These are a a collection that illustrate the design elements and principles implement by some famous a accredited photographers that I have discovered along my journey. It is part of an assessment submitted during my studies.
Enjoy the read.
This photo gives a lot for us to think about. Initiated by the man looking into the distance with a sense of familiar anticipation as if he has been sitting for sometime, waiting. The caption from the photographer informs us that during this season ‘the winter pea crop froze.’ The man had waited for weeks and weeks for work to begin. The image draws on elements beyond the frame to communicate the impact of the weather on crop production, an individuals ‘bread and butter’ and the economy that affects us all. The lines of the crops behind the subject emphaise the crop he is relying on. The two others cut on the edge of frame implies that it is not one man alone that will feel the struggle and the landscape in the background shows how vast and wide spread the issue is. I like that Dorothea Lange has crouched down to be on the same level as the farmer and he is purposedly not looking at us so as not to relate so much to the man, but to what the image communicates beyond the frame.
Photographer: Dorothea Lange
The Winter Pea Crop Froze, February 1937 Holtville, California
Dorothea Lange by Mark Durden
I think that this is not only an iconic portrait for Queen Elizabeth but for Annie Leibovitz also. What an honour to be invited to England to photograph Queen Elizabeth! She was the first American to be asked by the Palace to make an official portrait of the Queen. A very controlled and complicated shoot, every element was orchestrated by Annie Leibovitz to portray Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. Her perfect golden mean placemtent in the frame with the light of the window illuminating that corner I find to be quite subtle. It highlights Her Magesty and the palace, without allowing the dramatic furnishings of the room to take over but to still be present. The outline of the fabric of ‘The Order of the Garter Robe’ on the bottom of the frame gives it a defined edge that catches the light and our eye and draws us into the Queens face that directly meets our gaze. Formally and completely dressed there is no mistaking the subject in this portrait or the location from the grand furnishings, to the diamond tiara on her head. Annie must be just down a little lower than usual in order to position the Queen and capture the entire room and create an iconic environmenta portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Photographer: Annie Leibovitz
Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, London, 2007
Annie Leibovitz at Work
I have always found seagulls to be relatively evil creatures and thankfully Martin Parr is giving me evidence to prove it! Martin is a British photographer who often communicated opinions towards British culture that create a humorous yet honest response, particularily in regards to their culinary culture. This image shows the seagulls in full force attacking chips at the beach. Showing us the sleepy seaside town of West Bay in Dorset, southwest England with the colour of the British flag in the background against the baby blue sky it’s as if it’s a fast food commercial itself with the vibrant saturation of the colours. In the forground we have the seagull on the right who is clearly glaring at us through the lense and showing us the sinister intentions of their feast, as if they were our chips. I certainly feel robbed by the full stretch of the seagull on the left with wings up and the attack begun. An otherwise perfect setting spoiled by the sinister motives of the seagulls but also an otherwise ordinary photo.
Photographer: Martin Parr
Limited Edition, West Bay, 1997
A Century of Colour Photography: from the autochrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
This image is from a series of 9 imagaes created between 2001 and 2003 at nighttime. The photographer has used a 10-minute exposure on 4x5in camera that shows the rivers and their reflections of the urban environment. The colours reflected from the lights and the nearby buildings wth the use of a long exposure as well as the influx of seasonal floodwater create an upside down version of real space.
The techniques used create the mood of the image and allow the reflective colours to take over and draw or eye into the abstract view. It confuses the eye and sends us topsy-turvy, the longer I stare at it the more confused I get. I think it is brilliant!
Photographer: Naoya Hatakeyama
River Series/Shadow
A Century of Colour Photography: from the autocrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
This image jumped off the page at me from the book that I found it in. This is such a clear representation of dramatic tonal contrast in an image and so beautifully presented. The warm green vegetation of the lily leaves fill the background of the frame complimented by the sunlight that lights them up. Then in the centre of the frame, the placement of the staggeringly dramatic contrast of the girls dark skin AND her stark white dress. As well as the striking contrast of tones in the image, she is looking straight at us and the contrast of the whites in her eyes also give us direction to look straight at her.
