http://www.eugenerichards.com/
My choice is Eugene Richards’ “Stepping Through the Ashes.” It is a set of photographs that Richards took after 9/11. In that day, many people lost their love ones and they try to search for their family members by posting advertise in the walls, street lights, window of the stores, and mailbox. I chose the 4th picture from the bottom. In the picture, there is a wanted poster that is being tore off. I believe the owner of this poster tear off this poster because he or she is hopeless. The owner realize this girl in the poster is never going to come back home so he or she tear the poster. I think it appears more sad, when the pretty girl is smiling in the picture and the person who tore off the poster is broken-hearted. Next to it, there is another tore off poster says “You Seen Me! Help Me Get Home!” This is what family members hope. They are hoping somebody could find their lost family member and take them back home again.
The photography blur the background and focus on the broken paper with a sweet girl smiling. Richards uses prospective lines and the triangle shape of the prospective to made people pay more attention to be wanted poster. The triangle shapes of the paper form many small pieces of pattern that also grab attention. The white of the paper jumps out because the mailbox and the background are black. The prospective line, prospective shape, pattern of the tore papers, balance of background and foreground, and the contrast of the white papers and black background made the poster to be the first thing that people see in the photograph and tells about the sad story of a family.
Great choice of photograph. I think you accurately state the hopeless mood of this photograph.
When a portion of the photograph appears out of focus in tis way we say it has shallow depth of field. We will talk about this at great length next week.