Sally Mann: Family Pictures

This collection by Sally Mann is titled "Family Pictures." I looked through all her photographs before I came to pick this one. To be honest, her photographs do not spark any inspiration for me so it was very difficult for me to choose one to write about. However, this photo brings me back to my relationship with my brother.

However, the relationship between two sisters is shown by the spread of mirrors on the floor, the makeup that is being held by the supposedly older sister, the makeup lying open on the floor. There is a certain tenderness in this photo, also enhanced by the light streaming in from the negative space behind the car. It most definitely captures the essence of family, especially the dog that is running into the frame. Technically, the photo is average. Mrs. Mann knows how to capture a good photograph and get the highlights and the dark shadows so that the detail show clearly.

Overall, good photo, however not the most technically intriguing or thought-provoking.

Adam Fuss: Untitled

                                                      2011 gelatin-silver print photogram

This photogram, well this author as a whole, provides very different techniques of photo imaging to look at. I especially like this one for the resemblance to water splashing, however it seems to be more of a metallic splash of water than its pure form. I looked into the makings of gelatin-silver photograms and it mentioned this light sensitive material has silver salts suspended in the gelatin, which I presume gives it this metallic look, especially one with some sort of fluidity in the material.

This technique is brand new to me and is something I wouldn't mind taking a further look into. It is always intriguing to find new ways of making imagery-- especially if it is more abstract than normal.

Miro Slovik: Healthcare

I understand we have already seen this photograph in class. However, seeing it the second time I knew that I wanted to elaborate further on this image. I am already informed that Mr. Slovik had to position himself very high up from the ground and literally drenched the pavement in water to obtain the certain image he captured here and had two men lie flat on the ground with a heart in order to get this shot. I can honestly say I am impressed and very intrigued by his creativity and by his work. He takes these images of black and white content to a whole new level.

The message given by the photograph speaks strongly and is tied exactly to the title. It seems as though the men in this image are running either away from the figure or towards the figure with his heart. It can be seen as either they are stealing his heart, saying that healthcare has a negative impact, or that they are replacing his heart conveying the message that healthcare is healing.

I still find this picture fascinating looking at it a second, third, and fourth time. This is what I think composes of a good photo. My hats off to Mr. Slovik.

Abelardo Morell: Childhood

Because I very much enjoyed Mr. Morell's work, I decided to pick two photographs from his bigger compilation called "Childhood."

The first photo, one of the toy horse on wheels, I especially like because Mr. Morell gets on the child's eye level and takes the shot. I can imagine myself as a 3 year old looking up at this toy horse that I idealize and will ride on pretending it is a real horse. I also really appreciate the depth of field he chose. The fact that only the toy horse is in focus really emphasizes the kid aspect of the photo, as well as, it gives it a certain mood that screams FUN! The hallway, additionally, reminds me of my childhood playtime scene.

The second photo I find extremely interesting because of how it is constructed. I'm am assuming that the primary shape of the house is the shadow of the actual house casted onto the ground and the windows and doors and such are drawn in by either chalk or some other method. The simplicity of the drawings brings the viewer back to simpler times. The children lounging on the front lawn recreate those lazy summer/spring days when you had not a care in the world...

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection by Mr. Morell because as someone of 20 years of age I am in that in between stage of kid to full-fledged adult and the thought of transitioning into an adult makes me fear that I will never have the opportunity to be a kid again. However, these photographs remind me of my childhood and the fact that I can always be a kid again if I want to.

Robert and Shana ParkHarrison: The Crossing

The ParkHarrison team has many photos that are centered around death, the afterlife, dying, etc. This photo I pick particularly because the use of tires for "the crossing" is unique and well played. Also, I am not quite fond of the bold visuals of death and dying, and therefore, this picture was the one that stood out to me for a blogpost.

Here it looks like the photographers are trying to tell the audience that in crossing over to the other side one must jump through many obstacles. It is as if the man is slowly fading into the horizon created by these tires. I'm not quite sure if he is happy or sadisticly skipping off into his afterlife.

It still puzzles me how the photographers managed to get this perfect horizon of tires set up on a blank sky background. I wonder if there was a special angle or camera used to get this depth perception. Regardless, the picture provides the viewer an original remake of the traditional "sunset."

Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Street Work

This photograph by Philip-Lorca diCorcia intrigued me because Mr. diCorcia captures New Yorkers hard at street work. But what I like most about this photo is the caricature effect the photographer was able to capture. It sheds light on the day-to-day life in NY because there is so much character concentrated in one city.

Technically, Mr. diCorcia used the appropriate time of day to capture both the highlights on the pedestrians' faces, as well as, some more detailed shadows in their figure as well on the shadow they casted on the ground. This snapshot beautifully captures a moment in NY. While you see the pedestrians in the left side of the photograph, the eye is zoomed towards the two people handing out flyers towards the right side.

Overall, my hats off to Mr. diCorcia and his fantastic work.

Christopher Thomas- Union Square

Normally, I would not choose a photo with such little contrast to write about, however, this photo reminds me of the North Pole and the inner child in me said, "I must pick this photograph."

