Level 5 photographer analysis

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Rebecca Mclean

5

Ellen Yatzen L I T E R A L This photograph taken by Ellen Yatzen relates closely to my theme, the natural world. At a first glance the eye is immediately drawn to the trees in the centre due to the contrasting colours of the trees with the much darker sky. Furthermore, the photograph shows a vertical gradient from light to dark which suggests a hidden meaning within the photograph itself. This is also emphasised from by the camera angle which is pointed slighly upwards. The road comes to a harsh stop at the end which causes you to wonder what is beyond the photograoh. Yatzen has edited her image to change it from a very natural landscape shot to an unnatural shot which has made the trees resemble what looks like electricity or lightening, it has masked the natural look of the trees and caused them to seem almost supernatural.

T E C H N I C A L The photograph looks aesthetically pleaseing and was taken at eye level, as stated previously, the camera angle is pointed ever so slighly upwards in order to add to the mystery of the photograph. It seems to be day time at the point in which the photograph was taken because the lighting nearer the bottom seems to be very natural rather than edited. To improve Yatzen’s work I would change the camera angle so that you could see more of the road and where is goes to in the background.

S Y M B O L I C To me the photograph represents human impact on nature and the environment .It creates many different emotions depending on which way you look at it. At first glance it can appear to just be an aesthetically pleasing edited photo. However, it seems to suggest a hidden meaning. For example, the trees may resemble manmade objects such as electricity. Also, the as the dark gloomy sky in contrast with the green foliage may represent human impact on the natural world and how it is being destroyed. It can make you feel sadness and regret for taking the environment for granted and change your mind on how we view the world in which we inhabit.

C U L T U R A L As a teenager in 2015, this photograph has altered my views on the natural world.

It has changed my thoughts and made me more aware of the destructive nature of human impact. Living in a relatively urbanised area, I see a lot o development destroying nature, however, the environment should be being preserved for generations to come. I think that this photograph represents this very well.

Facts:

Simile

The photograph is of Manhattan. The roaring sounds from the city we The photographer has created a Poem montage by combining two photos The roaring sounds from the city ce merged into one. thunder echoing through th Birdseye view of the city.

The cars weaved throughout one an Shows how busy the city is through Like a deadly chokehold, the gas fu editing. the air.

There is no main focal point.

The colours seem dull and simmed out.

Shadows are the outlines of the buil

show aclear contrast between one a

Wordsfrom Photographs Senses: If I were there when this photograph was taken I would hear the deafeningly loud noises of the urban city. This would include the chatters of busy shoppers and the sound of cars weaving in and out of one another. The lingering smell of petrol would fill the air and

ere as loud as thunder.

surround me within moments, causing me to unwillingly taste

entre were as loud as

he atmosphere,

nother as if they were

umes from cars filled

it on the tip of my tongue. I am consumed with the feeling of regret when observing my surroundings, the pollution, the destructive mannorism that is involved in an average day to day life becomes clearer and clearer with every moment.

ldings whereas the highlights are the sky. They are both very strong and

another which emphasises the thought of natural vs unnatural and rural vs urban.

Letha Wilson- Holey Wave Similarities: Both are made with chromogenic print. Both of the photographs are of something natural which has been altered to look unnatural. Almost all of the shapes and lines are curved, not many are jagged or spointed.

are very different in each. For example, Letha Wilson’s work has very rounded shapes whereas Brandt’s work is has many more jagged and pointed shapes.

Technical similarities and differences: Both are in colour.

However, Brandt’s work has Differences: Mathew Brandt’s more vivid colours shown and work seems to have had more editing done (photoshop) to make many more greens, oranges and purples. It also looks as if another it seem almost surreal whereas Wilson’s photograph has had more photograph has been merged on top or as if it has been burnt into to physical editing like cutting the create the rustic effect it has. holes out.

Literal similarities and differences: The emvironment that the photograph was taken in is outdoors. However, the shapes

Symbolic similarities and differences: Wilson seems to have shown a more symbolic meaning within her work by

showing a natural form that has been manually distorted, however, Brandt’s work shows a similar symbolic meaning behind it as he has also shown a contrast of a natural form and distorted it.

This then creates mixed emotions when looking at it as you can see the beauty of the natural world in contrast with the distruction of it.

Cultural similarities and differences: Both photographs present a contrast between natural and unnatural and a type of development or distortion that could suggest human impact on the natural world.

Comparing Photographs Mathew Brandt, Sylvian Lake

Guide To Writing About Other Photogr -Jane Shi

Shi’s Career Jane Shi is a photographer from Vancouver, BC, Canada and seems to look at a contrast of natural and unnatural forms.

The Subject Matter Although very subtly, the Jane Shi is trying to communicate things like human imact through her work. This becomes apparent when you notice the natural backgroud, the trees and the mountains, which are contrasted by the man made road. The photo being black and white toned puts an emphasis on the negativity you feel when exploring the photograph. Not only this, but the grey sky along with the fallen rain on the rods suggests that Shi is trying to communicate the negatuve connotations associated with human impact.

The Composition The photograph is mainly made up of a contrast between jagged edges from the trees and environment and the smooth curves shown at the side of the road and within the field on the right hand side. Shi took the photogrph from eye level, showing a clear foreground, middleground and background. The focus is on the road which is emphasised by the difference in coulour of white, grey and black- with the lighter colours highlighting the centre of the image. Due to this, the eye wonders accros the photo vertically, from bottom to top, scanning and exploring the details which in turn causes the imagination to wonder what is at the end of the road- much like a book, it almost leaves the beholder wanting to see more.

How does it compare with my work?

Jane Shi’s work is both very diferent and similar to my work. For example, we are both photographing completely different objects and scenes, however, the meaning behind them is similar. Furthermore, my work shows the human imact on the natural world and the contast between natural and unnatural, rural and urban which is similar to the message that Shi has conveyed in her work, in my opinion.

rapher’s Work

How would you describe this photograph to a person who could not see it? I would describe

reflection of it in the river situated infront. Parts of the trees have then been edited with neon, bright and unn natural and unnatural. There is no trace of any urbanisation within the photograph, however, the bright co

How is this picture different from real life? The photograph is very different from real life due to

the natural green colour that would have been shown on the unedited version of the photograph. Furtherm as the edited version. The photographer has made the blacks and the shaddows darker in order to create th

What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here? I would ask wh photograph and what influenced his decision to use this scenery to convey this message.

the photo as being a natural scene of a forest and the natural colours which shows a clear contrast between olor may be representing this.

o the colours that Brian Wulf chose to use in place of more, the scene would not have had as much darkness his effect.

hat the cultural and sybolic meanings are behind this

Blooms Taxonomy Questions -Brian K Wulf

What do you think this photograph is about? How did you come up that idea?

I think that Brian K Wulf has taken this photo and presented it in this specific way because he wanted to show the negative impact that humans have on the environment and how we have altered the natural world to show an unnatural representation of what we see ‘perfection’ as in our modern day lives. The bright colours in contrast with the darkness of the shadows could represent the idea of people preferring the unnatural, urbanised side of the world instead of the natural world. The natural side of this photograph, being the trees and river, have been darkened substantially to make them receed to become less important at a first glance.

What do you think is effective about this photograph? What doesn’t work so well?

There are a few aspect that are very aesthetically pleasing in this photograph. The bright colours contrast the darkness very well which is very effective and causes the imagination to run.

However, if I were to change the photograph I would have included more of the trees and maybe the sky so that it seems more interesting.

Level

5