Robin Michals | COMD 1340 Photography 1

Author: Lizbeth Bolanos

Final Project Statement

At first, I thought about making my theme center around animals but I felt that it would be somewhat limiting and I had focused on dogs for my midterm. Instead, I decided that my theme would consist of capturing my neighborhood and interactions within it through my perspective. My neighborhood and the people in it are significant to me because of its diversity and because it is where my family first arrived yet there are visible signs of economic disparity due to the growing gentrification that has been occurring over the years. I would like to attempt to capture all of these factors into my final photography project due to the fact that I have been feeling that this change has become normalized and expected when it should not be. The subject matter in my project will consist of people, small businesses and architectural buildings or means of transportation within my neighborhood as I feel that in capturing these subjects, my intended story will be able to unravel smoothly. I will shoot in areas within my neighborhood as well as a couple of areas that I visit often in neighboring neighborhoods. I expect to shoot outside during the day, cloudy or sunny for ambient light as well as indoors and adjust the exposure on my phone camera if needed. I will attempt to use diffused lighting as I plan to mainly shoot outdoors and some shoots will possibly consist of an extensive depth of field. As for my angles, I plan to shoot in a worm’s eye view, low-angle, eye-level, and possibly a high angle since I will be focusing on architectural structures, such as apartment buildings. With my theme I intend to incorporate the rule of thirds, frame within a frame, patterns, symmetry, and leading lines as part of my composition when shooting. 

Moodboard Link: https://app.milanote.com/1NQQD01606azgk/home

HW1_Composition

In Suzanne Stein’s, “R Train Platform, 59th and Central Park”, a couple is seen going in for a kiss as the woman holds a very large bouquet of white roses toward the upper right corner of the photograph. Behind them, a row of women sit, ranging from tallest to shortest, what seems to be eldest to more youthful as well, and all with different facial expressions or no expression at all. The background is clearly set at a Fifth Avenue platform, in the train station. I believe Stein’s intention in capturing this moment was to portray some sort of reaction to the couple that seems to be expressing their love, both physically and materialistically. The purpose of this image is to convey both a sense of love in New York City, hope for other women, as well as envy or jealousy that others may express when witnessing public displays of affection. The general mood of this photography feels quite mixed due to the various facial expressions that are being given off by the women who are witnessing this. It feels like all of the emotions a New Yorker would experience when witnessing something like this on the subway.

Rule of thirds, diagonals, and patterns and repetition are the most important in Stein’s photograph. Stein utilizes the rule of thirds to pinpoint the couple at the upper right corner, so that the viewer’s eyes are drawn to them first. This also makes the couple stand out more, making them the focus of the photograph. Stein utilizes diagonals through the descending height so effortlessly provided by the women sitting on the subway bench. The descending diagonal takes your eyes from the middle left frame to the end and finally toward the loving couple. The age difference and height difference is what led me to feel that there is some sort of loss in hope for romance or possibly a change in hopefulness. Stein also utilizes pattern and repetition again through the women presented in the photograph. They all appear to be wearing black or dark shades and the large bouquet of white roses interrupts this scheme.

https://www.suzannesteinphoto.com/New-York/i-SMHSKz8/A