André Kertész’s The White Horse drew my attention with its apparent contrast emanating from the white horse. The white color of the horse contrasts with the rest of the surroundings, so it inevitably catches the viewer’s attention. The horse is also set apart by the diagonal, gray-topped wall. Kertész put diagonals to good use by raising awareness of other elements of the photograph through them. Just as I was captivated by the striking whiteness of the horse, also the imaginary diagonal line extending from the white horse on the bottom left drifted my attention to the top middle of the photograph. That section brought into view a dog being walked by a woman. The shadows of these two are cast diagonally, almost parallel to the wall running diagonally from the top left to the bottom right of the photo. The diagonal shadows also enlarge the profiles of the woman and the dog, providing a clearer image of the two figures in a quick glance. Kertész emphasizes diagonals yet again with the sidewalk that runs diagonally from the left to the right of the photo; this particular direction of the diagonal displays to the viewer the direction that the woman and dog appear to be walking towards. Hence, a dynamic component is incorporated to the composition of the photo, which also manifests itself in the mobile stance that the white horse is pictured in. Furthermore, the dark bushes and the tree contribute to the effect of contrast to the photo. Kertész utilized their dark color strategically by aligning them parallel to the diagonals associated with the white horse and the woman walking the dog. Such an alignment creates a more effective contrast. The rule of thirds is loosely used here with the white horse occupying a little less than the first third of the picture. The dog is placed in the last third of the picture while the woman is roughly in the center of the photograph.
I will definitely attempt to incorporate the particular elements that André Kertész so successfully employed for an effective display of the photo’s subjects. It seems that Kertész was able to capture the slightly illuminating effect of the street lamps to convey profiles of the woman and dog walking on the sidewalk. I may be able to capture the effects of street lamps at night. Also, I might be able to create the diagonals effect with the apartment buildings and the sidewalk near my neighborhood. The theme of contrast in Kertész’s photo demonstrated the profound effect of the element in black and white pictures. So, I might try to see if the subjects are more dramatically highlighted in a black and white photo. Contrary to Kertész’s loosely using the third’s rule, I might try to use it more accurately to emphasize the different ends of the photo. Kertész’s captivating photo will highly influence the composition of my photo.
-Faryal
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/K/kertesz/kertesz_feeding_the_ducks_full.html
Similarly to the André Kertész photograph chosen by Faryal, “Feeding the Ducks in the Late Afternoon” utilizes a powerful play of darkness and light. Just like the horse is the only white figure in Faryal’s selected work, the ducks are the only white figures in the photograph I selected. This particular piece caught my eye out of Kertész’s entire impressive repertoire because of the stark contrasts it portrays. In the photograph, a woman is seen sitting down on a curb, feeding five ducks. The woman’s head is covered by a black scarf, and behind her is a beautiful shadow of leaves upon a concrete wall. Since the majority of this photograph is dark, the light objects in it stand out – the ducks, half of the concrete wall, and the woman’s long skirt. Such contrast grabs the viewer’s eye and focuses his/her attention on the peaceful lady. This photograph seems to make the statement that nature is beautiful and that people should focus on finding joy in the simple yet magical aspects of life.
Compositionally, this piece is quite strong since it utilizes the Rule of Thirds. The woman’s face is located in the very center of the photograph, occupying its middle rectangle, while four of the duck occupy the right-most rectangle. Moreover, the Golden Ratio is applied since the background wall changes colors from white to black roughly 3/8ths in vertically and 5/8ths in horizontally. Lastly, a diagonal from the tree’s shadow is used to create interest and lead the viewer’s eye through the scene.
“Feeding the Ducks in the Late Afternoon” exhibits great composition, which I would like to mimic in my photograph for Snapshot Day. I will try to use the Rule of Thirds and the Golden Ratio, as well as diagonals and contrasting colors to make my work as captivating as possible. Additionally, I will strive to make my photo meaningful rather than merely beautiful, which is something André Kertész definitely succeeded in doing.