Jeff Liao-Habitat 7
http://www.saulgallery.com/liao/habitat.html
1. What type of photography is it?
The Photograph looks like an advertisement of times square.
2. What can you tell (or guess) about the photographer’s intention?
My guess is that the photographer’s intention is to show the Times Square during rush hour.
3. What emphasis has the photographer created and how has that been done?
The photograph emphasis is to capture the motion focus of people in the city. It shows how busy everyone is like they are all rushing somewhere because the time is running out.
4. Do technical matters help or hinder the image?
The technical matters such as the focus on this one in particular helps the image because it sets the mood.
5. Are graphic elements important, such as tone, line or perspective?
The graphic elements are important because perspective for example, if the photographer was closer to the people you wouldn’t be able to see all the motion with the city in the background but just the people and the photograph would lose its power.
6. What else does the photograph reveal besides what is immediately evident?
It looks to me like the females on the advertisement boards are looking down at everybody laughing because they get to just hang there and relax while everyone else is in a rush like they are crazy.
7. What emotional or physical impact does the photograph have?
The photograph is unpeaceful. It makes me feel like I do not want to stay in the city for the rest of my life because of all the craziness especially since I am used to living in a small town.
8. How does this photograph relate to others in the same series by the same photographer?
A lot of them use the same technique of using the motion focus to show the movement of the city life.
Your observation that Jeff Liao’s New York is inhabited and busy is a good one. You correctly identify that the blur we see here is the blur of motion. The photographer uses a tripod and gets a contrast of sharpness between what is moving and still. And certainly the play between the large buildings that create walls containing the people’s motion and the deep perspective down 42nd street is a really important part of this photo.
Be careful not to project too much of your own thoughts into any photograph if there is no visual evidence for them in the picture.