I was drawn to this image by how confusing it was. It took me a moment to realize it was composed of several overlapping reflections, and I’m still not sure how many people there actually are. Complexity can be a powerful tool in visual art, forcing the viewer to examine every square inch of space closely to understand all the little details. However, it can backfire and have the opposite effect: overwhelming the viewer with so much complexity that they ignore the details of the image in an attempt to tune out the visual noise of an image. I think the complexity works out here because the array of reflections effectively combine multiple slightly different angles into one image, capturing the objects in greater depth.

Similar to the multiple reflections in Chicago, I’m interested in how multiple shadows from the same object intersect and form umbras and penumbras. It would be interesting to try to capture this in an image, but I’m not sure how to go about doing that. Shadows are obviously dependent on the angle of lighting, so I would have to plan a shot based off the sun’s position in the sky and by extension the time of day. The photography websites mentioned using the rule of thirds to create point-counterpoint pairs, so perhaps I could make a point-counterpoint pair out of an object and its shadow.

I chose André Kertész’s photo “Wandering Violinist” (1921) to analyze because I was drawn to the way the child in the background was staring at the man and older child in the foreground. At first glance my eyes were drawn to the violinist’s concentrated pose and expression. His expression made me wonder what song he was playing and what he was thinking of as he played it. Then my eyes were drawn to the older child who stood next to him gazing into the distance. He seemed relatively well dressed so his lack of shoes surprised me. Even as I was looking at the violinist and the child next to him, the younger child was always in the corner of my eye. He is not as in focus as the other two, and is shockingly alone, without any parent or guardian. The way he stares at the other two made me wonder about his situation. Maybe he is related to the others, or maybe he is an orphan. As a whole, the photo also gave me a sense of being in an older time and place, conveyed through the scenery and clothes .This makes sense as the photo was taken in Abony, Hungary in 1921.

This photo is compositionally strong. The Rule of Thirds was used and the younger child appears where there would be a vertical line in the middle left of the frame. The man and older child take up the whole right side, also where a vertical line would appear, and have a feeling of being in motion because of the room in front of them. Likewise, the space in front of the younger child gives him space to move. There is a horizon line close to the upper imaginary horizontal line, which gives emphasis to the three people on the bottom part of the road. However, the horizon line seems to run through the younger child’s head and parts of the man and older child, slightly detracting from the focus.

I plan to frame my shots by using the Rule of Thirds, and maybe also try to use a counterpoint. Instead of having halves in my photo, thirds will make the composition more interesting. Placing my subjects on the imaginary lines will also help to draw the focus to them. Another detail to keep in mind is the spacing in front of the subjects and how much of them I want to show to focus on. I will need to give the subject enough room and place it correctly so that it does not appear too static. These details will help me take an interesting, well-composed photo.

The photo that I have chosen to analyse is André Kertész’s Montmarte shot in 1927. I was drawn to this photo in part because of its brightness. At first glance this scene is calming as the open landscape invites the viewers in. Kertész follows the rule of thirds in this photograph. The long set of steps takes up two-thirds while the pavilion below takes up only one. This placement causes a shift in perspective and elongates the steps making them the main focus of the photograph.

I enjoyed how the shadows spanned the scene and added to the simplistic composition of the photo. The small figure in the top left corner of the scene gives the photo movement. The placement of the figure towards the frame provoked thoughts of urgency for me. It seems almost as if they are running and will proceed to run up this long set of steps. I thought it was interesting how André focused on the location as the subject and left the person as a small blip in the larger story.

I think Kertész’s photograph somewhat helped me to formulate my ideas for framing my photo. I would like to focus my photo on something calming; a landscape during the sunrise perhaps. Using the rule of thirds, I hope to create an interesting sense of perception. Because I will be in a car all morning I think that I will be able to capture an intriguing shot. I am not sure how I will incorporate movement into my shot yet but I would prefer to have it be more subtle and not the main focus of my work. I enjoyed looking through the photographs online and while I did enjoy this one more than the others, I believe that a lot of them have aspects that I could utilize in my piece.

-Eli McClain

Brassai (Gyula Halasz)
Prostitute at angle of Rue de la Reynie and Rue Quincampoix
From “Paris by Night”
1933

I chose this photograph because it can portray many emotions to the viewer, especially if the title was not provided. Without the title, the picture can produce a serene environment, in which a woman is traveling at night. It has a wintery feel for me, mostly because of the coat and beret. The woman looks as if she might have just gone for a walk. The insight that the title gives us, however, gives her identity way. To me, the photograph becomes more somber, as this is now a woman who isn’t simply going for a walk or waiting for a cab. She is now a woman who has no choice other than to sell her body in order to make ends meet. It is also intriguing how the photographer gave the address of the streets, and makes it seem as if the woman is there eternally, her real struggle barely being shown in a photograph.

The picture strictly adheres to the Golden Ratio, therefore the woman is not centered perfectly. The woman lies on the right third line of the photograph which provides for a more dynamic setting, as per the readings. The photographer gave enough room for the woman to “move” through the picture instead of enclosing her and making the picture appear still. The one issue with the placement that the photographer chose is that the sidewalk of the opposite street appears to cut through her body.

