Something in Andre Kertesz’s “New York 1966” caught my eye when I was looking through the photographs in the gallery of his work. In this photograph, it is as if we are peering through a gate to watch the boys on the other side. A sense of curiosity is evoked because it is not really clear what the boys are doing – are they fighting or are they playing catch? We also wonder about the boys because they are hidden from us behind the bars of the gate; we are only allowed to see the side profile of one of the four boys.

I chose this photo because it could be open to different interpretations. Unlike the other pictures, our subjects are not blatantly open to view; instead, we, as the audience, are prompted to try and look past the gates to view who our subjects are. I also like the monochrome quality of the photo because it seems as though the picture was taken amidst the action between the boys – it looks like at any moment, the boys may start moving right in front of us. The black, white and gray contrasts that are seen in on the floor pavement, the brick walls, the concrete wall and the bars of the gate highlight the contrast between the skin colors of the different boys. The difference in clothing choices and patterns are also emphasized by the bland black and white colors.

The choice of color and positioning in the photograph makes it compositionally strong.  The monochrome coloring not only produces sharp contrasts in the photograph, it also adds to the texture of each object. We can feel the rough jagged bumps on the brick wall; we can see the more smooth surfaces of the right walls and the concrete floor, and we can almost feel the cold metal bars of the gate that separates us from the boys in the alley. Kertesz’s choice of positioning adds an additional dimension to the photograph by taking the picture behind the gates: he creates a sense of separation and removal from the subjects and draws us into the piece by making us want to look at each part of the photograph more closely.

At first, I couldn’t really see how Rule of Thirds or the Golden Ratio was applied here because the subjects seem relatively close to the center of the shot. After careful reexamination, I noticed that after I imagined the photograph to be broken down into vertical and horizontal thirds that most of the action took place in the upper two-thirds of the picture, and the lower third remains still. The only visible face is in the first third of the vertical divisions, but there is enough room given to the boy so that he does not appear to be running out of the photo yet (although he seems to want to escape from the other boy).

I plan on framing my shot so that if I am taking a photograph with no specific human subject focus, I will not have the streets right in the middle of the picture. Instead, I will have them higher up so it gives room for the sky and the buildings so the taller buildings will not seem like they are abruptly cut off. If I take shots of human subjects, I probably avoid having them concentrated in the center of the photo like I used to do. The readings actually taught me a lot about how even the slightest shift in positioning can change the framing and focus of the picture.

-Winnie Yu (Blog A)

Distortion, by Kertesz is a marvelous composition. The picture seemingly breaks the rule of thirds but putting its main “horizontal” – meaning horizon-al not horizontal – diagonally through the center of the picture. However, this breaks the picture up into two separate pictures themselves each following the rule of thirds, which helps to add extreme distance between two realistically close objects.

Furthermore, the added distance creates room between both pictures giving them space to move towards each other – ironic that they are seemingly being drawn towards each other whilst having the illusion of being so far apart.

I also liked how the woman was naked, not because of the nudity involved though. I didn’t even notice there was a naked women in the picture right away because I was so focused on the rest of the picture, trying to piece it all together and trying to feel the distortion. Another reason for me liking the nudity in this picture is because it seems like it fits. This is a picture about distortion, not about a naked women, the nudity and sexuality doesn’t seem to be there to draw you into the picture, rather it is there naturally.

The picture focuses on bending the imaginary rule-of-thirds lines, and giving the two opposite pictures, one real and one distortion, space to be their own pictures yet at the same time magnetically attracting them together by giving them space, visually, to move towards each other.

I don’t know how I plan to integrate this style into my own snapshot, as I think it is very complicated to do and would require a much greater knowledge of photography than I posses. Having said that I have always been interested in duality (ironically enough I am a gemini – an athiest gemini) and this photo has allowed me to see one possible way to set up two opposing images.

Feeding the Ducks in the Late Afternoon is a photograph taken by Andre Kertesz in Tisza Szalka, a village in eastern Hungary, in 1924.  What really struck me about this photo is the effect that black and white color can have.  I don’t think it would be as powerful if the painting were in color.  There is a strong contrast between the bright roof of what looks like a barn and the rest of the painting.  The roof, the ducks, the woman’s dress, the bowl, are light, while the rest of the painting is dark.  I really like Kertesz’ attention to shadows and light.  The shadow of the tree, especially the leaves, almost create a pattern on the building.

At first glance, one may think there’s only a woman feeding ducks, hence the name of this photo.  The woman is sitting on the sidewalk ledge holding a bowl of duck food, facing forward, but it’s hard to tell if she’s looking at the camera.  The ducks are in the standing in the dirt and although they are looking in various directions, their backs are faced to the camera.  However, if one looks in the upper right hand corner we see a woman almost hidden by the tree shadow and the darkness.  She seems like she’s going into the building.  Even further back, we see a hut with a thatched roof. There are many “layers”, which give depth to this photo.  Kertesz did a good job of capturing many aspects of a rural lifestyle, giving the photo a slow-paced, peaceful feel.