Photographer: Ruud van Empel
2005 World Series, No. 12
A Century of Colour Photography: from the auto chrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
It’s amazing how something so similar can be so different. This image by Diane Arbus is one of the most famous sibling images of all time. Even used as inspiration for characters in horror movies. Diane is quoted to have said "For me the subject of a picture is always more important than the picture. And more complicated.” It is evident in all her photos that she simply sticks to photographing the subject, which is clear here. The placement of the two girls next to each other, shoulder to shoulder places a clear emphasis on the resonance of the subject. Without colour in the image it is important to note that the stockings of the girls legs have jumped off the dark bricks and vice versa with the dresses on the walls. Their heabands then shape their face and draw you into to pay attention to their distinctivey different expressions that clearly break up the resonance of their existence in the frame while also drawing attention to it.
Photographer: Diane Arbus
Identical Twins Roselle, N.J. 1967
Diane Arbus
This portrait of a pregnant Demi Moore at the time of its piublication was considered truly scanadolous. It was tken for a cover for Vanity Fair magazine in 1991. Newstands even went so far as to display the magazine in white paper wrapping as if it was a porn magazine. Several supermarket chains refused to sell it even ith the wrapper. The image went on to influence the rise of body-hugging maternity fashions and helped make pregnant women feel less awkward with their bodies and start showing the beauty of their bellies! It’s hard to imagine now the impact that this picture could have now. To me she looks beautiful. Gorgeous diamond jewellery gives us an impression of the class of the subject and the image. The light coming directly on her and shadowing softly behind her as she embraces her unborn child and purposely looks into the distance is to me, quite lovely. With the neutral dark background her skin is contrasted warmly against it. It is poigniont in its simplicity. Demi is asymmetrically placed and her belly becomes central focus and where the light hits. However once, caused a serious media stir.
Photographer: Annie Lebovitz
Demi Moore for Vanity Fair
Annie Leibovitz at Work
This is from a book of portraits published without people titled; Red White Blue and God Bless You. The photographer began to take the portraits of his neighbour’s homes in New Mexico as this picture shows. It is an example of a minamilist interior however still evoking a response from the use of simple elements. You imagine if there was a person sitting in the chair they would be placed asymmetrically in the frame to tell the story. Instead it shows the ‘where’ of the time and not the ‘who.’ You can see the photos on the wall of the people who live here and their family. It shows a minimalist interior compared to the lounge room that I sit in as I type this, no floor coverings faded colours on the walls, torn fly screens on the door and very simple finishings. The front on angle of the camera gives us a direct view into the room and no distraction trying to communicate anything other that the minimal contents of the room.
Photographer: Alex Harris
New Mexico 1980
A Century of Colour Photography: from the autochrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
This image shows me the turmoil of a young girls adolescence and her struggle with her mother. The colourless image sets the scene for what is going through the young girls mind. Even though she isn’t looking at the camera the communication of her longing to escape is evident in her expression. Lange has placed her central, leaning on a wire fence as a line separation in the image to emphasis a barrier. Her mother, in the background is gently watching over her. Althugh she is not in a comfronting position but a protective and maternal stance, almost beckoning her return. She is shielding the sun so you can understand the light source of the image gives it warmth even without colour.
I remember that feeling.
You’re mother, forever watching over you when all you want to do is get out. You can see their economical position by the clothes they wear and the setting of the image however, this is a theme that resonates across all families, all over the world and all can recognise this phase of life regardless of your living conditions.
Photographer: Dorothea Lange
Child and Her Mother, Wapato, Yakima Valley, Washington, August 1939
Dorothea Lange by Mark Durden
Haas is famous for his shot of the traffic in the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico at the junction of the old Route 66. This shot was taken in the afternoon after a heavy downpour and shows the dark thunderclouds giving us the feel that it is night. I found it to be a grand celebration for an urban environment as it transforms the worst weather conditions with a grand selection of streetlights and bright colours of the advertising paraphernalia as far as the eye can see. The lines of the road lead us straight down the middle of the image following the streetlights, and their gorgeous reflection of the drenched road, with our eye as we go. The asymmetrical placement of the cars in the foreground, give us the perspective of travelling down the road with them. Apparently, even to this day the streetlights are still the same. You can still find the sign for the People’s Flower Shop, the motel signs on the right and the First National Bank building.
