Category: Photography

The two photographic techniques that are highlighted extensively are surrealist photography and experimental photography.

These two techniques showcase objects in an in-depth manner, concentrating specifically on the surroundings of the image and creation of an abstract form of art that shaped the history of photography.

These two photographic techniques started in the early twentieth century and have been instrumental in the radical growth that has been seen in photography.

Surrealist photography has its roots in Paris and is based on the attempts to capture a world away from the reality. Surrealists were instrumental in expressing a deeper connection to the inner self and emphasized on the imagination.

Surrealism demonstrated a high affinity to the unconscious and desires that were attached to that. This practice found its core expressionism in photography as in essence, and photography can be likened to the moving out of the ordinary world to another realm.

Photographers like Man Ray, Gyula Halasz, Hals Bellmer and Raoul Ubac were some of the critical photographers who experimented with this kind of photography.

Their photography featured unlikely interactions between standard objects and other times grotesque ones. Due to the tonal variations and reversal of the conventional photography methods, they came up with artwork that is bordering on the mundane.

Most of the surrealist photographers both refer to psychological distortions and scenic creation that is a twisted view of events as well as alluding to the primitive state. Apart from these odd innuendos, they sometimes showed a penchant for sexuality and sensual scenery.

Surrealist photographers collaborated extensively and their abstract art was not only portraying objects in thought-provoking stance, but they also had an affinity for the socially unbecoming like the Paris de Nuit (Paris by night) which was a depiction of prostitution.

On the other hand, experimental photography introduced graphics and especially photography to the commercial field concentrates on advertising.

The original photographers who started this trend came up with images that showcased modernism and they were very instrumental in social appreciation of products that were considered sophisticated.

Thanks to this art form, the commercial boom of some social vices for example, cigarettes was propagated.

Also, like the surrealist photography, they had a partiality to sexuality, but where the surrealist concentrated in distorting as well as painting the female form in a bad light, the experimental photographers took to depicting the female form in an erotic manner.

At this instance, in history, photography was being used to influence social behavior and culture. However, the various European nations saw this as an opportunity to paint their individual agendas in a not only selling of products but also political propaganda.

Photography at this time extended to include a whole level of sophistication and this was seen in the various advertising campaigns that were run, for example, photographer Maurice Tabard’s Dunhill cigarette advertisement.

Photography took a turn for the better with its influence in the film industry with technological advancement directly attributable to experimental photography.

Experimental photography was most influential in terms of the influence of public perception, but surrealist photography is to be given credit in the capturing of spur-of-the-moment expression.

There is a clear contrast in the two, but they both elicit a superior conjecture of creativity and have both been very influential in the direction that photography has taken.

Photography, as a form of art has different approaches according to the perception and approach of the photographer. Different photographers use different social themes and photographic production techniques to create their art. In this review, a comparison is made of the photographic approaches of Ann Parker and Manuel Alvarez Bravo, looking for similarities and differences in their art.

Ann Parker, like Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s photographs, has human beings and human life as the central element. However, Ann Parker is an American photographer in Latin America that acquires the photographic approaches of local photographers. Parker gets fascinated with the approaches of the itinerant photographic forms.

She uses old painted backdrops with different scenes like cityscapes or religious locations as the background of her photographs. These backdrops were set up mostly in rural fairs and marketplaces, where peasants who were the main users of this form frequented. This is seen in Ann’s famous photograph “Young Indian Couple with Cityscape” taken in 1973 in Solola Guatemala.

The photograph revolves around a young Guatemalan couple with a backdrop of a city portrait. This photographic approach is different from Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s photographs that are portraits. Manuel Alvarez Bravo is a major photographer from Mexico, whose photographs entail mysterious and eerie visual images adopting surrealism form.

This surrealism influence is the result of his modernist photographic approach, which focuses on form, Mexican art and Mexican life. The modernist approach in his photographs focuses on themes like “death” or “birth.” In addition, the photographs are allusions intertwined with Mexican folklore, ritual, myth, and reflections of life.

For example, this modernist photographic approach is indicated in the “La Buena Fama Durmiendo” 1938-1939 photograph. The photograph’s name means “Good Reputation Sleeping,” which shows a young woman sleeping in the sun. Manuel focuses on the young woman as she rests on a Mexican blanket as her thighs and ankles are wrapped with what appears to be bandaged.