As well as being appealing, the photo is compositionally strong according to the “seeing photographs” handouts we received and the links on the website.  The handouts mentioned the use of contrast, shadows, light, and depth, which I wrote about above.  Although Kertesz chooses to place his subject at the center of his photo, the Rule of Thirds is still evident.  If we imagine the grid on top of this photo, we would see that the ducks are on the intersection on the lower third, which explains why our eyes are attracted to them.  The trunk of the tree and the side of the building seem to form the two vertical lines of the grid, while the edge of the roof and sidewalk form the horizontal lines of the grid.

Another point made was giving space for a moving object into.  The ducks are faced slightly inwards so they don’t look like they would waddle out of the painting and they point our attention to the woman.  I also noticed that Kertesz made sure the roof didn’t cut through the head of the woman, which would have been distracting.   Instead, the roof forms a line just above the woman’s head.

By analyzing this photo, I realize how much goes into framing just a single photograph.  When I take my photo for snapshot day, I will try to focus not just on the particular object but also the big picture, no pun intended.  I will pay attention to the background and the placement of the surrounding objects.  Taking a good photograph, like many other skills, needs practice and cannot be learned in a few days.  However, with the background knowledge I have attained, I hope to be able to incorporate at least a few of the many techniques into my photo.

~Erica Kwong (Blog B)

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)

André Kertész’s photograph Rue des Ursins immediately captured my attention because of its sense of desolation and mystery. It depicts a lonely street in what seems to be a town in France (rue means road in French) and it is curious to find that there is no real subject being photographed other than the emptiness of the street. Rue des Ursins is a narrow, winding road that seems crudely constructed, as do the buildings which line the street. There is a lone woman in the road with what appears to be a cat, a run-down, corner wine shop with some customers, and a bike wheel in the bottom right corner that seems to belong to a bicycle that is exiting the photograph. There is something innately sad and bland in this photograph that draws the viewer in. Its vulnerability and intimacy make the viewer feel like he/she is standing in the middle of this road and taking a glimpse into a brief, single moment on this street.

There is something particularly unique about the angle that this photograph was taken at. The photographer seems to be standing right at the bend in the road, giving the photo a more curvaceous structure and an implication of fluidity and motion. Kertész made a fantastic choice with positioning by making the vertical linearity of the street less rigid and harsh by placing it off-center. In a sense, nearly everything in the photograph is cut off in some way–from the store on the corner, to the bicycle, to the street itself, of which we do not get to see the entirety. But by not getting a sense of completeness from any one individual object or person, Kertész allows for a better understanding of the environment as a whole. We are given a more holistic view that is not focused on any one subject but rather on the effect of having several subjects together in one image. In fact, there is no focal point to this photograph at all. It is as if we are seeing this moment in passing, but it is this immediacy that envelops the viewer and gives the photograph its visual power.

Compositionally, this photograph makes use of many of the typical “rules” for photography, while simultaneously defying them for a higher purpose. Certain objects in the photo are placed according to the Rule of Thirds, such as the Rue des Ursins sign (which is notable because it is the title of the photograph), the woman and cat, and, as a bit of a stretch, the bicycle wheel in the corner. Yet, this placement in key areas of the photographic space does not actually give these objects any precedence in the piece over other objects. Kertész does an interesting job at creating a photograph that makes use of good compositional guidelines, but also subverts their significance at the same time. No single object in the photo–not even the ones located at the pivotal Rule of Thirds positions–seems to steal attention away from any other object, which is an impressive feat on the photographer’s part. Furthermore, the positioning of this image is beautifully rendered. There is an organic aspect to the natural curve of the road that is reminiscent of the Fibonacci Spiral relating to the Golden Mean in photography. Kertész also plays with the idea that a moving person/object must have room to move forward within the image by placing a moving bicycle almost already out of the image, which leaves us wondering what the bicycle was doing on that street in the first place. We still get a sense of motion, but Kertész keeps us questioning what the nature of this movement is. Kertész has a clear grasp on the compositional rules of photography, but it is in choosing to break these rules that he attains a greater depth and vitality in his photography.

I find that I am particularly inspired by Kertész’s compositional choices when framing his shots. His simultaneous acknowledgement and rejection of the Rule of Thirds, the Golden Mean, and positioning accomplishes the difficult feat of somehow breaking down the wall that separates a viewer from an image in a photograph and thrusting the viewer straight into the moment of the image. The audience is pulled into the image because it seems so natural, so real–as if it were something we could see in passing and not even notice in such intricate detail. I want to be able to do the same when I take my photograph for Snapshot Day. I don’t want to lose sight of the values that account for a compositionally-strong photographic image, but I also want my photo to be accessible. I want viewers to feel as if they could step right into the image and exist comfortably and normally in it. I want to avoid posturing and overstated positioning and placement. My hope is that whatever it is I take a photograph of on Snapshot Day will be so mundane that it becomes powerfully real. I too want to break down that divisional wall between art and viewer and allow the viewer to feel as if they could have been behind the lens of the camera too.

