Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Assignment 1: Photo Analysis

"Memorial Day" 




"Memorial Day" was the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph from 1984.  The photographer, Anthony Suau, was at the cemetery looking for something to photograph for the front page of the Denver Post.  He saw this woman hugging her husband's grave.  As soon as he saw this scene, he thought it would make the perfect picture, but the woman quickly let go of the tombstone.  Suau then positioned himself with a longer lens and waited for her to hug it again.  When she did, he quickly snapped the picture, seen above, which caught the grief felt by many people.  After this photo was published, Suau admitted that he got many phone calls from people, saying, "I've done that before.  I have hugged my husband's, wife's, father's, mother's, etc grave.  I can relate to that picture.   I can really feel what that woman feels."

Even if you do not know the background of this photograph, it still evokes many strong emotions.  As stated above, many people can connect to this photograph, but many people who do not have a connection to the military still feel several profound emotions.  "Memorial Day" represents the grief of thousands of people who have lost their loved ones in the line of duty.  (As well as people who have lost loved ones who once have served in the armed forces.)

The shallow depth of field in "Memorial Day" creates an emphasis is on the woman hugging her husband's gravestone. Because of the repetition of tombstones, you can picture the rows and rows of tombstones surrounding this one grave.  The repetition of tombstones also adds to the drama of the photograph.  The multiple tombstones that can be seen, as well as the many our minds picture that have not been included in this photo, create an emotional response because it reminds us of how many soldiers have been lost fighting for our country.  Also, because the focal point, the woman hugging the tombstone, creates an emotional response, seeing the rows of tombstones emphasizes the sadness felt by the woman.   However, because the majority of the tombstones are blurred, the main emotional portion of the photograph is the woman and her husband's gravestone.

The flags also create a feeling of patriotism.  It shows that we, as citizens of America, appreciate our service men and women.  We still remember them, regardless of when they died.  We honor each of the fallen men and women equally, which is also shown in the layout of the tombstones.  The colors of the American flag also stand out, creating a strong sense of pride in America.

The main focus of the photograph "Memorial Day" is the woman holding the tombstone.  She is still wearing her wedding ring, which, along with the overall position of her body, shows her husband is still a valuable part of her life, even though he is no longer physically in her life.  Her grief is palpable, spreading the grief and sorrow onto the viewer.

"Memorial Day" is an incredibly powerful photograph.  Every little part of the photo, from the focal point of the woman to the blurred tombstones creates a feeling of grief and sorrow, regardless of any personal connection to the events in this picture.  Because every element makes this a powerful photograph, it is no surprise that Anthony Suau won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his deeply emotional photo "Memorial Day."


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Balance Images

Symmetrical 

The United States Capitol is one of the most famous buildings on the Mall.  If a vertical line were placed in the middle of the building, both sides would be exactly the same, that is, the building shows symmetry. 










This is a design that is on the celling of the National Cathedral.  If you divide this picture in half vertically, one side would match perfectly with the other.  This design is symmetrical, making it pleasing to our eyes. 










This is also taken in the National Cathedral.  The arches are exactly symmetrical.  If they weren't, there would be structural issues.  Symmetry is used to be easy on the eyes and for structural reason. 










The Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church across from campus is also symmetrical.  Again, if a vertical line were placed in the center of the building, one side would directly match the other.  













Asymmetrical Images

Our very own Katzen Arts Center has an asymmetrical design.  No line could be placed to make each side symmetrical.  The design, to me, is very pleasing because so many buildings we see are symmetrical.  To see a break in the "traditional" architecture is a nice change.










This statue, outside of Katzen, is one of my favorite on campus.  Besides it's bold color, it is not a traditional sculpture of people that we see all around the city.  Again, I find the asymmetrical design pleasing and unique.  
















The SIS building on Campus is not symmetrical when looked at from the entrance.  The left side of the building sticks out more than the right, which, even though it looks sort of symmetrical in the picture, create an asymmetric design. 











Ordinarily, the lights on campus are symmetrical.  This light, because of the American University banner on the left, shows asymmetry.  It looks "left heavy."  Placing only one banner on the pole, draws our attention to it.  Asymmetry can be a good tool to use when we want to catch people's attention.