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
Leave a Reply