I plan on taking my snapshot with a new way of seeing pictures, now that I have learned a few things about the aesthetic positioning of offsetting images. I generally just take a picture and don’t really put into perspective any of these ideas. I didn’t realize how many aspects can truly affect the way that a picture looks, and a poor positioning can waste a great opportunity for a photo.

Glenn Collaku

Helen Levitt, “New York”, c. 1940

The photo I chose to analyze is Helen Levitt’s “New York”. The reason I chose it was because it gave me the feeling that it was just so quintessentially “New York”, even 70 years ago. The thing about living in a huge city with millions of people is that it is impossible to know everyone. You could be surrounded by more people than a small town and all of them could be strangers. You could go spend an entire day wandering New York and not encounter a single person you know. The dichotomy of New York is that the more people you live amongst, the less people you really know. In “New York”, subject is in the foreground, seemingly isolated. It is hard to distinguish whether they are male or female (though I would guess make going by the hat). He is isolated on the foreground, but the background is bustling and full of people. It really gives me that feeling of the dichotomy I spoke of earlier. Also, it’s just so 1940s New York in terms of style and architecture and technology. I don’t know, it’s kinda nostalgic. I just like it.

In terms of composition, the rule of thirds is pretty obvious here. The subject is along the third line dividing the image vertically. The street takes up two thirds of the bottom while the buildings and people, the background take up the upper third. The lines of the street are also running to the bottom left intersection of a thirds grid to the upper right, which also makes your eyes focus on the subject. Levitt also gave the subject some room in the foreground to walk to, and angles it so the street and the background doesn’t go through the subject itself.

This photo made me think about my ideas about New York and how my photo is going to reflect that. I’ve lived here my entire life, so I may or may not be biased in one way or another. Anyways, in terms of framing my shots… I knew about the rule about not having your subject disturb your subject, but giving them space to move and the rule of thirds was interesting and new. I think it’s something I try to do unconsciously sometimes (having a photographer as a dad has to rub off a bit of skill, right?!), but you don’t always get the chance and time to position something exactly right.

Also, to Macaulay – October 11 is a Sunday, not a Saturday, update your summaries and emails before you copy/paste them, jeez.

-Jessica Ng

William Klein

Broadway and 103rd Street, New York

1954-55

I was first drawn to the photo because of the expression on the older boy’s face. As I sifted through the images, I noticed that most of the people in the photographs carried neutral or solemn expressions–it was difficult to interpret their emotions immediately. Their expressions were much more subdued and subtle. So, when I came across this photo, my eyes immediately focused on the boy’s strange expression. It may be because it was the “loudest” expression I had come across, or maybe because I found the expression inherently familiar. It reminds me of a boy who is eternally playful, and sometimes getting carried away in the role he pretends to play. I was also drawn to how the photo included the boys surroundings, and more specifically, the second boy watching him, almost in adoration. But he also seems to be keeping the taller boy grounded in the way he places a hand on the older boy’s arm, as if to tame him. By including the surroundings, this photo narrates a story by depicting what the relationship between these two boys are like.

This photo stays true to the Rule of Thirds, as neither of the boys are centered in the picture, but at the upper left and right hand corners of the photo. This really helps in drawing the eye towards their faces, while keeping the picture much more balanced because not only are we getting a view of the boy’s expression, but their surroundings and what caused such expressions.Also, by placing the taller boy’s face in the upper left hand part of the photo, our eyes are definitely pulled off the center of the photo and towards the edge of the photo.

Klein also follows the rule of keeping vertical objects off the center of the photo. The gun, which would have dominated the photo if placed in the center, is instead placed a bit to the left. This gives way for the viewer to see not only the taller boy’s expression, but also where the shorter boy makes contact with the boy, which is important because it is telling of the two boys’ relationship. Additionally, Klein also follows the guidelines for pointing. Since the gun is an object that points, it is pointed into the photograph instead of out, which allows the viewer to focus on the photo and not out of the photo.

For my picture, I definitely want to follow the Rule of Thirds. Although I most likely will take a picture of a place, I still want to follow the rule where each space takes up the frame in thirds and not halves. This rule helps create more interesting photos, rather than the typical balanced photos, that capture many different parts of a scene while still allowing for a clear focus.

-Nureen Ahammed

Since living in Manhattan, I have enjoyed sitting on top of the rocks in Central Park either reading, eating, or just hanging out with friends and taking in the city around us. Every time I find myself on these rocks, I instantly capture the moment with a picture. I chose this photograph by Ansel Adams because I was immediately able to relate to the view and the picture itself. I felt as if I was in the moment with the photographer and taking the picture on my own.

I really enjoy the simplicity and angle of the photograph as well. I feel like the black and white adds to a simplistic style and juxtaposes the busy city surrounding the park. The position of the camera is also showcasing the inside and outside of the park. Once again juxtaposing the nature by showing the trees and rocks with the enormous skyscrapers of the industrial city.

