The image I chose doesn’t have a name, but it is by Suzanne Stein from New York Street Two. Two women, each dressed in the dark armor of black puffer jackets, stand in the middle of a wintry cityscape, within the silent layer of snow that shrouds the streets. One moves in the viewer’s direction, while the other turns away, creating a scene in which she and her silhouette gradually disappear into the snow and the buildings. The image tends to hint at their separate journeys and diverging paths, thus telling an untold story. The cold in the air reflects the icy nature of their interaction, but under the surface of winter, there’s more going on than meets the eye—a brief moment of mutual isolation in the middle of a lonely street in the city. This scene is like a snapshot of two different journeys happening simultaneously in a snowy city. Both are wearing black jackets, which adds to the contrast. It makes you think about where they’re going and what they might be feeling. The snowy streets and quiet surroundings make it feel peaceful, and they embrace the winter while going on with their life. But there’s also a sense of something deeper that we can’t see just by looking. It’s like a moment frozen in time, waiting for us to imagine the stories behind it.
For the formal elements from the Steve McCurry video, we can see that there is a “Figure to ground”. There is a contrast between the subject and the background which can be noticed clearly. The subjects wear Black puffer jackets while the streets are white and covered with snow. It contrasts both warm and cool tones which creates a visual interest and draws attraction of the viewers. The next compositional principle here I believe is “Diagonals”. The image creates a visual interest, that leads the viewer’s eyes through the image guiding them from one point to another. Lastly, I believe it has to be “symmetry”. It is because the image is providing a pleasing visual experience. It is aesthetically pleasing and impactful since there is a sense of balance in the image.
I agree with your statement that the photo is a snapshot of two different journeys.
I see some of the details differently though. I think it is a man and a woman. The man on the left is wearing traditional fur hat and black coat of Hasidim.
This is a good example of symmetry and that compositional strategy is important to the story as you state it as two different journeys.