How to read a photograph

Photographs have different meanings and sentimental values to different people and can serve different purposes for different situations. For example:

Cindy sherman:
Best known for her conceptual portraits and film still she challenged the roles and representations of women in society.

I like the above picture as she has captured a surreal expression at a dramatic angle something that we dont take notice of in films as they only last for a matter of seconds during a film scene however looking at the still we see how unusual this shot is and how the low angle really empowers the subject.

Paramount:
used photographs to advertise films in the 50's to capture the attention of potential audiences.

lee friedlander:
imitated the language of visual social urban landscape.

This photo i believe really shows the directions of peoples generosity and kindnness as the photography is not the target audience for an ice cream man and therefore looks rather intimidating however it would be a different story if a local wanted an icecream think it shows how we target different people with different compositions of ourselves to attract attention.

lisette model:
produced portraits which showed close up, unsentimental, unretouched expositions of vanity, insecurity and loneliness.

The slight tilt in this image really puts a public feel onto the image as we feel like we are n the room with them looking up at them as the gentleman longs for the woman attention i like the composition as we have the background participants who are only just identified and therefore not part of the main focus of the image.

robert adams:
looked into the changing american landscape in the 1970's.

I love the depth in this image as we see such a vast stretch of land and a magnificent horizon all produced and compacted into a small landscape image the caravans and stretch of road almost zig zag up the picture leading your eyes right to the mountains.

garry winogrand:
known for his portrayal of the united states in the 20th centuary.

The intensity of the models face is extraordinary and it captures that moment of pure joy and I genuine think it looks horrific and almost aggressive. However the emotions of cuteness atrraction and aggression all originate from the same areas of the brain which is why when we see things cute we have the urge to squeeze them.

judith joy ross:
confronts her sitters and in turn captures humanity and vulnerability.

The expressionless subject makes me feel sympathy and concern as we see the frown on her face and the fact that the subject is face on in the center of the whole photograph makes her very confronting and the expression hard to ignore. 

 The four main elements to look for when inspecting and analyzing a photograph are:

Flatness
Time
Frame
Focus

Stephen Shore:
Known for his images of bonal scenes and subjects and pioneering the use of colour in photography.

This photo seems to me to have a sense of mockery to it as we are more drawn to the billboard of the landscape than the actual landscape as it fits in perfectly. This could be an indication of how we as a modern society blend into the earth and become a part of the world around us embedding ourselves into the landscape.

William Eggleston
Also credited for his use of colour in photography and making photography stand out as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries.

The bright colour of the car really contrasts with the deep dark textured post next to it making it seem even more vibrant and bright and i like this quality as it highlights how unnatural we can make colours seem.

Larry Fink
Known for his black and whites of social situations and comparing upper working class parties in order to see how the quality of living is shown through them enjoying themselves and not looking up or down on one another.

This is one of my favorite images I have looked at. The composition is so outstanding as we see the whole of the woman's arm takes up the majority of the middle of the photograph and as the rule of thirds suggests this pushes us to look around the subject in the middle and explore the whole photograph so we realize the shape really in an arm and there are more people and elements to the photograph itself.

Edward Weston
Created a book full of 1400 negatives and is considered to be the most initiative influential american photographer.He covers an expansive range of subjects in his photography anything from landscape to portraiture and many more.

The sahdows in this image really adds contrast and the vicinity of the location is purposely shown to be a vast space. the lines in the sand add interesting texture to the picture.

William pryor Floyd
He was a talented portraitist in honk kong and tinted his photos with vivid colours and his photography skills where very much sought out as the quality of his images were superb.

Example of floyds shop.

Roger Fenton
Pioneering british photographer and one of the first war photographers as he photographed the crimeon war.

In this image I particularly like how the tepee behind the soldier is not directly behind him as that slight position change makes an easy line up and across the photograph leading the eyes right through the whole of the photograph and brings the soldier forward to become the focus.

Calvert Richard Jones
Welsh painter who was most famous for his dramatic seascapes.

The small figure sat infront of the busy landscape really scales up the size of the landscape and the proportions of how huge the boats must have been and i think this was intentional to make the photograph more powerful and staggering at the sheer size and strength of the objects behind him making him seem quick vulnerable.

Oscar Rejlander
Expert in photo-montage and experimented with double exposure, photomontage and retouching. Photomontage= A montage constructed from photographs.

The photograph shows the two sides of life there are the works and the socials. This is a clever way to represent contrasts in society. 

Henry peach robinson
He was known best for his combination printing and placing multiple negatives together to create one image this was a very early example of photomontage.

The exposure has been timed in order to make the couple stand out as they are the bright focus point and this fades into the sides of the image which gives an impression of little importance to the scenery but the couple in the spotlight,

Peter henry emmerson
Early examples of using photography as an art form and was known for his images of natural settings. He disputed the meaning and purpose of photography.

The reflection in the water in this image leads us to the woman's arm which we then follow up and the narrow boat leads us the rest of the way up the image making this a very pleasing image to view and the relaxed pose adds an atmosphere of enjoyment and pleasure all together.

Julia Margaret Cameron
Took softened images of at the time celebrities and friends of hers who were wealthy and well known in the area. Her images has a soft focus which made stunning subtle portraits.

 The angle of the models head goes against that of her shoulder making her look slightly crooked however the soft pale skin defines her beauty and soft expression work nicely with the soft image as her facial features dont look too sharp and strong adding a feminine touch.