Reading Photographs

1. Photography and Digital
Manipulation
Chris Bailey
1
Reading Photographs

2. Mind Map

3. 3

4. 4

5. Past Photographer
Biography
Alfred Stieglitz was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, the first son of his German-Jewish
immigrant parents. That same year he submitted several photographs to the annual
holiday competition held by the British magazine ‘Amateur Photographer’. His
photograph ‘The Last Joke, Bellagio’ won first place – Stieglitz's first photographic
recognition. The next year he won both first and second prizes in the same
competition, and his reputation began to spread as several German and British
photographic magazines began publishing his work.
His father, who was ever doting on his first-born son, helped Stieglitz by buying out a
small photography business where he could indulge in his interests and perhaps earn
a living on his own. Stieglitz demanded such high quality in the production and paid
his employee such high wages that the business, the Photochrome Engraving
Company, rarely made a profit. During that time, however, Stieglitz had befriended
the editor of The ‘American Amateur Photographer’ magazine, and soon he was
writing regularly for that journal.
He also continued to win awards for his photographs at exhibitions, including the
highly important joint exhibition of the Boston Camera Club, Photographic Society of
Philadelphia and the Society of Amateur Photographers of New York.
Alfred Stieglitz 01/01/1864 – 07/13/1946
Image References:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Alfred_Stieglitz.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Stieglitz#mediaviewer/File:Stieglitz-Winter.jpg

6. An image by ‘Alfred Stieglitz’.
-The Hand Of God.
Brief Description: This image portrays a steam engine travelling through what
appears some kind of heavy duty industrial estate. With cloudy polluted air,
and smoke billowing in the fore and background. The entire image looks dirty
and lifeless, as if Stieglitz wanted to show his opinion on the industrial
revolution, that it, and the contents of the image are all negatively impacting
the world.
The name of the image ‘The
Hand Of Man’ perfectly
describes what Stieglitz
appears to be presenting in
the image. That the hand of
man has invented something
that is destroying the worlds
beauty. The name is relatable
to the phrase ‘Hand Of God’,
which creates beauty and
happiness.
Composition: The image is composed very well, everything is spaced out well, even
according to the text book rule of thirds composing technique. The steam engine train
is positioned in the middle of the image, making it the main focal point. The smoke
rising from the trains chimney is also contained within the central portion of the thirds.
This is showing the trains to be the centre of the problem. The surroundings, such as
telephone pillars and buildings are mainly in separate thirds of the image, giving
everything a good amount of spacing. This allows the viewer of the image to look at
certain subjects without the image being over crowded with other details.
Lighting: The lighting is
entirely natural. The sky is
very cloudy and the air is
polluted. This is making the
image dark even though the
sky appears to have light
trying to break through it. The
darkness makes the image
look very negative. This
upholds the view of the
industrial revolution Stieglitz
is trying to express in the
image.
Focus: The image has been
shot with a narrow aperture
giving a deep focus, putting
the tracks and background in
focus as well as the main
subject, the steam engine
train. The surroundings are all
important to stressing the
problem that Stieglitz is
expressing, the ugliness of the
factories in the background,
and the smoke and fog
clouding the landscape that
are ruining the worlds beauty.
There is a lot of contrast between the sky and the ground. The sky
is bright a highlighted where as the ground and other subjects are
all almost silhouettes. The reflection off the tracks highlights them
which is a good way of bringing our eyes to other important
subjects of the image. The black smoke rising to the sky looks very
powerful against the bright sky background, as the contrast makes
it stand out a lot.
The darkness creates a mysterious atmosphere
within the image. This makes the viewer look
around, and even let the tracks guide the eyes to
the other subjects which all look very unappealing,
yet very powerful.
Image References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Stieglitz#mediaviewer/File:Stieglitz-Hand.jpg

7. Frank Oscar Larson:
This photograph shows the streets of
Queens, New York in the 1950’s. This
photograph is interesting as it mixes
the use of reflections with normal
street photography.
Composition: The composition of this image is very
interesting. The photographer has strategically taken the
shot with the puddle at the bottom of the image, to show
the skyline of the city alongside the streets.
Focus: The aperture used in this image is a
very narrow one, which in turn puts a lot in
focus. I know this because the top of the
Empire State Building is in focus in the
puddle which means its focused very deeply
in order to keep something so far away very
sharp as well as the closer pavement and
pedestrians.
Expression: It’s almost as though the
photographer is showing us how small we
are, how small as a fraction we are to the
cities, to the world, and to the high rising
buildings and corporations surrounding us.
This image shows the common man and
woman in our day to day life, but it also
shows the buildings and sky scrapers
towering above us, in control of the
common persons life.
The lighting is completely natural, as
it is all coming from the sun breaking
through the cloudy sky. Giving the
image a quite dim and unhappy
feeling.
There is always mystery within
street photography and it
definitely shows in this image. It
provokes us to wonder where
the people are going, what are
their jobs, and what is their life
like. Especially in old images like
this one, we are interested in
what life was like back then.
The photographer has used a
relatively low shutter speed,
likely to compensate for the
dim natural lighting available,
catching the motion of some of
the cars. Probably a shutter
speed of around 1/50ths. The
motion of the cars makes gives
the image more of a visual
sensory depth. Rather than
seeing a still snap shot of New
York we get to see the
movement as it was the
moment this image was taken.
The cigarette butts in the puddle show us
that the city isn't the sparkling dream land
of opportunity that it was made out to be
in the early 20th century. Instead it is the
city held together by the low income
common man and woman.
Image References:
http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2011/05/frank1.jpg

