http://matthewpillsbury.com/photographs/self-portrait-with-jetlag-in-tokyo-friday-march-28th-2015-513-528am/
The photo I chose is called Self Portrait with Jet lag in Tokyo by Matthew Pillsbury. This photo stood out to me because I like how the photographer captured the city at night and was still able to balance the photo with the guy who appears to be in motion. When I first saw this photo, I was in awe by the city lights but then I realized the name has some significance. According to Oxford Dictionary, jet lag refers to “extreme tiredness and other physical effects felt by a person after a long flight across several time zones.” The name of the photo is called self portrait with jet lag so, I think this has some connection with the photographer. I researched Matthew Pillsbury and found out that he lives in New York so I came to the conclusion that this photo represents the state of mind of the photographer travelling from New York to Tokyo.
I was also fascinated by the way the photographer was able to portray tiredness by using motion. Just by looking at this photo gives the viewer a feel of exhaustion. The title is very important, but the photo is also very strong on its own. Although the guy looks drained, the city lights are brighter than ever and makes the photo come alive. This balances out the outside illuminated world from the inside, consumed world.
Pillsbury uses the framing technique to add depth to the photo . The window serves as a scene to draw the viewer into the photo. It also separates the busy city from the worn out guy. He also uses diagonals to give the photo a sense of perspective. The window ledges are used as dividers and also draw the viewer further in the photo. The city lights and buildings also create a pattern because of the repetition of lights.
You picked a very interesting photo and you make some interesting points such as how the photographer uses a frame within a frame and the strong use of perspective that leads us to look out the window. I also get a feeling of disquiet from the motion blur in the image not just a sense of tiredness. The motion blur adds a feeling of restlessness. It also creates a strong contrast between the living breathing photographer or subject of the photo and his environment which is utterly still, sterile even and confining in its geometry.