Manuel’s modernist approach leads him to focus on the woman’s physical form, which indicates her pubic area emphasized against the backdrop of white fabric. Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s humanist approach is distinctly different from Ann Parker’s approach for her focuses on surrealism aspects like the sexuality and seductive aspects of the naked woman.

On the other hand, Ann Parker focuses on the simple and everyday life of peasants on city backdrops. Manuel’s modernist approach is emphasized by the focus of eroticism and the different altered states of human consciousness. This is unlike Ann, who focuses on depicting the simple life of peasants from Latin America, dressed in their Sunday best as they visit fairs and marketplaces.

Her photographs center on the traditional colorful dressing and adornment won by rural Guatemalan’s. This especially focuses on the brightly colored blankets often wrapped around women’s shoulders or men’s waists. In addition, Ann Parker’s photographs indicate the western influences on these communities, especially in the backdrops used in the photograph, while Manuel focuses on the realism of Mexican life.

Ann tries to show western influences like high-rise buildings, motor vehicles, airplane, paved streets, and street lighting in her photograph. However, Manuel focuses on Mexican folklore like the thorny cactus pieces lying next to the woman on the blanket, and which imply danger.

In conclusion, Ann Parker and Manuel Alvarez Bravo are both accomplished photographers that use different approaches to depict the way of life in their communities. Ann parker differs from Manuel Alvarez Bravo by using the itinerant photographic approach that uses still painted backdrops, while Manuel uses modern approach with surrealism influences.

Photography does indeed provide a platform for seeing the world differently. Since photography largely focuses on the beautiful, it is in constant need to define beauty. Close up photography has altered world perceptions on beauty by challenging conventional wisdom on the same. Objects that the naked eye sees can very easily become generic. Therefore, photographers need to challenge themselves by discovering new ways of seeing the ordinary and the close up is one such approach.

Susan Sontang explained that photographs set the standards for beauty. However, they differ from other forms of art like paintings because it they have an element of truth in them. Many individuals assume that if a photograph represents something, then the actual object should actually look like it. Therefore, the beauty that the photo represents is largely derived from the actual object.

Close ups reconcile this need to see beauty as truth. They create a new way of seeing that enables viewers to find beauty in what they would have categorized as ordinary. The camera, through the close-up technique, enables photographers to idealize daily life. They are able to bring out something that only the camera can generate. To this extent, Susan Sontang’s assertion that capturing a close up has changed the way people view the world is true.

It brought a new and refreshing way of looking at the world. The method isolated objects and thus transformed them into living things. In the practice photography for Praxis 3, some of the ideas came out quite clearly during the close ups. All the photographs involve plant parts; most were flowers while a few of them consisted of leaves.

The colors, textures, shapes and lines on the plant parts that compelled me to take the photographs would only be visible through the close up technique. When one looks at the images, it is clear that most of them are unique and refreshing. These elements would not have stood out if another technique other than close up was used. Many people find flowers beautiful, but the beauty epitomized in the Praxis 3 images was not conventional.

The isolation of one part made this fresh perspective possible. While Sontang acknowledges that the close-up is a reflection of truth, it is still subject to the photographer’s viewpoint. As such, it is an exploitation of one’s reality in order to fit into the photographer’s worldview. Photography, in whatever form, is a subjective habit that largely depends on the photographer’s focus.

The individual will manipulate geometry, angles, light and their camera parts in order to get the perfect look. Notions about beauty will determine how they find the right moment. Even the manner in which subjects interpret close up photos is dependent on their tastes. Most times, their opinions will not coincide with that of the photographer, so a label will give them an indication of what the object is.

Nonetheless, some congruence on the idea of beauty must arise between the photographer and his audience as the photographer lives in a society. During the Praxis 3 photography, some elements of distortion did arise during the photo-taking session. It was necessary to work on the focus of the camera so as to get just the right balance of geometry, texture and color.

I had to stand or lie on my stomach in order to get the perfect depiction of flower petals. These alterations were necessary in order to satisfy my standards of beauty. Therefore, the final product was a depiction of my truth. It was a unique way of viewing the world because it was my representation of nature.