8. Henri Cartier- Bresson, Boy Carrying a
Wine Bottle, (Rue Mouffetard, Paris,
1954)
This image shows a young French boy looking
joyous after being given the task that an adult
would usually fulfill. In the background a young
girl can be seen looking admirably at him, as if
she’s just seen the man of her dreams.
Composition: This image is composed very well,
there are the obvious focal points of the boys
stance and expression but the dark shining bottles
of wine also stand out greatly in the centre of the
image. In-fact, the bottles are dead on where the
bottom lines cross, which in theory makes the
positioning of them very attractive to our minds,
compared to if they were elsewhere. The boys face
is in the upper centre of the image, making it the
main focal point of the image. We can also see the
girls in the background, that have been blurred
due to a very shallow depth of field. One of them
appears to be memorized by the boy, staring and
looking amazed at the task he has been trusted
with.
The boys expression is one of pride, dominance
and happiness. He’s stood leaning back, chin in
the air and a grin on his face. He’s looking around
as if he’s looking down on the other children that
have not yet become a trusted boy like he is.
A very wide aperture has been used, in turn creating a
very shallow depth of field. This has allowed the
photographer to put everything around the boy out of
focus, which has really focused the moment of the
boys joy. We can see the girls in the background and
their reactions but the focus allows us more to sense
what he is feeling. He knows the girls are impressed by
his task and his completion of it, but he keeps his head
up and walks away as if it’s just another proud day.
Similarly, we can’t see the girls clearly, but we know
they are impressed. The focus brings us closer to the
boy and his feelings in the moment this image was
taken.
The lighting is natural, and has exposed everything very well. The image is very
contrasty, the blacks are very deep and the whites are very bright. Yet non of it
looks overly harsh. This helps the bottles of wine in the image stand out a lot
against the rest of the image. The brightness of the whites creates a feeling of
excitement within the image rather than being depressing and dark.
The shutter speed used will have been a quick one, as there is no
motion blur in the image. Having zero motion blur in this image is
better than showing the motion because the boys expression and
feelings are better frozen in time, to hold the perfect moment where
he walked, smiling proudly. It is visually pleasing to see a moment so
still, as a perfect frozen moment is such a rarity.
This image is so special because it captures
what looks like a turning point in the boys
life, the wish of becoming a responsible
grown up has come true for the boy. He feels
like from now on he will be the most mature
and most respected, as once this ‘Grown Up’
task is completed, he will be a man in the
mind of his friends.
The image creates a lot of questions in the viewers
mind, such as who is he, why has he been given the
task? It’s interesting to picture the boy on the day, the
excitement when he was asked by his traditional
French family to go buy the wine and bring it home. It’s
also nice to see how such a simple task can mean so
much to a young boy, when it would probably be a
chore to an adult. I think that everyone remembers
how much being trusted as a child meant to them, how
the feeling of being an adult was a great one, and
seeing the moment experienced in an image is great
and creates a feeling of memories and nostalgia as it’s
so relatable.
Image References:
http://www.alivemag.com/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2014/02/boy-carrying-a-wine-bottle-
rue-mouffetard-paris-1954.jpg

9. Present Photographer
Biography
Thomas Leuthard:
Thomas Leuthard is a passionate photographer based in the heart of
Switzerland who travels to the big cities of this world to witness and
document on the street. He works with a discreet Micro Four Third camera
to capture the interesting essence of the ordinary life happening in public.
To him the camera is a black box capturing the moment his eye is seeing.
Although he hasn’t been on the street photography scene for long (since
2009) he has developed into one of the most celebrated street
photographers. His photographs always capture a lot of emotional depth,
often in those mixed with portraiture. Some will make you smile and some
will move you. The images provoke all sorts of emotions.
Image References:
http://ritakml.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Thomas-Leuthard.jpg

