Light, Shadows and Reflections Pre-work part 2

Following Directions, Michael Kenna

This image is a silhouette with backlighting. To achieve this effect, Kenna likely metered on the sky, not the trees or the birds. I'm assuming he metered there because the grey tones are in the sky and the trees, silhouetted. The mood in this image achieved through this metering is slightly ominous, however, the brightness of the sky lends itself to a more cheerful mood. Had Kenna metered instead on the trees this image would be much less interesting, the drama of the sky would be lost and the grey tones instead would be in the trees.

Light, Shadows, and Reflections Pre-Work Part 1

Silhouette:

Caravan Silhouette, Laura Dunn-Mark

One Hundred and Four Birds, Michael Kenna

Back lit non silhouette images:

Buddha Offering, Michael Kenna

Reflections:

Boris Pophristov

Images where shadows are the main subject:

Unknown

Do you think a single photo has the ability to affect change?

Nick Ut's "Terror of War"

I think photos absolutely have the power to enact change, I think a powerful example of this is Nick Ut's "Terror of War". While there's a lot I could say about this photo and the change it enacted, (I wrote my extended essay on it) I'll keep my report on it's impact brief. Essentially, when this photo first arrived in American living rooms via nightly news reports and newspapers it shocked the public. The already dwindling support for U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was shaken. The photo depicts a misplaced South Vietnamese napalm strike in which innocent South Vietnamese civilians were the victims. Kim Phuc, the main girl running away, has stripped off her burning clothes as her terrified brother runs towards the camera. This photo acted as a catalyst for social and political change by further confusing the roles of the aggressors and victims for the American public. Politicians leveraged the photo to garner support and funding for hospitals, enacting both social and political change.

Margaret Bourke-White

Hats in the Garment District, New York, 1930.

Margaret Bourke-White utilizes the birds eye view technique very effectively here. The high contrast, the bright whites of the hats and the overall grey tone of the photo dehumanize those in the photo, the people are reduce to simple "hats" or ants rather than humans.  By doing so she creates an interesting photo and comments on society and humanity.