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.