Category: Uncategorized

For my assignment, I chose a portrait photograph by Suzanne Stein. Suzanne Stein is a social documentary/street photographer currently in New York City. Through her photography, Suzanne captures the intensity and emotions of those living and suffering with addiction on the streets. The portrait I was drawn to the most was from her ‘Kensington’ project, where Suzanne captured the raw life of Philadelphia’s drug ridden side of the city. The portrait instantly reminded me of a time I lived near the same area of Philadelphia and how I would avoid the ‘zombie-land’. The photograph I chose, by Suzanne, was one of a subject’s portrait, where I believe their intention is to show a side of beauty even through disasterous circumstances.

Suzanne encapsulates the subject’s beauty with a close-up portrait, in the highlight of a sunny day in Kensington, Philadelphia. This method of portraying the subject creates a tremendous contrast between the subject and their environment. What is key in this photograph is the ability to see these contrasts and understand the difference between a subjective- and objective-view. My biased opinion is that the subject is attractive, whereas some others would see the subject and look at them in distaste for being from the drug infested environment, or even in pity for partaking in such drastic activities.

The photograph depicts a young brunette with European facial features and freckles over the ridge of their nose. The subject holds a sultry gaze over you, with parts of their hair billowing over their face. The photographer chose this subject as part of their ‘Kensington’ photo project, so I am to assume the subject is also one of the unfortunate citizens of the ‘zombie-land’. In the portrait, the photograph uses a few compositional aspects as once, such as “Center the Dominant Eye”—centering the subject’s eye along an intersection—“Fill the Frame”, where the subject is taking up the entire portrait, and “Figure to Ground”—using the darkness of the subject’s hair to contrast with their skin tone and face.

Linked below is the photograph, by Suzanne Stein, and their project on ‘Kensington’.

https://www.suzannesteinphoto.com/Kensington/i-Zbw5sVG/A

Kensington – Suzanne Stein Photography

   The image and photographer I chose to write about is Suzanne Stein’s “Kensington: Chelsey Allegheny Ave”. Along with all of Stein’s photographs being disturbing it holds the real and raw truth of people’s lives. Her work makes you step back and think about how there are people around the world who are suffering this way, she gives us a front-row seat to reality. Stein’s image “Kensington: Chelsey Allegheny Ave” is a close-up of narcotics in a woman’s hands being ready to be used at that same moment; it made me feel uncomfortable but realize how real the world is. In this world there are two types of people; people who want to make something out of themselves and people who just gave up on life. I believe that Stein’s intent was not to capture these people in mockery but to document the human condition of people who are suffering. 

    Based on the Steve McCurry video, McCurry used the most important elements of design which were Frame within the Frame, Leading lines, and Patterns. The image I chose from the video is the timestamp of 1:17-1:20, the photo of two people in the middle of a circular door frame with square windows on each side. The square windows depict a pattern of small diamond-shaped holes that reflect its shadow on the floor also causing leading lines. The overall image was taken from the point of view of the frame within a frame, I chose this image because it almost makes you feel like you are inside the same room the photo was taken in.