Lori Brudzisz-Week 10

This image was taken by Sandy Skoglund. She does installation art as well as photography. The center of interest in this photo, I believe is the boy sitting on the bed, however, the eye is dragged all around the image by the goldfish. The color used in the image is very purposeful. The fact that all the props are painted the same color makes the people and fish stand out a lot. I'm not exactly sure what the color is meant to communicate. There is a lot of movement for a 2D image. I love the construction of the fish. It really looks like they are swimming. The background really adds to the message of the photo in that everything is so strangely the same.

Jessica Leep-week 10

This photo from Alex Prager's The Big Valley series is pretty neat. He creates theatrical, dreamy/sort of surreal environments through the use of lighting, props, and camera angle. The characters he places in the scene are reminiscent of old hollywood movies. The styles of the models dress and wig as well as the model of the car which feel like bold 1960's fashion. Her intense stare alludes that there is some sort of action going on. The angle of the camera is dramatic and theatrical. This image gives just enough information to allow the viewer just jump to a number of conclusions as to what is going on. Also, the fact that it has the iconic feel of old hollywood helps to direct our conclusions about the story of this photo.

Aaron Metzler

Here is a photograph by Cole Rise. this photograph leaves

me thinking how? the posture of the figure floating in the

air is beautiful. Its a combination of a landscape and a

portrait photograph. lighting is peaceful and still dramatic

in a way that really accents the figures importance. Im trying to

find a meaning for the floating figure.. over all the composition is really

strong and lighting is

Benjamin Leaf - Week 9

This is a photograph by David LaChapelle entitled "Bodybuilding, Cape Canaveral, Florida. 1993.
A ridiculously tanned bodybuilder with ridiculously coiffed hair is flanked by a bunch of ridiculous-looking children flexing their muscles...and one kid yawning on the right. The book where I found this image compared the bodybuilder to one of the rockets based on his pose, which I agree with. I also think that how his arms merge with the two rockets creates a further relationship between him and the iconic background, as well as his positioning on the red, white, and blue-wrapped pedestal. LaChapelle also makes a joke by exhibiting the play between the "UNITED STATES" on the rocket and the bodybuilder's exaggerated bicep. The two kids' heads on the right merge with the rockets in a way that makes them look like they are wearing dunce caps.

The photograph is taken from a camera height that is even lower than the kids' eyes, which serves two purposes: the bodybuilder looks even more like an imposing statue, and the kids are painted in a naturally "intimidating" light due to the angle, but based on the subjects this representation comes off as ironic.

The garish red and blue color scheme exaggerates the skin tones of the children, and creates another connection between the children and the bodybuilder. Color contrast is created based on skin tone; the kids seem to suck out the red around them, while the bodybuilder absorbs it. Additionally, the bodybuilder seems to almost be photoshopped into the scene, as his skin seems to reflect light in a way that no other subjects in the scene can.

The picture above doesn't do the image justice; I couldn't find a higher-quality version online.

jonathan pivovar week 9

Misha de Ridder

A mainly monochromatic photograph of a prairie is found to be more than eye catching when comparing the foreground to its background.

The prairie grass is in full focus and a high depth of field makes the transition of the popping white flowers into the more darkened prairie comfortable and soothing, while still supporting the tonal overcast/stormy sky. Besides the whites and grays, the colors in the grass and prairie provide a beautiful combination that keeps the viewers attention while still remaining as calm as the rest of the photograph.

Vanessa Vasquez-Week8and9

I really like the composition of this photo and the natural light coming through the window. The light coming through the window has a strong glow that lights up the other half of the body and makes the other half appear darker. The light gives a nice outline of the body. I also like the how the red and green complimentary colors stand out. This photo seems as if it was taken in the morning due to her sitting on the edge of the bed and her only being half dressed, and the strong sunlight shining into the bedroom. 

Really love how her hair and lipstick really stand out. Her pale skin also really glows from the black clothes. I like the pose because it gives the body a interesting shape.You can tell the photographer used flash because you can see a lot of detail. You can also see every beauty mark on her body and every speckle on the floor. This photo I think gives off a fashion, glamourous, and editorial look.

Jessica Leep- week 9

This image by Martina Hoogland Ivanow is a part of her newest book, Far Too Close, which visually meditates the concept of closeness and distance. The subject of this image, a kid jumping on a trampoline, is pretty carefree. It suggests closeness. A closeness between subject and photographer, and through the relatability of the subject-matter. The way its photographed on the other hand causes a sense of distance between us and the subject. At first glance, the location is kind of ambiguous and the kid appears to be just a dark shape against the background of the sky. He's frozen in mid fall. There's strong sense of isolation in this image, but also nostalgia and familiarity.

This theme is made stronger through the organization of her book. Hoogland Ivanow combines images like these, which show closeness, with distant pictures of landscapes. The image directly across from this one in the book is of a dark abandoned street scene, which contains basically the same color pallet as this one. The placement of these two photos next to each other suggest that although we would probably consider these subjects to be very separate, they are connected as all things are connected. They both relate to us in the same way when photographed.