–Norine Chan (Blog A)

Reminiscent of the ancient bards and storytellers, Kyle decamp told the story of her childhood in Chicago with reference to the Urban Renewal project, which just so happens to be the title of this performance. The Urban Renewal project displaced a vast amount of small businesses and low-income families in Chicago in order to take land for government projects. Watching their home be demolished and being forced to relocate, deCamp and her family were victims of this government program.

Kyle deCamp conveyed her message through the view in which she experienced these events in the 1960s – through the eyes of a child. Injecting a comedic flavor into the piece by making jokes about her older sister Susan and making confused faces after her dad would tell her something profound, Kyle deCamp captured and held the attention of the audience from the beginning of her performance until the end with her playful, child-like attitude.

In this performance, deCamp makes use of multimedia devices in order to appeal to the visual and auditory senses of her audience. She did so by using sounds to set the scene or to make sound effects and also by using two projectors – one that projected an image on the screen behind her and one that projected a different image on the screen below her. She used the screen behind her as scenery shots and to display facts related to the Urban Renewal Project, and deCamp used the screen below her to help illustrate her story – like when she was explaining the floor plan of her house, for example.

Earning herself not one but two rounds of applause, Kyle deCamp put on a show with flair and gave a powerful performance. She held the attention of her audience throughout the performance with her use of her own comedic skills as well as visual and auditory effects. Although it was not what I expected, I must say that I enjoyed seeing deCamp’s Urban Renewal because it was both an entertaining and educational experience that enlightened me about a refreshing form of art I had never even heard about before – theatre art, telling a story through both acting and art.

-John Wetmore (Blog A)

The photograph I decided to analyze was Andre Kertesz’s Wandering Violinist, taken in Abony, Hungary (1921).  I was immediately drawn to the photograph because of the story within the scene; everything from the positioning of the people to their clothing and expressions adds to the story created in the viewer’s imagination.  In addition, the very gritty, urban feeling of the photograph reminds me of the work of the muckrakers, who strived to show the art world the darkness behind the glitz and glam of the big city. The main positive point, in my opinion, is the simplicity which allows the reader to look into a small portion of a man’s life without having to think about political agendas or any other ideas usually infused into photographs.  Through many of the photographs I saw in the slideshow, but especially this one, I feel that Kertesz is really able to capture the timelessness of a scene; the never-ending, pure emotion behind simple moments of life.

The composition of the photo itself is aesthetically pleasing, following many of the basic rules of taking a good picture.  Space is given for the people to “move” into- the baby has the winding road and a small section of the road is empty in from of the violinist and the small boy besides him.  In addition, the directions in which all three of the people are looking are different. The baby is looking to its left; while it may seem as if he is looking at the violinist the positioning of his feet tells the viewer he is looking at something outside the shot, which can be said of the other two. This fact, along with the placement of two large figures on the left side of the photo as compared to the small figure on the right adds tension to the piece- The viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the right.  Kertesz also used the rule of thirds when planning out his photograph- the violinist and the young boy are located on the right of the picture with the arms slightly extended to the lower left. The starting point of the road and the buildings is in the upper right of the photo, balancing the variety of objects seen.

I plan on taking a photo with multiple focal points like The Wandering Violinist with not as much balance in order to add a sense of tension. One thing I’ll have to worry about is color because different colors add different visual weights.  I don’t plan on taking a picture involving people though its is the citizens of NYC that really make it the unique place it is on the simple grounds that its always hard to take a good picture with something that’s constantly moving.

Photographs are a reflection of light. An image will portray what light will allow it to portray, whether it be a really bright landscape or a dark setting. Oftentimes, an interesting photograph is comprised of a balanced mixture of both. Such applies to André Kertész’s pictorial Feeding The Ducks (1924). As an appropriate focus to his image,the photographer captured the white contrast of the ducks against the less purified hues of the setting and the woman. As part of the discussion, one can assume that the woman is the focus of the pictorial, or could have been. Such hypothesis is not particularly far-fetched as she is in the literal center of the picture. However, by means of contrast and the famous Rule of Thirds, Kertész converted the possible highlight on the female to a spotlight on the ducks.

As stated by the classical Rule of thirds, otherwise known as the Golden Ratio, the ducks have been placed in what is foretold to be lower right side of the spacial distribution. This high contrast,brightness, and sharpness with which the ducks are portrayed further emphasize the attention on the animals rather than everything else.