Photographer: Ernst Haas
Route 66
A Century of Colour Photography: from the auto chrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
The techniques the photographer uses create the magical design elements in this image. She uses long 1/4-second exposure and lowers her camera into the frame to create a kinetic feeling with the backgrounds of the image. It gives an abstract effect that is a joy to see. With the woman placed on the edge of frame, looking into to the scene it anchors us and gives us some perspective as to what we are looking at.
I felt that this was an excellent example of a partially abstract image especially because of the woman in the frame and therefore not blurring the entire image.
The technique used creates colours and lines vertically through the image and a lower camera angle gives the image great height looking up into the scene.
Photographer: Catherine Yass
I find this image to be a raw representation of the human form and its ability to create an abstract representation through movement.
It is taken of the dancer, Gus Solomons, in his final year at MIT. He later estabilished a famous dance troupe in Manhattan. This image was captured by multiflash at 50 exposures per second and literally ‘stops time.’
His position in the centre of the frame dressed in form fitting leggings that show every muscle in his dancers body as he moves his arms through the frame. The techique of the photographer in this monochromatic image explores an abstract representation of the body by stopping movement and time in his image.
It is as if he has wings!
Photographer: Harold Edgerton
Gus Solomons, 1960, Dancer at MIT
Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton, Jussim Kayafas
This is the very first flash photograph Edgerton made.
Running water captured on the monochromatic black background.
This image explores the idea of body in water by freezing the flow of fast running water and showing us the volume it holds. The flash reflecting on the water gives it a crystal effect that looks as though you could hold it, solid in your hand. Edgerton creates the feeling of weight by placing the water stream straight through the centre of the image, broader at the base and the simple faucet at the top. This shows that the large quantity of water as it grows through the image is increasing in volume and body. Water usually runs away, can cover a huge surface area and stay thin and untangible almost. Edgerton has displayed the mass of the water, now almost tangible by freezing it in motion.
Photographer: Harold Edgerton
Water from a Faucet, 1932
Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton, Jussim Kayafas
Cameron Davidson started his aerial photography career in 1980 when taking snapshots for National Geographic and asked a local pilot to help him get an aerial view, and has been doing so ever since. I chose this picture because on first glance it is not clear that it is an aerial shot of the landscape at all. To me it almost looks like golden brown fabric. On further inspection it indeed is the Palouse Hills in Washington, with the sun hitting the contoured lines of the crops in various spots to create a great warm texture in the land. The lines throughout the image are very soft and lead us through, and all around it. With most of the ‘waves’ of line occurring in almost a golden mean position in the top right hand corner. After discovering this photographer I spent a lot of time with his images and find him very interesting in his abstract communication via aerial images.
Photographer: Cameron Davidson
Palouse Hills, Washington
This image communicates a clear impression of conflict and draws it to our intention. It Shows the Sandinista “Muchachos” awaiting counterattack by the Guard in Matagalpa. Without seeing any of the faces of the gang involved they are shown to be bracing themselves for the bullets about to be fired. The man centrally placed and looking at the camera seems to be very on edge and prepared for an attack, perhaps more so than the others because he is not holidng a gun. The bright colours of their ‘masks’ and clothings make the image more interesting and attractive despite its subject. The key element is the central placed man looking directly at the camera and involving us in the action.
The image is separated from the photographer by the sand bag wall in the foreground and keeps us at a distance while still observing the conflict that they are anticipating. The image shows the political struggle in Nicaragua, previously ignored by the world press, helped to bring the conflict to the publics attention.
