Bill Brandt has inspired me to make this series as it shows the distortion of the model and her self-reflection, this style represents the way I was reflecting on myself over the year, I wanted to express the fear and terror that I felt and all the unanswered rhetorical questions. I loved the vast contrast between the highlights and shadows within the image and I wanted to recreate this within my own photographs. I wanted to capture a smaller depth of field to draw you into the reflection held within the mirror as opposed to anything else. I wanted to recreate the emotions I felt, but also inform the viewer how the symptoms started (vomiting) then the question “What is happening to me?” which of course the series, then shows the use of a chilli metaphorically representing my blood clot protruding from my mouth to demonstrate what had been discovered. I wanted to use a chilli because it is unwanted intense heat, uncomfortable and unpleasant and also seen as liberating because I was able to rebuild my life in essence, invigorating because I felt better than I did before. 
Source
How to understand a painting : decoding symbols in art / Françoise Barbe-Gall.
