A photo essay is used as a way to expresses emotions or make a statement about a certain topic through pictures. Author Paul Taggart describes photography "as a language...a photo essay can be used in a journalism setting, but they can be used to document your family, the places that you live or work...they key is to think of a series of photos that work together to communicate your message" (Photo Essay.) Examples of the different forms of a photo essay include an article with pictures in a publication, art shows, and many articles in fashion publications. The photo is meant to add another dimension to the writing that it goes with; it will act as a visual aid that will help the reader understand the main idea of the essay or piece of writing. In my experiment, I would like the photos to act as this kind of visual cue, a stark contrast to what my quotes will say beside the photos.

            The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that stigmatizing language was used to describe mental illness in 231 out of 301 online news reports (NAMI.) Some examples of this language include referring to someone as an “alcoholic” or “drug addict,” using derogatory language like “crazy,” “insane,” “mental,” “crazed,” and “deranged.” Many news reporters were describing people with mental illness as “helpless” with “little chance of recovery.” Most importantly, many portrayed violence as the norm for people with mental illness, although a study published in 2008 on PubMed indicated that, on average, people with mental illness are not violent and are actually more likely to be victims of violence (ICANotes.) This is not all limited to news reports. In an article published in ICANotes, author Sandy writes that in movies and television, inaccurate mental illness portrayal often discourages people from getting the help that they need, may make recovery more difficult, causes isolation and fear, and creates the view that those with mental health problems are outsiders. In a world where mental illness is synonymous with fear and violence, a reality check like my project is often needed for people to understand what the real issue is, and who the real enemies are.