Despite the origin of the picture to be in black and white format, the disposition of light plays important roles in this particular image. An example to the ever-present importance of setting and landscape if the difference in sharpness of the tree’s shadows. While one is a mix of blurred outlines, the other is a clear visual of angles.

In a similar manner I plan to create my pictorial. Although lacking the experience, my intentions are centered on a spot of focus, any point at all whose meaning can be interpreted in an infinite amount of possibilities. Such spot will be the focused area of my photograph and abide by the Golden Ratio. Because the setting can be so unpredictable, I would hope the contrast which my subjects will bring to be one that is satisfactory in either color of black and white setting. Sounding like a follower of Kertész’s photograph, I will admit to the similarity in concept, except I will not have ducks. Not intentionally at least.

Keith Merlin Anne Ilagan (Blog B)

Andre Kertész’s “Poughkeepsie, New York” (1937) captured my attention for a variety of reasons.  Initially, the title caught my eye because I am actually going to Poughkeepsie this weekend to visit my friend who goes to college there.  I wondered if this train station will be the one that I arrive at Saturday afternoon.  In addition to this, upon further review I found many other aspects of the photograph interesting.

I believe that this photograph is aesthetically pleasing due to its adherence with the rule of thirds, as well as the positioning of its subjects.  My focus drifted to the man in white standing in the top right corner of the photo.  He caught my eye because of his position in the top right third of the picture, as well as his white clothing’s contrast with the otherwise greyness of the background.  He appears to have his hands on his hips, and I found myself wondering what he could be thinking about.  While viewing this photograph, I began to create a story in my mind about this man, and I believe that was encouraged by his position in the photograph, which adhered to the rule of thirds.

Kertész also used the camera angle to add to the appeal of his photograph.  If he had been vertical with the staircase, the picture would have been much less pleasing to the eye.  However, the perspective that the photo provides gives a more effective view of the staircase, as well as the train tracks by showing the space in front of them.

I plan on using what I learned from the reading, as well as the things that I saw in “Poughkeepsie, New York” to frame my shots.  I will be sure to position the subject of my photo in accordance with the rule of thirds in a way that makes the most sense for what I want it to portray. For example, if I take a photograph of the horizon, I will decide whether I want the main focus to be the sky or land/water, and position my picture to show this.  By using what I have learned from these readings and Andre Kertész’s photographs, I will try to frame my shot in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible.

Brandon Fiscina (Blog B)

Andre Kertesz

The Tender Touch, Bilinski

1915

I chose this photo because the topic matter is up for interpretation and leaves me wanting to know more about what exactly is happening. The viewer cannot tell why the man’s hand is where it is. Is it because he is encouraging the woman to work (similar to a pat on the back), to follow him, or is he trying to engage her in a sexual manner (since his hand is where it is — and if so, is she willingly allowing him to do so)? It seems like there is a personal connection between the two of them since the look on the man’s face is clearly joyful, but since we cannot see the woman’s face, we cannot know for sure.

Although the photograph is titled The Tender Touch, we don’t entirely know what tender means in this context, as I explained above. It’s also interesting to note that Kertesz, the photographer, was a white photographer taking pictures of black people during times of segregation.  It doesn’t seem like this photo was staged.  It looks like he has a genuine smile on his face and it seems like his feet are in the middle of moving.  This adds excitement and reality to the image.

Despite this photo being so lively, I don’t think it follows the golden ratio or the rule of thirds. These definitions suggest breaking up the picture and off-centering the subject matter. They claim that pictures that do not do this (such as this one) are amateurish. The subjects in this photograph (the man and the woman) are directly positioned in the middle of the image. Nothing is off center.

Instead, the photographer left “space in the picture frame ‘open.'” The man and woman are clearly not stationary. They are moving figures, so the photographer, Kertesz, made sure that there was “space” in front of them. “The view imagines that the subject continues to move, and visualizes it moving through the picture space.” This makes it compositionally strong. You can imagine them continuing to walk through the field. Providing the vast background adds depth and wonder to the image.  I want to know where they are heading, what is over the hill, and where they are coming from.

It is also compositionally strong since they are the main focal point. Kertesz didn’t have to use a special ratio or rule of thirds, and yet still is able to create a vivid photograph that leaves the viewer wanting to know more about what type of event is taking place.

I also plan on framing my image having only a single focal point. I have always felt that having the subject in the middle was more powerful than having it off centered, as some of the readings propose make for a better photograph. I love capturing vivid landscapes with one object directly in the center. I find this to be more aesthetic and more powerful than a picture with the subject matter being off centered. I love playing around with colors.  Of course in 1915, there weren’t colors to choose from, but I plan on utilizing natural saturation as part of my photograph.

Kyle Leighton – Blog B