Josef Sudek

The first element I noticed when seeing this photograph was the striking contrast between the pitch black of the red rose and leaves and the white of the other rose.  There is something very interesting about the way these flowers relate to each other and the way that the lighting plays on the petals.  By including the black strip of wall on the right ride of the frame helps focus in on the fact that this is indoors and the only light source hitting the flowers is coming from outside.  I am also a big fan of natural lighting so to me, this image uses the light from outside very beautifully.  Also, if there was not rain on the window, the composition would be completely altered.  The rain on the window represents that even on a rainy and gloomy day, something so beautiful and full of life such as these roses can provide light and joy.  I am not exactly sure why the pepper is in the frame but it does add some kind of balance to the image.  If it was not there, there would be an awkward empty space in the composition.

Amy Thompson Avishi

Of Amy Thompson Avishi's "Within These Walls: Educating Girls in Rural Morocco" series, this photograph is always the one that sticks out the most for me.  The moment captured here says a multitude about this section of Morocco.  As Amy stated in her presentation, in this part of Morocco, people still don't have running electricity in their homes and are only just hearing that it might come to their town soon.  As compared to the way we in the United States live, this is completely unheard of.  Every single day, we rely on electricity to power so many different aspects of our life and we have lived with having electricity for our entire lives.  If we think about how much electricity gives us, not even in the way of light, but in the way of technology, it plays a major factor as to how we function as a society.  Most all of us use our computers as a resource for education and as a way to learn and obtain information.  Using a computer is how we stay connected to the world and keep up with pressing issues in society and learn how the world is evolving.  Our society has become so broad and complex and comparing my life to the life of the girl photographed proves to be very disparate.  My life is very complex and technologically driven and comparing my life to this strikingly simple image of the life of a girl around my age in another country is startling.  These rural parts of Morocco are so far from being a highly developed society.  Also, my entire life I have taken my education for granted and have often complained about having to go to class or do assignments.  Not until I was older did I realize what a privilege having an education is and how many people would kill to have the opportunities that I have had.  Every person in our country regardless of gender is required to go to school.  In other parts of the globe, boys are sent to school over girls leaving many women uneducated.  Hearing the story of the girl pictured here and how her family encouraged her to go to school was very inspiring.  We can only hope that other families in Morocco follow the same example and encourage all their children to attend school, not only the males.
        Amy Thompson Avishi has captured such a personal moment here and the expression on the girls face is very pensive.  To me, this picture represents hope for the future generations of women, not only in terms of education, but also in terms of having a better life in general.  This one single light in the frame represents the small advancements that have been made across the world to better the lives of women.  This light, though small right now, grows daily and shows even more hope and promise everyday for a better future.

Max Yavno

From the first second you look at this image, you know that it is an old photo.  The simplicity of the signs shows that this was taken long before any type of technological advancements were made. They used almost all type and very few images to advertise and they stuck mostly to a bold blocked letter type.  The simplistic style of the signs make the photograph very bold because the shades and the transition between shades are very defined and clean.  The angle at which the photo is taken is very interesting because it creates a very nice relationship between the three signs present in the photo.  The "arrow hotel" sign in the foreground grabs the attention of the viewer and the eye then follows back on a diagonal to the bottom right corner where the next two signs are.  Also, the black grate in the top of the frame succeeds in helping the eye follow back along that diagonal from the foremost sign to the farthest sign.  Another component of the photograph which I absolutely love is the prices of everything.  A bed at the Arrow Hotel at the time was only 25 cents which today, will hardly buy us a stick of gum.  Also, a large glass of beer was only 5 cents and today a large beer would be more like 5 dollars.  Images such as this one capture a moment in history and become even more interesting as time passes and the world changes.

Edward Weston

When I first saw this photo I was perplexed because I thought Weston had taken a photograph of a painting.  After further examination, I realized that the stroke-like patterns in the subject of the piece is the bark of a tree.  The way that Weston has photographed the root of the cypress tree makes it difficult to make out what the actual object is.  Instead, he focuses on the texture of the object and the different shapes the bark makes.  The inclusion of the flowers along the top of of the cypress root give context to what the environment is like.  Without the flowers in the scene, it would have been much more difficult for the viewer to figure out what the main subject is.  If Robert Weston had decided to zoom in just a little farther and focus on the tree bark, it would be extremely difficult to figure out what the subject is without further explanation.  The wide range of values and textures are what make this piece dynamic, striking and successful.

Robert Haeberle

This photo is one in a series of heartbreaking photos by Robert Haeberle from Vietnam in 1969.  Similar to the photo of the man in the electric chair by William M. Vander Weyde, the subject matter of this photo is what drew me in the most.  The caption  of this photo is "People about to be shot" and knowing what is actually happening in the photo adds a whole new dimension to it.  The anguished and distraught expression on the woman's face clearly shows that something horrible has happened or is going to happen.  Going further into the photo past the main subject, the horrified expression on the little girl's face is absolutely heart breaking.  Following both the woman's and the little girl's eyes, the viewer can tell that they're both looking at the same thing, which in this case is probably the soldier that is going to put them to death.  Furthermore, the little boy being held by his mother is looking at their attacker as well, yet he is calm because he is too young to even understand what is going on.  It is sickening to think that these innocent people were killed and not only adults, but small children.  This image also made me question what kind of situation Robert Haeberle was in to be able to capture this photo.  Was he a part of the group that killed these people? Did he witness them actually being killed?  Similar to Vander Weyde's photo, the moment captured here is haunting and seizes the anguish and devastation that occurred during the Vietnam War.