10. This is an image by Thomas
Leuthard:
This image shows a smartly dressed
man sitting on an escalator smoking
a cigarette.
Composition: This image has been composed very well. The
photographer has taken the image from directly in the
middle of the escalators. The photographer has a lot of
geometric shapes in this image, and it’s almost completely
symmetrical like an abstract image. The focal point being the
sitting man, is very far to the left but stands out perfectly.
Not too much nor too little, subtly sat there, minding his own
business.Focus: This image was
taken with a mildly
narrow aperture which
has allowed quite a
deep focus. This has
kept most of the image
in focus. This means
that all the lines and
rows stay in relatively
good focus which
means the image stays
visually eye catching.
The many detailed lines and rows signify how complicated life can be. The
man sat on the escalator looks like he is well off but probably works very hard
to be. But he is now sat, smoking a cigarette looking very tired out, as though
he has had enough of hard work and just wants to relax. Its as though he has
suddenly realized that he’s had enough and he’s going to give minimal effort
for the first time in a long time.
The photographer has used the available lighting and
the natural sunlight shown at the top of the image.
Although the sunlight at the top could represent
happiness as it often does in art, this image appears to
show it as a bad thing. As it is the entrance to the hard
working world where everything is financial, and
depressing.
It is hard to tell which way he is going on
the escalator, this creates a sense of
wonder. We don’t know if he's leaving
the busy working streets, after having
enough, or if he is taking a moment to
relax as he rises up to the streets he
dreads.
It’s hard not to wonder
what this man does for
a living, as the way he is
dressed suggests one
thing but his actions
suggest another. This
creates an appealing
contrast, seeing a work
focused business type
man have a side where
they just want to relax
and act like the
common man.
The slight under
exposure of this
image creates a
lot of mystery, we
don’t know where
he is, probably
some kind of city
on the way down
to the subway but
it’s not clear. We
also wonder why
it’s so quiet as we
expect the
subways to be
very busy. The
man looks as
though he’d stand
out even if there
was a crowd, as
the way he’s
acting seems out
of usual character.
Image References:
http://thomas.leuthard.photography/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/Smoke-625x350.jpg

11. Sous le Louvre ( Under The Louvre ):
This image was taken by a
photographer who was visiting the
Louvre Museum, one of the largest
museums in the world. The image
shows a street performer, a man
playing a cello.
Composition: The performer is composed into the
centre of the image, as he is the main focal point, the
hat is also in the lower centre, as a secondary focal
point. The photographer has shot the subjects in the
centre as it draws the viewers eyes to him instantly.
There is quite a lot going on the image so it is
important to have the main subject easily noticeable.
Expression: The artist makes it very easy to see what he is expressing
in this image. The performer is totally contrasting to the people
walking by, there lives will never be connected, and they are nothing
alike. The motion blur of the people passing by represents the busy
lives people are living, always a place to go and a place to be, rarely
enjoying the simple things in life. The only thing bringing them
together is the music in the air. The image shows us how far apart
we can be, but it is possible that the simple strum of strings can
make bring us all closer, no matter how different we are.
Focus: The photographer
uses a narrow aperture to
create an image with
sharp focus all around it.
This is an excellent mix
with the motion blur of
the people as it acts like a
frame, bringing us closer
to the main subject yet
keeping the surroundings
in focus.
The motion of the
people and stillness of
the street performer
creates a mystery that
interests the viewer.
We wonder where
they are going? Why
are they going there?
But mainly about the
performer, what song
is he playing? What
does it sound like?
What is he thinking
about? All things we
think about when
looking at this image.
This image is very thought
provoking, as it only
captures one form of
sense, when there is more
to the image than that. We
can see the visuals, what
the scene looks like. But
that’s not what drew the
photographer to the spot.
It was the sound,
something about knowing
that the image couldn’t
capture the music is
strange, and quite sad. We
can see the musician, but
we will never hear the
music that the people
heard or that brought the
photographer to capture
this moment .
The lighting is natural, and perfect. Everything is
lit up just right and it makes an excellent image.
The contrast is also quite high, really making the
musician stand out from the wall behind him. The
player and hat are such small portions of the
image, but the darkness of them against the
white walls and ground make them much more
significant in the image.Image References:
http://www.broolanphotography.com/ImagePages/STREET_PHOTOGRAPHY--
Paris_Louvre_Street_Musician_Passing_Crowd.html

12. Photo by Greg Schmigel:
This image shows a
homeless man sat on the
sidewalk, covered by a thick
jumper, and hiding his or her
face with a hat. To the left of
the homeless person is a
piece of graffiti art and an
image saying “I can’t afford
to *Heart* (love) NY (New
York).
Composition: This image has been composed
very well, as it follows the textbook rule of
thirds almost perfectly. I know this because
the lines if the thirds cross on certain focal
points of this image, such as the homeless
person and the sign on the wall.
Lighting: the lighting is
totally natural, and has
created an over exposed
look in the image. This is a
very good look to go for as it
makes the homeless persons
hat stand out and the white
of the graffiti on the wall.
The brightness makes the
image look much more
realistic, it isn’t creating a
fake mood or artificial
atmosphere. It is showing it
how it is, how the
photographer and normal
person sees it as they walk
by.
The image has a mildly narrow aperture which
has caused most of the image to be in a good
amount of focus. Allowing the sign and homeless
person be in a good amount of focus, and making
the far background look softer.
There is a touch of mysteriousness in the image,
because we don’t know who the homeless person is,
there lives are so different to our own that it’s hard to
even imagine. We also don’t even know the gender of
the homeless person, which makes us wonder even
more.
The sign in the image is very thought provoking, it is as though
the homeless persons thoughts are pinned to the wall. We
always wonder what the people are thinking, and this gives us a
good idea of what it’s like. It’s quite a powerful message too,
which mixed with the homeless person sitting there creates a
very moving image.
Image References:
http://alexstraaik.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/nyafford.jpg