Photographer: Susan Meisela
Sandinista “Muchachos”
A Century of Colour Photography: from the auto chrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
Williams was known for his gloriously vivid food photography and he even went as far as writing recipies to accompany his photographs. He was known for his composition and shocking colour in his images. This image was from a campaign advertising Fiestaware Pottery. The range was launched in 1936 with the slogan “Colour! That’s the trend today.” I thought it was particularly fitting to provide evidence that colour has been used to sell a product. Even mores so, during a time where the western world plunged into economic depression, in the world of advertising, colour grabbed and engaged the attention of the consumer. This modernist shot shows extreme dynamic diagonal lines in the presentation of the pottery and the range of colours available. The lines from the top left corner, starting tight and neat, lead you through the image to the grand centre that is the product for sale. The plates are displayed in contrasting colour order to impact the eye and the catchy red apples in the foreground give context to the product. Harney Isham Williams was commissioned by Fiestaware to produce most of their advertising material.
Photographer: H.I. Williams for Fiestaware
A Century of Colour Photography: from the autochrome to the digital age. Pamela Roberts
Fantastic Stare.
As he glowers at the camera in the garden of the Carlton Hotel in Geneva, Goebbels seem to have no interest in anything that is going on around him. His body language is communicating with the photographer and no one else. His hands wrapped over the arms of the chairs and his head down slightly and glareing up towards to barrel of the lens.
Dr Joseph Goebbels was Hitlers Minister of Culture and at that time, the National Socialists were still perceived as an unknown quantity, the Europeans felt that they could do business with them. The expression on Goebbel’s face suggests otherwise. The photographer was in fact Jewish and Goebbels eyes reveal what he thinks of the photographer and exactly what he would like to do to him, he is not at all comfortable with what is going on. I chose this image because even without the information of the photographer’s background, the expression on the face of the subject clearly represents the political ideas of the time and the unstoppable control of Hitler.
Photographer: Alfred Eisenstaedt
Dr Joseph Goebbels, Hitlers Minister of Culture
Photojournalism: The Worlds Greatest News Photographers. Reuel Golden
Life in its very early stages is at its purest form whether it is human, animal or even as we see here, a sprout. This image has placed a newly formed plant growing in the asymmetrical position of the frame.
The colour contrast against the soil gives the single sprout signifcance against the overgrown blurred green backgroud that celebrates the life this plant is about to have.
The simple water dropets that are catching the light show the process of life and the food that gives the plant life in nature – rain. The focus up close, on the simple elements of the photo with the blurred backround celebrate life in its early stages and show us what becomes as it grows.
Photographer: Unknown
Lifesong Community Church
The visual recognition of the twin towers burning immediately brings about a response in all of us for the events of 911. This photo depicts the scale of those events without seeing the entirety of its effect. The cloud of smoke that invaded the city as the towers burned before they crashed to the ground. An image that now resonates across all countries, the horror of war. The angle of this image, set just below looking up at the towers, although not from the ground emphasises the grand scale of the buildings, as they are literally torn in half. I chose this picture particularly because the second tower is visible and in smoke also, caught on the edge of frame. The image is split by the crisp cool blue sky, about to be invaded by the heat of the smoke and flames. The major action of the shot is in perfect golden mean position and draws our attention to the thick smoke that is slicing the tower in half. This picture evokes the horror of war for everyone, reminding us of a time where the solidity of America was literally brought to the ground in a massive attack on the World Trade Centre.
The South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11
Photographer Unknown
There are only two colours used in this image and no one is looking at the camera. However, the image portrays the well-known tango position that encapsulates the idea of seduction and romance through dance and in this case through photography. The colour red in the backgroud reinforces this feeling of passion, love, excitement and seduction all emations that resonate through the dance itself.
The dancers dressed all in black and not looking at the camera give us the impression that we are not involved in the moment, but merely seeing it from a distance. It communicates the idea of the personal seduction that the couple experience as they become ‘one’ in the image against the black door behind them and asymmetrically placed in frame. I also note the shadow in the right corner as if someone has walked past and is leaving the frame almost to further convince us that there is no one paying attention to this moment except the couple, together as one.
Photographer: Unknown