Isiah West Taber

What immediately drew my attention to this photo was the stark contrast between the bright white of the water and the deep black of trees.  Since the white river is right next to the black rocks and trees, it stands out the most in the photograph and the eye is immediately drawn to it.  Not only is the eye drawn to the water because it is pure white, it is also pulled toward the water because it creates movement in the photo.  The viewer can see the motion of the water and tell that the water is flowing pretty quickly downstream.  I love the way the rugged terrain lining the river as well as the mountainous structures framing the scene make it seem like this location is hardly touched by mankind.  Even though the waterfall and rushing river have an aggressive nature to them, the photo has an overall serene and fresh quality to it.

William M. Vander Weyde

When I first saw this image, I wasn't positive if I understood the subject matter.  Reading the caption affirmed my idea that this man was being strapped into an electric chair to be put to death.  I doubted that this was the subject matter because I have never seen an actual photograph of somebody who was sentenced to death but rather fictional, hollywood style depictions of the death sentence.  This photo is haunting and disturbing once the viewer actually lets what is happening in this photo sink in.  Vander Weyde has captured the last few moments of this man's life.  To think that only moments after this photo was taken this man was put to death in a horrible, inhumane way is completely burdensome.  Also, the hopeless expression on the prisoner is haunting. On the technical side of the photo, I think it is very interesting that the prisoner is wearing white whereas the men strapping him into the chair are wearing all black.  The white of the prisoner's clothes reminded me of angels and the black of the prison workers reminded me of the black cloak of Death.  Overall, I think this photo is more successful because of the subject matter and moment captured rather than the technical aspects.

Fratelli Alinari

Fratelli Alinari captures the beautiful Il Portico degli Uffizi e il Palazzo Vecchio in this photograph. The first element that caught my eye in this photograph was the angle that the two buildings opposite each other create.  The receding lines toward the tower in the background brings the eyes attention directly to the Palazzo Vecchio.  Also, the identical nature of the buildings on the right and left is very interesting.  It almost looks like one of the buildings could be a reflection.  The only thing that gives the two buildings so much contrast is the way in which the sunlight is hitting them.  The building on the left is almost completely in the sun and the building on the right has almost no sun.  I also love how Fratelli Alinari captures all the details of the complex architecture.  This photograph holds even further significance for me because I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy and will be able to see this architecture in person.

Ansel Adams

Knowing Ansel Adams' body of work, this photograph was so striking to me because it is completely different from the images that made him so famous.  Most everybody knows him because of his dynamic photographs of landscapes, so it was really bizarre to see a picture of a house as a photo of Ansel Adams'.  Even though the subject of the photo is mundane in comparison to the subject of his other photographs, he still finds a way to make the image compelling.  The way that the two trees frame the windows and conceal or protect the home was very compelling to me.  Between the shades of the window being drawn and the trees concealing the home, there is a secretive tone to the home and it makes the viewer curious as to what may be happening inside.  Also, the inclusion of the gate in the frame of the picture adds a secluded and forbidden tone to the image.  The gate shows that not only could the photographer not approach the home, they could not even set foot onto the property.  

Judith Joy Ross

Judith Joy Ross’s works capture not only a portrait of a person but also their emotions and the feeling of the moment.  In this particular photograph, she captures a young woman who is clearly in some kind of distress or anguish.  This image was so striking to me because the emotion on this woman’s face is so raw.  The way that the light is playing off her face and the angle that the picture is taken at makes the facial expression even more pronounced and dynamic.  The angle at which she is holding her head away from the camera makes it seem as if the woman is trying to hide her anguish.  The expression that Judith Joy Ross has captured makes the viewer sympathize for the woman and makes the viewer wonder what in her life may be causing this anguish.  

Richard Avedon

Out of all the photographers I have explored thus far, Richard Avedon has been my favorite.  He has a way of capturing a candid in which the viewer feels like they're standing right there in the scene.  He not only captures the subject, but the entire mood of the environment.  Although I loved many of his images, this specific one was my favorite.  As soon as I saw it, it put a smile on my face.  The man that is the main subject of the image seems to be having such a great time.  His facial expression exudes happiness and joy and it is infectious.  It makes the viewer wonder what kind of person this man is as well as who the people around him are and what they're doing.  It makes you want to jump into the photograph and be a part of the experience.

Robert Mapplethorpe

Photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe provide the viewer with a dynamic and striking view of human beings.  Out of all his studies of the human figure, I find this one the most interesting. What I found most striking when I first saw this photograph was the stark contrast between the bold, solid black of her clothing and the bright, vibrant white of the pearls.  Also, the way the black of the woman's hat frames her face and the different texture of the material over her face immediately draws the attention of the viewer to the woman's face.  I love the striking contrast between the black hat and clothing and the light gray of the background.  Looking at this photograph makes me curious as to who this woman is, as well as what she may be dressed up for.