First, to comment on the lack of contrast. Personally, I appreciate a good balance of darks and highlights in a photograph. This range brings life to the photo and makes it interesting. Nonetheless, Mr. Thomas has captured mainly highlights in this snapshot of Union Square, NYC and I believe that it works extremely well.

The black and white film is great when capturing mainly highlights, when used correctly, because it offers a gradient that a normal digital camera cannot capture (even when set to black and white mode). The circle in the middle with the snow on top suggests the aura of Santa's workshop, however his elves are nowhere to be found. It ties to his theme "New York Sleeps" very well and it shows a peaceful side of this busy city (whether you are thinking of NYC or the North Pole).

Furthermore, I believe that Mr. Thomas captured the mystical essence of this scene, however there still is a touch of the Big Apple considering the tall buildings bordering the photo.

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Dini's surface

Hiroshi Sugimoto's piece Dini's surface takes conceptual photography to a whole new level. He captures this piece in such outstanding light that both composition, form and shadows are highlighted to the highest extent. I'm assuming that he took a light (whether it is strobe or not I am not sure) and had it shine on the bottom-right side of the sculpture at the right angle so that the shadows on the first curvature was captured but the highlight on the crown (top) of the sculpture are also clearly evident.

This piece really attracts the eye not only because it's technicalities are amazing, but because the piece is very interesting to look at. I would imagine this would be very fun to paint and/or draw with charcoal as it really emphasizes the fundamentals of visual perception. Many kudos to Mr. Sugimoto for his work.

Philippe Halsman

This photo is taken by Philippe Halsman, a well known fashion and portrait photographer. He is most known for his jumping photographs where he captures his subjects in mid-air.

I particularly like this photo because it is very different from the rest of his collection. It still captures the essence of jumping in the fire-- the fire appears to be in motion, jumping from one location to another. I honestly do not know how he captured this on film, however I think his choice to make a black background is a very smart decision as it contrasts with the light emitted from the flames. In addition, the two figures stand out just as much, if not more, than the flames due to the black backdrop. The lighting is impeccable in this photograph.

Additionally, the concept of this photo is very intriguing. The viewer receives a very cultural essence from this photo. The jewelry on both the male and female depict a rich culture and that there is some ritual involved in the action captured here.

Overall, I find this photo one of Mr. Halsman's best work.

Albert Watson- Sandrine He, Valentine

I really appreciate the way that Mr. Watson has this picture composed. I like the way Mr. Watson has the girl showing from the back instead of the front. It gives a new perspective to fashion photography. Even the position the girl is holding, peeking her head out of the door holding the doorknob, it well composed. The overall effect is very innocent, especially with the frills on the top of her shirt, the poof of her skirt, and the simple flats.

I also find the lighting on this photo very well done. The light reflects the white of the skirt, the white of the frills, and the light bouncing off the calves of the girl highlight her and makes her stand out of the whole photograph. Additionally, there is an extra, more subtle highlight around the girl so that she is further emphasized.

Both quality and subject wise, this photo is very well produced by Mr. Watson.

Kaveh Golestan "Iranian Revolution"

I came across this picture while looking up Iranian photographers and found the photographer Kaveh Golestan. When I saw pictures up of the Iranian Revolution in 1979-1980, my attention was immediately caught. My heritage is of Iranian descent and the revolution is something I hold very close to my heart so not only is this photograph emotionally evoking because of its composition and subject, but because this is my home.

With regards to the composition of the photo, the smoke and car, background, and child are positioned very intelligently. The audience gets a small snapshot of the what the whole battlefield is like and it captures it all in detail without information overload.

Additionally, the lighting is superb. The figure of the child is simply a silhouette. There is no face and this child can be anyone. It can be your next-door neighbor, it can be your son, your brother, your friend. The plain black silhouette gives the photograph an universal emotion. Lastly, you can still see all the torment in the background with the appropriate lighting.

Duane Michals- Things are Queer

This photo by Duane Michals has very interesting light composition, as well as, the man has an alluring purpose in the photo. For one, it is odd that he walking down a dark alley with a book- however it adds a mysterious aspect to the image. The whole thing has a sort of twisted, mystical look to it. The shapes created by the light play an intriguing role in the whole piece. The camera is at the right angle to capture the light glaring off the walls, shining off the floor, and illuminating the arch. All together, whatever the purpose and message of the photo, it produces an alluring effect that really draws the viewer into the picture and it makes the viewer want to search for a deeper meaning.

Isak Berbic- The Life of Engineer D.M.

This photograph was taken in the Middle East and was shown at an exhibition at Sarajevo. I have a personal tie to this photograph because I am from the Middle East and the mountainous desert brings me directly back home. Additionally, I find it very interesting to find the beautiful nature in what seems to be one of the most remote places (the desert) along with telephone wires. The telephone wires goes to show that the world now-in-days is really one big line of technology and it can be found even in corners of the world that one may think are very distant from the booming industrial nations. The simplicity of the piece is very refreshing: the lines from the telephone wire give the piece some direction, however the mountains give the piece shading and different shadows being casted upon the sandy hills. The whole picture is brought together by the pure, plain, blue sky that draws the viewer's eye into the depths of this photograph.