Black and WhiteSoft FocusGradientSepia TonesUsing Grayscale Image Map with Dodge and Burn toolsPhoto Analysis
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Photo Analysis
Photo Analysis
The photographer's photo I have chosen to discuss is from the National Geographic Magazine from Oct 2013 and it's called North Korea. The photographer is David Guttenfelder. See attached link to photo and article. Let's take a walk through six aspects of what makes a photo good and see how we'd rate this one.
1 - What generally satisfies: The buildings on either side of the photo and the street down between them take you to the back of the photo, almost like you're walking down the street. There's a lot of white space in the lower third of the picture, which draws the eye to the single figure off center of the frame. The photo is laid out very well and is interesting to look at. 2 - Stimulates and provokes: It surely does. When I look at the photo, it makes me want to see more. I would love to see more of the people in that land. 3 - Is multi-layered: Yes. The photo speaks from a cultural and a political perspective. 4 - Fits the cultural context: Totally! With everything going on in North Korea, the photo seems to represent the isolation of the country - the picture seems isolated too since you only see one person and a small number of cars. 5 - Contains an idea: Of course. To me, it says the country is isolated and proudly so. It also says it's modern and will keep the decorum of someone directing traffic, even though there doesn't appear to be enough cars to warrant having a traffic officer in the intersection. 6 - Is true to the medium: Yes. The photograph itself is rather simple and the fact it's in black and white fits what I believe the photographer was trying to illustrate. Robert Doisneau was born in 1912 in Gentilly, Val-de-Marne, France. Many of his pictures were of Parisian street life and one of his most famous pictures is of the couple kissing in the street. In fact, I had this poster for many years and didn’t realize who the photographer was – I just loved the picture. I recommend you look at more of his works. They really are spectacular. This photo is called Sunday Morning in Arcueil and was taken in 1945. Visual Elements: The light is soft, natural and because of how the shadows are placed in the photo, seems to create a 3D effect. There’s overlap with the space; while most of it is in the front of the frame, it seems rearranged with the shadow effects. I notice the very white shoes of the woman in the foreground, almost juxtaposed with the black windows on the left and right sides of the frame. Most of the picture seems very smooth, until you look at the cobblestones the three girls are standing on – it is also juxtaposed against the texture of the trees in the background. Design of the photograph: The photographer seems to be standing on something when he took the picture – perhaps a couple of stairs. It creates an illusion, together with the angles of the buildings to draw your eyes right down the street to the back of the frame. If I close my eyes and look at the picture, the first thing I’m drawn to are the two men in the center. They’re the only ones standing in the sunlight. The dark clothing, windows and shadows coax your eyes to explore the picture from one corner to another, front to back and side to side. How was the photograph made: This photograph is of street life in Paris – normal daily events. I can’t find much information about his cameras other than he did use a Praktiflex FX 35 mm camera and a 2 element Carl Zeiss Jena Fern-Objektiv 500 mm f/8 super telephoto lens. The super telephoto lens was not used on this photo as it was not manufactured until 1953 and this photo was taken in 1945. This photo was likely taken using a Leica camera, something he started using in the 1930s for his street photography. What does the photograph communicate: See the three boys looking at the girls? I imagine the girls are giggling about the boys and I find myself wondering if they came together after the photo or if they went away, too embarrassed to talk with each other. It’s funny too because the two men in the middle look to be carrying on a business conversation, oblivious to the young people around them. Pretty funny. |
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