Kiss by the Hotel de Ville by Robert Doisneau drew my attention because of its immediacy. The couple stands out mainly because they are stationary while the rest of crowd moves around them. Doisneau’s contrast between the stillness and sharpness of this couple and the blurred figures creates a dynamic component in the picture and draws the viewer’s attention to the couple. The moment is fleeting; everyone else rushes past, but this kiss is a moment of quiet in the midst of the chaos and busyness of everyday life. Doisneau’s use of the Rule of Thirds gives further definition to the couple. Though the man’s body is placed at the center of the photo, the kiss is what truly takes center stage; it is about a third of the way into the photo that the kiss is framed. The shot seems to be taken from a street cafe, with tables and other objects half-obstructing the view to the street, giving it an immediate tone. The cafe setting also obstructs the bottom third of the picture. The top third is framed by a stark white sky, contrasting the dark figures and framing the kiss.The couple is also flanked by two non-blurred figures, both walking in the same direction with identical expressions. These figures pay no attention to the kiss and act as balancing points for the kiss. Doisneau’s point of view and framing draw the eye immediately to the intimacy of the moment. The strangers walk past in a rush, not paying any attention, but this moment is just the two of them.

I hope to apply Doisneau’s techniques and elements of framing and perspective in order to focus on the subject of my photo. I like the immediacy of the moment and the rushed sense you get from the crowd, yet the quiet and stillness of the couple. This is such a fantastic element to apply to photos in New York. Though life here is rushed and chaotic, there are these few moments of stillness. Photography, to me, is about capturing a moment and cataloguing it and this is exactly what Doisneau does. I like that the moment is human; we live in a city that is packed with people and these moments happen every moment. Every second there is something going on. I hope to capture the stillness of a moment within the chaos of the city in my photo.

-Erica