The Art of Photojournalism
Photo by: Mathew Brady
Year Created: 1862
Principle #1: The first principle that I noticed was used in this photo was exposure time. As you can see from the photo, almost everyone’s face is focused except the soldier on the far left, his face is blurred out. This shows that the shutter speed on the camera was very slow because the camera was not able to freeze the action of the man turning his head which is why his face is blurry in the photo.
Principle #2: The second principle I noticed was used in this photo was “Is the image black and white or color?” This image is in black and white because during the time that it was taken, the photojournalists, Mathew Brady did not have the privilege of using color photography. Although the photo is in black and white you are still able to make out facial expressions, uniforms, setting, and time of day.
Principle #3: The last principle I noticed was the equality of light in the photo. From looking at the picture you can certainly tell it was taken during the day time. However, the light in the picture is not engaging, it is very bland and doesn’t show any emotion of the picture because of its blandness.
Why did I choose this image?
I chose this image because when I saw it, I immediately noticed what principles were used or what principles could be used better. It is hard to critique a photo so old because knowing the technology that was available back then, this is probably an amazing picture considering the machinery Mathew Brady used to capture it. However, I thought it was a good example to explain some of the principles when assessing photography.
Photo by: Tomas Van Houtryve
Year Created: 2015
Principle #1: The first principle I noticed when analyzing this image was the use of lines. The lines in the checkerboard floor contrast the arching lines of the building's windows. The lines are also very defined in black and white because of the contrast between the different shades of the lines
Principle #2: In this image, the second thing I noticed was the use of shadows. In this image, there are tons of shadows involved. There are shadows of people, there are shadows behind the windows, and there are also shadows of the walls on the checkerboard floor. The shadows are very dark compared to the lighter parts of the image so the eyes are drawn to them because of the contrast.
Principle #3: This last and third principle I noticed when looking at this image was the contrast. The contrast between the light colors and dark colors really dramatized the definition between the different shapes. The contrast makes the picture very bold and dramatic whereas if the colors were less dramatic the picture wouldn’t be as bold.
Why did I choose this image?
I chose this image because I was drawn to it because of the contrast in it. After analyzing it, I noticed how many principles were used. The best photographs are the ones the human eye is drawn too when looking at a group of photos together.
Photo by: Dorothea Lange
Image Source: https://guides.loc.gov/migrant-mother
Year created: 1936
Principle #1: The first thing I noticed when I looked at this photo was the obvious main subject. The main subject is the migrant mother and her children and they take up over ⅔ of the picture. This picture would be less impactful if the children were left out of the photo because you wouldn’t know the woman is a mother, a viewer would just think she is a homeless woman. But the fact that the woman is a mother the viewer is more likely to feel compassion for her.
Principle #2: The second thing I noticed when analyzing this photo is the depth of field. Only the important things in the photo are focused; the subjects. The simple gray background had no impact on the meaning of the image which is why the photojournalists blurred the background and the object in the far right of the camera’s view.
Principle #3: The last thing I noticed about this image is the subject's expression, which has a huge impact on the meaning of the image. The main subject, the mother, has a grimace on her face. This allows the views to feel the emotions that she was feeling when the photo was taken.
Why did I choose this photo?
I chose this photo because it is one of the most well-known photos of its time. Also, because of the emotion seen in the photo is a great example of some of the principles to use when assessing photographs. Because of all the principles that were used in this photo, it was one of the easier ones to analyze.
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