[Natalya Marie Villegas]

Matthew Pillsbury’s work Main Reading Room, New York Public Library is a stoic, thoughtful piece that gives the viewer a gray scale glimpse inside Manhattan’s busiest library. Architectural blocks of stone line the perimeter walls of the library, forming a patterned backdrop that accents and compliments the balanced interior of hanging chandeliers, carefully organized bookshelves and long, sturdy wooden tables. Blurred silhouettes line the wooden tables which are illuminated by domed table-top lamps, giving off an eerie and anonymous vibe that Pillsbury was hoping to capture. A white door along the back wall among 2 black ones adds a sense of variety to this otherwise structured and symmetrical piece.

Leading lines can be found throughout the piece in the forms of the wooden tables, the hanging chandeliers and packed library shelves. These lines, combined with diagonal lines going down the direct center of this photograph, are meant to draw the viewers eye to the pair of glass black, white trimmed doors in the very center of the back wall, creating a definitive focal point. The most obvious use of compositional principles would be the symmetry of the entire piece, from the tables lining either side of the room to the windows that command the space. All of these visual decisions made by the photographer come together to create a memorable, driven piece of photography that will stay relevant beyond its years.

• This topic was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Natalya Marie Villegas.
• This topic was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Natalya Marie Villegas.