The photograph I selected for this exercise is one of three young boys who is standing side by side holding each other. The photograph is posed because the trio is standing facing the camera directly while there are other activities going on in the background.

Telling from the photograph, the three boys were part of the group playing games in the background and were called to attention by the photographer. The mood captured in the photograph is that of excitement and joy because all the three boys are smiling. There is also a mood of friendliness in the photograph identified by the way the boys are holding each other.

The camera has been positioned directly in front of the boys, with the photographer being slightly taller than the subjects. The photographer is close to the boys, probably less than two meters away, and he is looking down at the boys. The foreground action captured by the photograph stopped immediately the shot was taken, and there is no evidence of it going on for long.

In contrast, the action going on in the background, including dripping water and a running boy kept going on after the photograph was taken. This is because there are signs of motion, including the boy’s running angle and the water droplets succeed each other. As far as graphic composition is concerned, the moving elements in the foreground had to stop momentarily before the picture was taken to allow for clarity.

The photograph is modern because the colors are presented. It was also taken during the day, around midday. This is confirmed by the positioning of the shadows, which fall directly below the boys’ heads. The frame cuts out the boys, and with the other elements in the shot having been irregularly chopped, there is clear evidence that the world extends further than what we can see.

Because the photograph primarily captures human beings, the outlines of the shapes are soft and follow the natural pattern of the different parts that make up a human’s body. There is a contrast between the bright foreground items and the dark background elements such as the grey floor, which makes the boys stand out in the photograph as per the intention of the photographer.

The photographer did not have any economic purpose for the photograph, because his subjects present indications of any economic significance. The style of the photographic work is informal, and it is highly unlikely that the person who took the shot was aware of any photographic principles and techniques when taking the shot.

It will be acceptable to conclude that the photograph was taken by an amateur, using a point and shoot digital camera. This implies that the job done was not difficult, in terms of professional photographic difficulty.

I encountered this photograph during a random search on the internet. I, however, found it very appealing because of the radiance of the three boys. Just looking at the photograph made me feel happy and I felt as if I was connecting with the boys in their joy.

In conclusion, I can say, that I find the photograph very appealing in terms of the physical elements and the content. The composition has taken into account all the positioning and lighting elements of a good photograph, and from an emotional perspective, I find it easily appealing.

During my time at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, I learned techniques of working with different tools, such as both movie and DSLR cameras. It was interesting to use either device and explore their capabilities as well as the ideas I could implement with them. However, ultimately, I leaned toward the DSLR cameras and still photography rather than the motion of the film. I think that most people should at least try taking some creative photos, both of real situations and the sets that they create.

Photography is a unique form of art that has become one of the most influential in human history despite its relative novelty. According to Barnbaum (2017), it combines the inherent realism that stems from the accurate depiction of a real scene with the photographer’s message, expressed through the choice to take the shot. As a result, good photos make one look at the situation from a different angle, capturing a myriad of details that one had formerly not noticed.

However, not all things can be photographed at one’s convenience, which is where set design comes in. Powerful moments and old eras pass, and objects or locations no longer exist, having disappeared before the advent of photography. However, the set design allows you to recreate these times and places in as much detail as you like. Making them as true to reality as you can is a massive challenge and one that I think many people will enjoy.

Reference

Barnbaum, B. (2017). The art of photography: A personal approach to artistic expression (2^nd ed.). Rocky Nook.

Introduction

Chris Hondros is one of the most famous US-based photographers who dwelled on the military situation in the Middle East during the beginning of the 21^st century. Hondros’ biography seemed to precede his professional successes in war photography due to the fact that both his parents were child refugees after World War II.¹ The photographer’s works developed over time, leaving the audience with mouths open wide because Hondros was never too scared to participate in the war process and stand in the middle of the battlefield to take the most thought-provoking and thrilling pictures. The feelings of presence and participation that are characteristic of Hondros’ photography allowed him to convey important messages about human life and situations that cannot be ignored. The most common process for Hondros was to capture live emotions, which required the presence of people in the majority of photographs.² Chris Hondros’ typical photographs tended to focus on distinct war situations, and the current paper is going to review the common topics that allowed the photographer to capture the most important split seconds of history by permitting the audience to relive those moments through unique imagery and style of photography.

