The photograph comes from Suzanne Stein, New York Street Two. This photograph didn’t show its location but the subject is a homeless man. I feel the intention of this photographer is to show this homeless person’s life. I can feel hope in this photograph. He had very visible scars on his face and legs. Especially on the legs, I think the injuries on the legs were deliberately shown by the artist. To let people understand more about this people’s life.
I think the artist used four elements when he took this photo. They are: fill the frame, Dominant eye, Patterns and Repetition, and Symmetry.
The man’s entire body fills the entire photo, and I can see all the details of the frame very clearly. I saw another photo of this homeless man holding a small needle in New York Street view three. I speculated that he might be sick, so the artist also focused on showing the scars on his legs, which makes it very obvious that his life was not easy.
One of his eyes is covered by his hair in the photo, but the look in the other eye is very firm and strong as the Dominant eye. So when I see this photo. I can feel his emotions. Although life is not easy for him, he still lived firmly.
There were chains around his neck, like shackles in life. It’s a kind of pattern I think. The only color in the photo is the flower. He is wearing shabby dark clothes, and the surrounding environment is also very dark, such as the background and the steps, which form a very strong contrast with the colorful flowers. The colorful flower is very strongly interrupted. That’s why this photo makes me feel hopeful.
I think there is still symmetry in this photo, although it’s not obvious. The man sitting in the center line of the photo.
This is a really powerful photo. As you say, the photographer wants us to know about the hardships of an unhoused person’s life.
You interpret the flower as hope. that might be. It contrasts so strongly with everything else in the image, I think it brings home the dirt and the scars.