André Kertész’s “Wandering Violinist” is an excellent illustration of the concept of the Golden Ratio through the Rule of Thirds. It demonstrates the effects good composition can have. I was drawn to this photo due to both the composition and movement evident in the piece.
The violinist, the main subject of the photo, is on the far-right third region. This resulted in, as suggested by the readings on photography we read, space for the person to move into. The violinist is walking towards the left of the picture, which is spacious due to the placement of the him on the far-right. This movement, along with the proximity to the individual, gives the viewer the sense that they are part of the scene. There were two cases of movement in this picture: one of the violinist walking towards the left, the second is of the winding dirt path that leads to a vanishing point.
This is something that I was attracted to. The dynamic established by the complexity in the flow of movements gave the photo a sense of vivacity and life. The movement created by the path that creates an off-center vanishing point creates a sense of retrospect, especially since the photograph is in black-and-white. The small child that is walking toward the viewer from the vanishing point in blurred, which adds to this sense of movement. The fact that the violinist is crossing the path of the small child/the path of the vanishing point suggests that he is in some way contemptuous of establishments at the time. I was intrigued by how much composition can affect one’s understanding of the same situation. Had the vanishing point not been included, the photograph would have a very different message.
The reading, along with this brief analysis of André Kertész’s “Wandering Violinist” both emphasized the Rule of Thirds. Thus, I plan on using an off center effect to create a more visually appealing piece. Movement (which can be displayed by vanishing points and objects along that path, for example) and creating space in the picture for movement are also strategies I will use to take my picture. Perhaps I will use a vanishing point as well but create movement that aligns with that flow in a parallel manner. I may also use a single focus to call attention to as Kertész did with his photograph. Yet in doing so, as the readings have suggested, I will be conscious of the background I will use to make sure it does not mitigate the effect of the individual or create distractions (such as a line formation behind a person’s head).
~Prima (Blog B)
