Professor Morics in the wild

35mm, 1/100", f/9.0 at ISO 200

Concept: Work & Living Space
Message: Stress, disorganization
Audience: Anyone with an office job
Emotional Connector: Frazzled expression matches chaotic workspace
Creative composition: Taken from sitting-level at desk behind stack of books so you’re not only working at the desk with him, but you’re buried in books and papers to the point where you can’t see what he’s working on. The mystery of not knowing what he’s working on is congruent with the mess of the office—not knowing where to start in the piles of works-in-progress.
Dynamic Artistry: Lines of the filing cabinet in the upper-left and the books in the lower-right lead in from corners, trapping you in the office. The window in the background offers open, clean salvation from the mess but you are blocked by the desk and stacks of books. The coffee cup is in the center of the image because caffeine is thought to make people more frantic, and “frantic” is at the heart of this photo.
Story Telling: This man obviously looks stressed, from his hair to his desk he doesn’t like to spend time making things neat and pretty. The photo places you across from him, sitting at his desk with papers hanging off the edge toward you, and books stacked so high they almost create a wall between you and the subject. His expression is as intimidating as his office, as he gazes at you. He’s interested in your presence, but not enough to pull his hands off the keyboard. Toy cars at his side show a humorous side which is further supported by a toy doll in the background, but the fact that the bright red toy car is resting by his right hand makes us wonder if it’s just something for him to fidget with as he ponders over his work.
Personal Value: While this is certainly not the way I would organize my office, I’m not saying it’s wrong. It took me a long time to realize that, as I have been very particular in the way I keep things clean and organized all my life—some would say “obsessive”. This photo has tremendous value to me because I have always been uncomfortable in messy, unorganized environments, to the point where I can’t sleep if I know there’s a pen lying on my desk, out of its proper drawer. This is something I’ve had to mentally overcome on my own, and I no longer feel like it affects me enough to say that it limits the quality of my life.