Week 5 Photography Exhibition analysis

Photography Week 3 Blog Post

 
             There isn't much meaning behind photos of a glass of water. However, that allows for analysis of the very cool effects the light has on the water and the shadows that it makes from various angles/intensities. The first photograph is very bland and boring, since the light source creates no shadows. The second photo is interesting in that there is an interesting light coming off the bottom left of the glass. The third photo creates an exhibitionist look since the light is coming from above, along with the shadow forming a circle. The fourth photo has many things going on: the shadow is expanded massively, while the waterline is refracted so much it shows on the bottom of the wall, despite the waterlevel being on top. The fifth photo is interesting since the water itself is illuminated, and the water is the only thing to cast a shadow onto the wall. The 6th and last photo is my favourite. The lighting contrasts almost perfectly with the shadow of the glass, and the shadow appears almost menacing. This is likely due to the shadow being larger than the glass and of a dark colour. This photo could potentially have some meaning, as it could cast the glass of water as something that is safe on the outside but is hiding something dangerous. Through all the photos there was a very cool line effect, where various patterns would form in the shadow of the glass. This could be used in other photos subtly (I.E. via non-subjects) or directly, as does the 6th photograph.

Dora Maar Exhibition

Cavalier    c.1936
                   1: I chose this work because the picture clearly has a deeper meaning, and uses chess (I like chess) to convey it. 
                   2: The genre is fine art since there is a message to the photo, and it appears like a painting.
                   3: The framing places the knight in the background in a higher position than the knight chess piece, as if to convey superiority. There is also white/black coloring, which doesn't appear to directly relate to the knight's ambition but moreso to the dichromatic nature of chess.
                   4: The first choice paints the chess piece's ambition to be like a real-life knight. Without putting the actual knight higher, you can't imply anything, you just have a comparison between two knights. While the second decision doesn't directly impact the message of the photo, it could imply that there is no in-between in being a chess piece or a real knight. Almost as if there is an even deeper message saying that there are no half-heroes, only real ones and fake ones.
                  5: The photograph is of a knight chess piece facing and looking up to an image on a real knight. This implies that the chess piece wants to be like a real knight.

Beggar, London      c. 1934

                  1: I chose this because it depicts a beggar from the 1930's, the beggar appears very different from modern ones, wearing a full suit and tie.
                  2: The genre is likely a documentary/reportage.
                  3: The beggar is framed such that you cannot see who he is begging at. That leaves the photo much more open to interpretation. There is also a small use of lines here. In the background you can see multiple horizontal lines on the building behind them. These are parallel to his gaze, which is facing the ones who he is currently begging at.
                 4: The meaning here isn't strong, however both choices highlight who the beggar is begging at, so the overarching message could be that he isn't begging at someone he is begging at society.
                 5: The photograph is of a beggar, but the photo is about the conditions of society that put him there.

The Years Lie in Wait for You    c.1935
                 1: I chose this one because the spider superimposed onto the woman's face is both interesting and meaningful.
                 2: This is a portrait, both about the outside of a person and the inside.
                 3: The use of colour is relevant here. The spider and its web are both very white, making them brighter than the brightest parts of the woman's face. There is also clearly a use of lines here via the spider's web. The lines likely are there to further point towards the inside of her head I.E. the true subject of the photograph.
                4: They make the meaning clearer. They don't change the meaning; it would still be clearly a photograph on depression if they weren't there, but it enhances that meaning.
                5: The photograph is of a woman with a spider's web superimposed onto her face. The photo is likely about depression, and how her mind has become like a spider's web.

Photography Blog Post Week 2

             The first photo is using the 'From Above' perspective. The benefit of this is that the cars are seen from a different angle than they would be face-on, and are perceived to be smaller than they actually are. The second photo is using the 'Become the Subject' point of view, mashed with the 'From Above' perspective. One thing to note is how the steps appear to be smaller relative to my feet (the subject) as they go farther down. The third photo is of bourbon bottles on a table. It is using a point of view from eye-level. The effect of the point of view here is profound, since it paints the bottle in the center as 'superior' to the other (in reality it actually is worth about a hundred pounds more). The final photo is the view from my bedroom. I find the design of that building fascinating, especially since it is so tall compared to its surroundings. One thing I would like to note here is how the building that takes up the other half of the picture really seems to be fighting to be the main subject here.