extension, my privilege, which is something I try to acknowledge as often as possible. This privilege is multifaceted -- my identity in and of itself represents a historically unequal power dynamic with white men at the top of various social, economic, political, and racial orders. This photo also speaks to my privilege during the pandemic. While my girlfriend and I had to make a hard transition to long-distance, this struggle paled in comparison to issues that millions of Americans were and are still facing, whether they be financial, educational, or emotional. While people dealt with joblessness, homelessness, and death, I was privileged enough to be sheltered in my home, where I had the resources I needed to stay safe during the pandemic. This picture speaks to my identities on several levels, all of which affect my perspectives, experiences, and opportunities, which is why I chose to use it for this exercise."

In what reflects Connor, he highlighted both his passions (his relationship and love of food) and how these interests are partially a result of his privileges. While with the description the photo makes sense, on its own this image would not initially portray these ideas to the reader. They might assume a relationship, and see a meal, but understanding the connection to privilege would be more difficult. This demonstrates the difference between the personal connection to a photo and what it portrays to others.