Discussion

Before getting to the three most common topics in Hondros’ camerawork, it may be indispensable to evaluate Hondros’ contribution to war photography. The famous motto that you cannot do war photography from a distance served him well, because Hondros always tried to push the boundaries in terms of how close he could get to military actions. Hondros died to a mortar attack in Lybia but he never backed down from the challenges of war photography, as he aimed to capture the moment as-is. This unrepeatable bravery made Hondros a living legend among other photographers due to Hondros’ dynamic preparedness to share the brutal realities of war with the Western citizens who might have been unaware of the factual situation. This leads the author of the current paper to discovering the key three topics that have to be covered in order to evaluate Hondros’ contribution to war photography during the first decade of the 21^st century: the image of war, human emotions and suffering, and the lives of the innocent during the war.

The Image of War

Hondros had always had an interesting approach to picturing the war in his photographs and the war in Iraq was not an exception (see Appendix A). The image of a US Marine taking down the portrait of Saddam Hussein is one of the most famous pictures of 2003. The fact that the action takes place in a school shows how the allegedly sacred places become unsafe during the war and then serve as the last resort of hope for those who are defending. Hondros carefully places both the Marine and the portrait in the middle of the scene in order to focus on their virtual fight. Defeated Saddam Hussein has no chance but to descend, as there is no one else in the room (and probably in the whole country) who could stop the US Marines from achieving their objectives. Even if the Marine is actually checking for any explosives, it shows how the situation in the country changes when the war comes in and spoils the lives of all people from the ordinary citizens to high-profile governmental activists.

On the other hand, the cognitive dissonance that Hondros creates while showing both a school classroom and a fully equipped US Marine also serves as a reminder of the fact that there is no such place where one can hide from war. The warm colors in the photograph may represent the allegedly “hot” political and military situation in the country. Hondros discloses minimum information to the viewers and only shows the classroom, the portrait, and a picture that was most likely painted by a young student from that school. The war came too unexpectedly, and no one had time to wipe the backboard either. This also shows how Hondros operates natural illumination and creates a visually attractive exposition with the help of mere straight lines that populate the whole photograph. Even though the photograph looks peaceful, the background that it carries speaks volumes in terms of how the war changes everyday lives and destroys the future of many children who were never prepared for the most brutal lesson in their life.

Human Emotions and Suffering

Another photograph that can be easily seen as one of the best works ever made by Hondros is a picture of an Iraqi girl whose parents were killed moments ago right in front of her (see Appendix B). The moment of pain and despair that the photographer captured is most likely to show the audience that no one’s future is promised, especially during military conflicts that produce collisions of cultures, religions, and worldviews. It is evident from the photograph that the girl was caught by surprise, and the accidental death of her parents affected her immediately. With no chance to take a step back and reflect on the situation, she sits there, covered in the blood of her parents, and cries in agony because her whole world had just been destroyed in a matter of split second owing to a drastic accident. The fact that Hondros captured such emotions also shows that he was able to take the most devastating seconds of human lives and turn them into a photography masterpiece.

As one may see, the person in the photograph is the main character in the miniature story offered by Hondros. Even though the girl is not positioned in the center of the picture, she is still the most important moving force of Hondros’ work. A reflection of the girl’s hand is also captured perfectly, with no shade of blur, which may be seen as symbolizing the girl’s hope to see the light again in the future. Nevertheless, half of her face is in the dark, depicting the actual face of war, where the suffering is both visible and invisible. The girl’s trauma is going to affect her life majorly because she saw her parents die right in front of her, and the viewers may even see slight traces of blood on the girl’s hands. If it was not for Chris Hondros, the photograph would have most likely portrayed a mere crying girl, but the work in Appendix B is much deeper because it leaves the audience afraid of what is there back in the darkness. The strongest feelings of human suffering were actually placed in the background, as Hondros only captured one side of the girl’s face and no dead bodies were placed in the frame.

The Lives of the Innocent during the War

The concept of human pain and suffering may be easily transformed into the topic of how the innocent living beings persevered through the war and found their way out. The third photograph by Hondros that perfectly outlines the notion of war photography (see Appendix C) features a little Afghan girl, who is left with no parents right in the middle of a military conflict, with a local group of Kuchi tribal nomads being her only support. Again, typically of Hondros, the human is placed in the center of the frame in order to highlight the fundamental role of human beings, even if the photo is taken in the middle of a war. The girl seems to be lost and anxious, but she has not lost her charm and still looks beautiful, especially with a slight trace of a smile on her face. The calm background should not fool the audience, as the ruins around the girl directly hint at the destruction caused by war. She is just an innocent human being who happened to participate in all this.

