HW 1 – Photo Description

The Lams of Ludlow Street – Washing the Dishes

Photographed By Thomas Holton
https://www.thomasholton.com/work/thelamsofludlowstreet

This image was taken by Thomas Holton, an NYC-based photographer who has spent 15 years taking photos of the Lams to create his book “Thomas Holton: The Lams of Ludlow Street.” Holton’s photos follow the Lams throughout their life in their cramped apartment located in Chinatown, a community/neighborhood of Chinese businesses and tenants settled in Lower Manhattan. In this collection of photos, Holton takes occasional pictures to create a visual representation of the daily and casual life of the Lam family. Although the house the Lams live in isn’t a nice suburban house or a luxurious condominium, their small apartment showcased by Holton’s photos creates a wholesome mood that depicts their big and happy family.

Thomas Holton uses the Rule of Thirds, Figure to Ground, and Dominant Eye in this specific photo. Upon first glance of the photo, the photo seems very clean. The man in the photo is the only thing in focus while the background is slightly blurred. This is an accurate portrayal of the compositional technique “Figure to Ground.” Since the man is much clearer than the background, the audience’s attention will be more focused on the figure rather than the blurry and less detailed background. Using the compositional technique “Rule of Thirds” also helps draw the audience’s attention to the figure in the photo. By placing the man’s face at one of the intersections, the photo becomes more balanced and aesthetic. If the figure was to be positioned in the center of the frame, the photo would feel less alive and boring. Finally, Holton uses the compositional technique of “Dominant Eye”. Although the man’s eye isn’t positioned in the center of the photo like the traditional definition suggests, it makes the image seem less static and creates eye contact between the audience and the figure. As Steve McCurry says, “Rules are meant to be broken.”