Conceptual Photography

(Jenna Sivek and Katie Brooks)

 1) We believe that these are of good photographic quality. The main focus in the first image is the hand with the die in it. The exposure is done well, the hand and die were brought out of the background. The composition of the hand and the dice creates a lot of movement, since the dice are blurry. In the second image, the use of depth of field gives the photograph a good composition. The parallel lines bring your eyes to the snails. In the third photo, the "N" sort of movement that it has shows a strong composition. It looks like it was done professionally, with a good focus on the man, rope, and clock. In the fourth photo, the yin-yang composition shot from above works with the photograph. Everything is in focus. In the last photograph, the lighting is done very well and the vignette softens the photo. The composition of the woman and child with the balloon covering the sun is thought invoking.
2) All of these images have a sort of solemn lighting to them, and three of them not being in color gives a certain mood to them. The dice being blurred in the first image adds to the emphasis on the hand. The depth used in some of the images brings out the subject of that piece, putting it into focus. Two of the photographs lack a depth of field, but they make up for it in an interesting composition. The first two images use blurring to show emphasis and motion.
3) In the second and last photographs, a theme of family appears, perhaps emphasizing the importance of family unity. The other images have varying themes on the subject of life and life choices. The first image shows the gambling nature of some people, and the third image portrays how some people can lose track of time and try to get that time back. The fourth photo shows balance in life, using the Chinese philosophy of the yin-yang.
4) The third photograph's story is pertaining to the lives of many adults nowadays. Trying to get a grasp on the time that you use for work, school and other activities is difficult. The rope represents the effort that a lot of people make to try and redeem some lost time, or possibly to turn back the clock to better days. The story of the last photograph pertains to the family and the "sun" balloon represents the joy that the child finds with his family. The silhouettes of the woman and boy puts them under ambiguity, perhaps saying to the viewer that they can be the people in the photo.

Photographic Composition Challenge

Balance

Contrast

Depth

Pattern

Symmetry

Texture

Triptych

2 Critiques

Photograph 1:

This photo was taken by Douglas Croft in Big Sur, California.  He mentions that originally went there to view the gray whale migration but he couldn't see the water well, due to the fog.  When he went to find higher ground, he discovered this view.  When you first view the photo you see vibrant purple lupine all across the hillside.  The entire photograph is all in focus which leads you to assume that there is no specific area for you to direct your attention towards.  This is unique in the fact that you can't exactly pinpoint where the light source is.  The exposure in the photograph is somewhat high but I love how the color is emphasized throughout the image.  When I look at the photograph and see blue skies and cool colors I automatically feel calm and happy.  The only issue with this photo is the fact there there is no black from the shadows. But you are able to see white from the clouds.

Photograph 2:

This photo of Carlos Arrendondo (left) climbing over barricades on Boylston Street, to reach people injured by the first of two bombs that exploded near the finish line at the Boston Marathon, on 15 April was taken by  John Tlumacki.  One of the first things that I noticed when I saw this photo was the red throughout the image.  On the right side of the picture you can see red clothing items and blood spattered on the sidewalk.  One of the most intriguing and upsetting things in the photograph are the facial expressions on those in the picture.  The injured woman in the blue jacket, who is able to be seen in the background of the photo, is in obvious pain.  She is bloody and looks very disorientated which goes to show how unexpected the bomb was in the first place.  Since this picture wasn't planned, it is unintentionally blurred.  You can see the barrier in the foreground is blurred in order to focus in on the action occurring in the back of the photo.  This picture includes both black and white at some point. One of my favorite things about this picture is the man holding the American flag. This photo represents pride and togetherness in a time of need. 

Gottfried Helnwein Response #2

     My interpretation of the image has definitely changed from now having seen the original picture.  Obviously you can now tell that the first image was a cropped version of this one.  The location of this photo is near water, which is visible at the bottom of the picture.  When the image was cropped you weren't fully able to determine whether it was a little boy or girl on the billboard, but now you can tell that it's a girl based on the curly hair.  These 2 images prove that perspective is very important when viewing and interpreting an image.

Gottfried Helnwein Response #1

     In the image, you can see a little girl with very fair skin. She appears to be wearing very little to no makeup. You are also able to see a man scaling the bridge of her nose.  I personally believe that this the man is photoshopped on the image of the girls face to show abstractness and surrealism.  Having the "climber" so small compared to the eye also changes your perspective of the image.  The photograph is very unique and can be interpreted in many different ways.