This picture actually follows the Rule of Thirds as well. Upon splitting the photgraph into its three equal horizontal sections, the horizon line seperates the bottom third from the upper two thirds. The vertical lines both fall on the two skyscrapers. This is usually refferred to as a “power point” or “crash point” when a main subject of a picture is intersected by a guideline. The center of the photograph is actually captured within the sections as well. It is the intersection of the park and the city united in the horizontal middle three boxes. This signifies the union of the park to the city around it, and it can even be said that the tree overlapping the buildings can be seen as the focal point of the picture.

For my picture, I plan on using the rule of thirds. I will use a horizon line and instead of purposely positioning objects, I will capture life simply how it is just as Adams did in his work. I believe this natural positioning has more of an impact on a picture because you can see things how they are in real life instead of a forced photograph.

Monica Huzinec

As I looked through various photographers’ photos, I kept getting drawn to the ones with scenes from New York City. That is, until I came across this image, Gordon Parks’ “Ingrid Bergman at Stromboli” (1949). Though I can’t quite place what it is exactly about this photograph that’s so striking to me, I think it’s probably the differing gazes of the picture’s subjects. On the one hand, you have Ingrid looking toward the lower left hand corner, but on the other hand, you have the three women looking at/watching Ingrid as though they’re judging her. I find this dynamic really interesting. It adds a layer of tension and also reminds the viewer that the people in these pictures have a story too. This picture makes you wonder what the women are thinking and also what Ingrid is thinking. Are they reacting positively or negatively to her? How does she feel about the attention? She seems aware of their gaze and is either bothered by it or is nonchalant about it, depending on how you interpret her facial expression. When I first looked at the photo, it seemed as though they were judging her, and she’s trying to act as though it doesn’t bother her. I could relate to that feeling, and so it made me wonder more about her. (As it turns out, Ingrid Bergman was a famous actress, which likely changes the tone of the picture.)

Compositionally, the photo is pretty strong. The photographer made us of the Rule of Thirds, with Ingrid at the bottom right point and the three women at the top left point. Given the two different focal points, the photo also makes use of counterpoint. It’s clear Ingrid is closer to the camera than the other three women, but they occupy roughly the same amount of space in the photograph. In addition, the photographer made sure to leave space in front of the women walking so that they have a space to “walk” over. There are, however, some lines passing through some of the heads in the picture. For instance, the line of the shadow hits Ingrid’s head, although it’s more at an angle so it isn’t very prominent and is only at the top of her head, so it doesn’t imply a line or draw much attention. There are also lines going through the heads of the three women, but these are not very obvious either, especially since the three women are more in the background rather than the foreground.

For my picture, I’ll definitely be looking to utilize the Rule of Thirds. I’d also like to try having multiple focuses so perhaps I’ll take a shot at counterpoint, but it’ll depend on what I ultimately decide to photograph. The other photograph I was thinking of using for this post was actually the one Ariella chose, and I really liked that photographer’s use of reflection/glass, so if I can, I think I’d like to get a shot similar to that.

Jessica Sun

Reflection, New York (Delancey Street) 1940-1950

The photograph I chose is titled “Reflection” and the photographer is Lisette Model. The use of reflection in this photograph is what first caught my attention. I was interested in how you could see inside of what seems to be a restaurant or bar and see the surroundings outside all at the same time. At first my eye was drawn to the man on the right who is standing. He in my opinion is the main subject of the photo even though the buildings and the trees in the reflection of the window also caught my eye. Whenever I see photographs of people in earlier decades I always wonder about who they are. I start to ask myself, do they have a family? What kind of work do they do? What are their interests? And then I go on to focus on and wonder about the specific situation they were in when the picture was taken. To me the man seems to be waiting, maybe for a friend. Or judging by his facial expression he may have just heard some confusing or worrisome news. I can’t see his eyes but he seems not to notice the photographer. When I looked harder at the photograph and tried to further distinguish the reflection of the outside from the inside I realized there was a second man inside who seems to be looking straight at the camera. Furthermore, I then could see the the people outside as they walk on the street. The thing that I found most intriguing however, was that as hard as I looked I could not see the photographer or the camera in the reflection of the window which I feel should’ve been noticeable.

Moreover, I feel that this photograph is compositionally strong because it uses the rule of thirds and counterpoint correctly. The photographer uses the rule of thirds when she places the main subject in the right third of the picture rather than in the center of the picture. Even though the second man in the picture may appear to be in the center, if you break the picture up into thirds you can see that he is placed in the middle but towards the left third of the photo. With these two men the photographer also slightly incorporates counterpoint in the photo. Since she placed the primary focal point at the thirds position, she could place the secondary focal point at the diagonally opposite thirds position. Although he isn’t exactly diagonally opposite it is clear to see that the head of the second man is at a slight diagonal from the first man’s head. This means that she used counterpoint.

Overall, I found the elements of this picture very interesting. For snapshot day I feel that I will now try to use the rule of thirds and try to incorporate counterpoint in my photograph since it makes the photo more appealing to the eye.

Ariella Caminero