Prieto, A. -Photo Description

Dance Studio, Elmhurst

The photograph I chose is from Jeff Liao’s photo series Habitat 7. It is titled Dance Studio, Elmhurst. The photograph shows a man with his legs crossed, holding a guitar. He is sitting alone in a pink room. At first it is unclear how the photograph ties in with the series it is a part of. However, when the viewer looks out the window, the metal framework of the 7 train stands clearly visible. The inclusion of the 7 train in the shot is part of Jeff Liao’s study of the culture and community of people living along the 7 train, and the 7 train tracks are seen in ever single photograph of his series. The man in the photo faces away from the camera, seemingly focused on his guitar. Although he is alone and facing away, the overwhelming pinkness of the room makes it difficult to interpret the photograph as solitary. Because of his multiple reflections in the mirror of the dance studio, there is an illusion that the room is infinite, and that the man has other people in the room who are playing the guitar with him. Seen outside the window is the bustling community of the 7 train, teeming with life and people. The mood of the photograph is contemplative. Liao shows that although we are alone, we are not lonely because of the communities that we are a part of.

The photo makes use of three photographic principles; leading lines, frame within a frame, and diagonals to create a dynamic and captivating image.  The leading lines are created by the angle of the room’s walls. They lead the eye through the image and out the window, where the secondary subject of the photo is. The leading lines hint at the connecting point of all the photographs in the series, which is the 7 train.  Another element that makes this photograph successful is the use of the “frame within a frame” principle. There are several natural frames that frame the subject: the wall surrounding the window frames the window and draws our eyes to the 7 train outside. The frame which is created by the window also frames the man off-center. Finally, the mirror creates more frames within the photograph, the most obvious one being the reflection of the man at the left side of the image being framed by both a mirror and a window. The element that makes this image so dynamic is the use of diagonals. The subject of the image is very still and static, the man is sitting and playing the guitar. However, the photo itself feels vibrant and energetic. This is because there are diagonal lines zigzagging through the image caused by the reflection off the mirrors in the dance studio. The single window becomes a set of three which propel our eyes through the photograph, lending it such a lively feeling.

The elements used by Liao mirror his intent when making this series. His goal was to photograph the unique liveliness of the community of people living along the 7 train. He also aimed to connect people with a common vein. Although the image is reflective and calm, it also possesses a lively, strange feeling. In the way that Liao framed his photograph, he communicated some of the aspects of living along the 7 train but also the general state of living in a city, where we may be alone, but never disconnected.