The photograph that spoke to me the most is called “Conversation” by Thomas Holton. Holton follows the Lam family as he encapsulates their ongoing life in a small apartment at Ludlow Street. In this photo, Holton captures the father’s firm pose and assertive glare as his kids unwind in front of him. The purpose of this image is to portray the authoritative power of a parent. The positioning of the three show that the father is always in control as he observes his family in the background. With just a simple glare, a parent can have an entire conversation with their child, letting them know that they’re doing something they’re not supposed to. This photograph evokes both an eerie and reassuring feeling. Eerie because the father will scold his kids if they misbehave; reassuring because he is protectively watching over them.
Three of the formal elements that are most important in this photograph are rule of thirds, dominant eye, and symmetry. Holton utilizes the rule of thirds by centering and focusing on the subject in the middle. Although his two sons are also in the frame, the father is in focus and centered in the middle quadrant, making him the main subject in regards to the rule of thirds. Similarly, by implementing dominant eye, we can also feel the father’s assertive energy as his face centers the photograph. Dominant eye brings the audience’s attention to what the photographer is trying to convey. In this case, Holton wants us to feel the authoritative power of a parent through body language and eye contact. Lastly, there is arguably a sense of symmetry in this photograph as well. With the father centered in the middle and his sons on either side, folding the picture in half would give each half an equal visual weight.
Thomas Holton – The Lams of Ludlow Street
What a strong photo. I see it a little differently maybe as a parent would. That the father is surrounded by, defined by, framed so to speak by his children.
Be careful with the term rule of thirds. If a photo is symmetrical, it does not use the rule of thirds.The rule of thirds means the main subject is not in the center. Here the father is the main subject and he is in the center. this image is closer to symmetry than the rule of thirds.