On the other hand, even though the photograph seems rather plain, there are several details that are important for a more thorough understanding of the message that Hondros tried to convey. For instance, a UNICEF (United Nations’ Children’s Fund) brochure that is intentionally left halfway out of the frame to indicate how the poor girl is detached from the society by the force of war and is almost certainly never coming back to her normal life. Another important detail in the photograph is the presence of an excessive amount of lighting that creates a nimbus around the girl’s head. She is an innocent living being that did not choose to participate in the war but has to go through all the hardships in order to survive. It is not clear if Hondros’ intention was to introduce any Biblical references, but the willingness to depict the girl as innocent and peaceful was unconditionally real. The photographer’s imminent attention to detail allowed him to capture the horrors of war while taking a picture of a little Afghan girl who stood in the middle of ruins filled with light and slender tranquility.

Conclusion

Chris Hondros’ influence on war photography cannot be underestimated. As a progeny of child refugees of World War II, the photographer was most likely destined to see many battlefields and capture the most important moments. The fact that Hondros died right in the flashpoint during a US military operation shows that he was a devoted photographer, who always put artistry and high-quality work before anything else. The theme of human emotions and suspicions became central in Hondros’ photography because he perfectly depicted the anxiety and traumas that wars have always brought to humanity. The current paper discusses the image of war that he was able to create and the drastic difference between how the military forces and the innocent population get through the times of military conflicts. The photographer’s most shared aphorism revolved around the idea that decent war photography could not be made from distance. The cultural heritage in the form of timeless photographs that Chris Hondros had left behind after his untimely death will forever serve as a reminder of the horrors and hardships of war that ordinary people face because of hopelessness.

Appendix A: A U.S. Marine Takes Down a Portrait of Saddam Hussein

Appendix B: U.S. Soldiers Killed an Iraqi Girl’s Parents

Appendix C: An Afghan Girl

Works Cited

1. Kamber, Michael. Photojournalists on War: The Untold Stories from Iraq. University of Texas Press, 2013.
2. O’Flaherty, Erin E. The Art of War: The Impact of Aesthetics in War Photography. Dartmouth College, 2012.

Footnotes

1. O’Flaherty, p. 46.
2. Kamber, p. 39.

The first part of the twentieth century was the time when people were looking for new forms in art and ways to convey meaning through different media. Photography had been quite widely used before the 1930s, but its utilization went through considerable transformations in the 20^th century. Laszlo Moholy Nagy believed that photography would be an important channel of communication in different spheres of people’s life.

In the 1930s, scientists, artists, almost any person at all could use this technique to share information. Moholy Nagy listed eight types of photographic vision that addressed different aspects of the human being. For example, abstract seeing enabled people to convey ideas and feelings while penetrative seeing unveiled the essence and stems of objects. Snapshots enable people to capture motion, which can be achieved with the help of photography exclusively. People have obtained an opportunity to explore the world as well as their inner selves with the help of photographic instruments. The photogram by Moholy Nagy, Laci, and Lucia, 1925, is an illustration of the depiction or rather transmission of emotions and ideas.

The piece makes people think about the relationship between two people, as well as such feelings as love or hate, closeness or distance. Therefore, Moholy Nagy resumed the views that reigned at that period and claimed that every individual would be able to express themselves with the help of words and images. The latter were precise, detailed, and straightforward, and, importantly, images were easily understood by thousands or even millions without the need to learn a language. The people who lived in the first part of the 20^th century longed for such rich and powerful means of telling the truth.

In order to make it fit the life in the 21^st century, the famous quote by Laszlo Moholy Nagy can be rewritten in the following way: “The illiterate of the future will be the one who is ignorant of the use of the camera and a mobile device.” Photographic literacy is, indeed, essential in the contemporary world as people often prefer visual messages to textual ones. The wide popularity of Instagram and similar social media networks is another proof to support the claim. Visual codes are easily perceived and processed by the human brain. Texts (that are also visual codes) need more effort to be decoded due to the need to be aware of certain systems (languages).

