History of Photography Essay 1 PDF

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The first essay of the year for History of Photography class....

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Kelly Semones Writing Assignment 1 PHT 110- Sauer 09/27/2017 Although from such a high distance it is virtually impossible to clearly identify what exactly is happening in this photograph, based on the uniformness of the group on the street, both in clothing and in stance, it is reasonable to assume that there is some kind of political protest or gathering occurring. What remains unclear is actually a substantial amount of information, such as what or who the group is representing, why they are gathering or protesting, the reactions of the observers on the balcony, what the outcome was or if/how this moment in time impacted history in any way, et cetera. There are people scattered throughout the street in a manner that suggests that both leaders and followers- those following what is happening and those that are leading the entourage of what I assume to be demonstrators. While the distance between the photographer and the subject(s) is problematic in the sense that a lot of informational details are forfeited, the vantage point used in this photograph is hardly short of remarkable. From what can be told by the photograph, my initial reaction was that the photographer was potentially on the balcony above the observers represented within the photograph, or perhaps on a balcony a level above attached to an adjacent building. It is relatively plausible that the photographer was not very interactive with the subject, either the people or on the balcony below or the group of people on the street as none of them are acknowledging each other whatsoever. Both the vantage points as well as the frame are exceptional in this photograph. The use of vantage point emphasizes the angles that are used inside of the frame. Though the photograph is in black and white, I believe that this actually adds to the essence within the photograph as this

is potentially a great use of historical photography in itself. The choice to photograph the observers was essential to suggesting what is happening in the picture as it notes that people are, in fact, observing something that is happening. This choice is important because had the photographer chosen just to photograph the group of demonstrators, perhaps it would not have been as effective since the street seems relatively empty surrounding them. Adding in that there were people actually watching what is happening below them is a good use of emphasis for the weight of what is happening. The timing of the photograph is also important because it appears as though the demonstrators are more or less centered beneath the observers on the balcony. Had the photographer waited a few seconds longer, the demonstrators would have been cut off at the edge of the picture, or the observers would have been chopped off a little bit. In conclusion, I believe that current day photographers, especially those in big cities, with all of the chaos happening in our current day society, could utilize this picture to examine different vantage points as opposed to sticking to street level for emphasis of emotionphotographs like these retain their own degree of art....