HW1

Odimar Fermin

“Dinosaur Toys R Us Time Square, 2011” by Matthew Pillsbury is a photograph that spoke to me. In this photograph you are looking a Toys R Us from the inside, at a sky view toward the famous Dinosaur. In the photograph of the store you can see that Pillsbury combined multiple images of the same area at different times to show the business and movement that occurs in the famous Toys R Us. The reason this photograph stood out to me the most is because of my childhood memories. I remember visiting the store with my family and being so astonished by the dinosaur and how real and big it looked. The mood of this photograph, in my opinion, is whimsical. The memory of my childhood visits and the almost ghost like figures moving throughout the image make for a whimsical feel.

There are many different technics being used in this image. The one that I noticed the most would have to be the contrast of light and dark. Being that it’s a black and white photograph the contrast really helps dramatize the image and make it bolder, especially on the wrinkles of the dinosaur. I believe figure and ground is also being used in this image, the dinosaur being the main figure and the ghostly figures being the ground. Diagonals have also been used with the direction of the dinosaurs face and the way the truck is hung on the ceiling. The rule of thirds is also used, bringing the attention to the dinosaur on the left. The use of diagonals, contrast of light and dark, and figure to ground all create movement in the image, which makes it feel so whimsical and childlike. Matthew Pillsbury captured the magic of the Toys R Us Time Square in one photograph and reminded me of a great childhood memory.

Dinosaur Toys R Us Times Square, 2011