At the same time, some images are understood without words or evoke quite specific emotions. For example, a picture of a happy face is likely to put a smile on viewers’ faces or make them feel positive emotions in the vast majority of cases. People often need a limited number of words (or even letters) to communicate via digital means. They become mobile and need to share different things in no time.

Instant messaging is a norm, and sharing a picture of a falling person who has passed by is common. People capture life and share visual codes, so words are often superfluous. For example, a girl is shopping and sees a nice dress. She sends a picture of the item instantly, and no other explanations are necessary. The receiver understands the message and sends an emoticon (another visual code) to reveal their approval. The image of a person holding a tablet reflects the modern world’s focus on photographic means (see Figure 4). People do not need words, but they prefer pictures to communicate.

The photo selected for analysis is Château de Rouzat (see fig. 1). In this image, Lartigue demonstrates a way of seeing that is distinctly photographic through several aspects. First of all, the camera has captured the person (most likely a man) in motion, which adds to the picture’s sharpness. One can see that the sweater is rolled up because the person is in an upside-down position. Also, there is no focus on the man’s feet because the camera concentrated on the leap in water, and the feet remain out of the water.

However, the main part expressing the distinct camera vision is the focus on water. One can see splashes of different kinds: some are located around the person’s legs, and others are so big that they cover the head and hands of the jumper. The sight of these large splashes cannot leave anyone uninterested since it presupposes the vigor and strength with which the person has made a jump. The light source also plays a significant role in the picture. The photographer selected natural light, which gave the image an air of brightness and easiness. Thus, several effects employed by Lartigue allow noticing the distinct camera vision.

Work Cited

The Photographs of Jacques-Henri Lartigue. The Museum of Modern Art, 1963.

Photography plays an essential role in human history since it captures moments that can be revisited in the future. As a result, photographers aim at taking pictures that resonate with specific moments to tell a story. Therefore, a picture can form part of art through the idealizations to the audience. Arbus showcased her work in 1972 with one hundred and twelve photos at the Museum of Modern Art (Sontag 32). Her depictions in the photographs showcase the problems that human beings face. Thus, the photos do not intend to provoke compassion but rather portray predicaments of individuals through their general outlook.

According to Sontag, Arbus’s photographs concentrate on portraying victims in their original environment. In all of her photographs, the subjects appear to be ugly, wearing grotesque clothing, and unpleasing to the eye. When compared to Steichen’s work, his photos show a lack of human differences and conflicts due to the showcase of subjects at their best. On the other hand, Arbus portrays a world devoid of happiness and full of hopelessness by showing people at their worst (Sontag 33). While Arbus’s photos display an honest view of the subjects, they do not elicit feelings of compassion. Consequently, the photographs prove the existence of a different world with people having no privileges undergoing significant challenges. The subjects in the photographs were from such areas as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland in the United States (Sontag 34). Arbus dedicated her life to photography to collect the most painful images of humanity. Her pursuit of pain is majorly directed towards increasing awareness to people in society living unaffected by the issues of others. Therefore, in the long run, more people understood the consequences of inequality and the problems that others face daily.

Apart from that, Arbus’s photographs further show attention to the subject matter based on the calm composure they present. The people posed correctly showing the amount of time taken by Arbus to reassure them of their role and purpose (Sontag 38). Furthermore, the subjects are also unaware of their ugliness as portrayed in the photographs. Additionally, they also show a majority of the subjects facing straight into the camera. This adds to the scene created by Arbus making them look more deranged. In contrast, most people would not agree to freely expose themselves on camera; thus, such poses show how cooperative the subjects were during the shoots (Sontag 37). This means that the photographer had to befriend them to encourage them to participate in the process, while following the instructions provided. Throughout her life, Arbus stuck with her theme and her unfortunate death brought more attention to her photographs by showing the implications of such devastating work. It also pointed to the truth behind her choice of photographs, showing the problems of others that may not have been visible to the rest of the world.

