This personal fan art piece featuring Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery was created as an exploration of atmosphere, lighting, and cinematic depth. Developed outside of client or brand constraints, the project gave me space to experiment more freely, using photo manipulation techniques to build a composition that felt immersive, dramatic, and visually grounded within the Star Trek universe.

The focus of the piece was creating a strong sense of mood through controlled lighting and environmental detail. I approached the image as an exercise in cinematic world-building, using layered effects, atmospheric treatment, and compositional balance to shape a scene that felt both emotionally resonant and visually believable. The goal was not only to create a striking portrait, but to push the image toward a more dimensional, narrative-driven result.

To achieve that, I concentrated on integrating dramatic lighting effects, environmental elements, and nuanced tonal contrast to enhance realism and depth. Highlights and shadows were carefully controlled to direct attention and create volume, while color contrast and layered lighting helped define space and reinforce the overall atmosphere. These choices allowed the composition to feel more expansive and immersive while maintaining a clear focal point around the character.

Because the project was self-initiated, it also served as an opportunity to explore creative instincts outside the structure of campaign objectives or platform requirements. It became a space for experimentation, refinement, and visual play, while still drawing on the same design sensibilities I apply to professional entertainment work.

The final image reflects a more personal side of my practice, combining technical craft with fandom and cinematic storytelling to create a polished piece rooted in mood, atmosphere, and visual depth.

This project highlights my interest in design beyond client work, as well as my ability to use composition, lighting, and photo manipulation to create emotionally driven visuals with a strong sense of place. The final piece transformed a creative exercise into a cinematic character study, using atmosphere, lighting, and layered visual storytelling to create an immersive image rooted in the world of Star Trek.

Project Focus

Photo manipulation

Atmospheric lighting and effects

Depth, realism, and cinematic composition