Sontag’s analysis depicts a true version of Arbus’s career as a photographer through the type of photos she took, hence I agree with the interpretations. Her focus was mainly on the problems the people faced and not on the individuals themselves. Consequently, all the people, despite their differences showed a similar identity based on their shared characteristics. With suffering being a unifying character, the freaks, nudists, and suburban couples in the collection of photographs were all depicted the same (Sontag 47). The aim of Arbus’s photographs was to pass a message for more people to understand the suffering that others undergo across the country. With more people considerate of the concept of humanity, more action could be taken to address the societal issues appropriately. Therefore, Arbus showed consistency with the portrayed ugliness of the subjects in the photographs. While America may seem like a successful and powerful country, a section of the population lives in abject poverty and face discrimination (Sontag 48). The photography by Arbus, thus, depicts these challenges to destroy the notion of total happiness in the country.

The photographs taken by Arbus aimed at showcasing the problems that human beings face. Therefore, they do not intend to provoke compassion but rather portray their predicaments through their general outlook. Sontag analyses the process and subsequent results of her work to determine the role of the depictions. Arbus majorly showed people at their worst, depicting a world lacking happiness. She further displayed an increasingly targeted pursuit for pain majorly directed towards increasing the awareness of discriminated and unwanted people in society. Her process of photography involved talking to the people and reassuring them to poses calmly. By directly facing the camera and seemingly staring into the lens, the subjects showed a sense of trust. This enabled Arbus to capture moments that genuinely depicted the feelings of the people in their environment. The ugliness of the photos was a deliberate action to raise awareness of the struggles of others, thus painting a picture of the differences in society and the privileges some enjoy. This model of photography offers a powerful message as compared to others that may focus on pain or the happy moments of humanity.

Work Cited

Sontag, Susan. America, Seen Through Photographs, Darkly. Anchor Books, 1977.

Describe

The photograph depicts icebergs floating on arctic, calm water. Large icebergs in the background of the picture float in the sea and are clearly visible.

The photograph was probably taken at dawn or dusk because the red rays of the light peep through the arctic sky. The water on which the icebergs float is not frozen. The picture shows two chunks of ice detached from the main floating iceberg. The photograph was shot in a polar region where the icebergs are melting because of global warming.

Analyze

The photograph presents a panoramic view of the Arctic ice. The vivid play of light and color in the picture brings out the striking separation of the detached mass from the main iceberg. The light from the illumined sky assumes a shade of light pink that reflects on the icebergs.

The warm red ray of the sun falls from the sky into the water that creates a pleasant nook in the cold picture. This reflection of the ray is strikingly bright, especially when it falls on the ice-cold water. The shade of blue on the iceberg and the darker blue gray water creates an impression of frostiness.

The picture has a grainy texture and the deaden finish produces a vintage look. Natural light is used to illuminate the photograph and capture the true colors of nature. The picture is shot in low light since sunlight is scant in the polar regions, even at daytime.

The icebergs appear to be cobalt blue in color that is reflected in the water. The gray areas that appear in the sky demonstrate the lack of sunlight in the polar region. The stark white icebergs reflecting on the piles of snow create the silhouette for the objects.

Interpret gray

The picture was taken in the Arctic or the Antarctic region. The polar regions are usually covered with perennial ice. However, because of global warming, ice has started to melt in the region. The sky is reminiscent of a hint of sun, visible through the light reddish tinge, indicating that it is probably the time for sunset or sunrise. The red rays of the sun peek through the gray clouds in the sky and fall vigorously into the deep blue water tinting it with deep scarlet.

The abundance of blue and gray in the picture creates a serene atmosphere that this lifeless region beholds. The calm and peace reverberate through the pale blue and gray colors, abundant in the photograph. The sun peeking through the sky brings in a hint of warmth and creates a possibility of life in this frozen desert.

The calm and serenity in the picture provide solace to the eyes that are accustomed to the intensity of city life. The photograph paints a story of escape from the chaos of modern life and acts as a warning to the possible depletion of this paradise owing to callous effluence of man.

Judge

The landscape uses low lights to beautifully depict the icebergs. The stark white ice against the dark gray background creates a striking contrast amid the white ice and the dark waters. I like the photograph because of its natural light and the focus on the rift between the two icebergs that demonstrate the melting process.

The photograph is an excellent example of the serenity in the polar area as well as a clear depiction of the possible melting process that has started in the region. It successfully depicts the serenity of the polar region and the danger that global warming poses to it.