For my project I chose Mitch Epstein. He was born in 1952 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He was one of many who first introduced fine art color photography in the 1970s. His work involved investigation of particular places and being able to express that narrative through his pictures. After he had finished school he set out on an exploration of the United States and soon after, other countries such as Tahiti, Vietnam and Trinidad and Tobago. The photos taken there were included in some of his published books such as: The City (1997), Family Business, (2003) and American Power (2009) and a few others. I chose Mitch Epstein because I loved how his photos have their own expression to them. He pays attention to lighting as using that as a source to the many moods they display too. He’s able to capture intimate moments and also focuses on how the power of corporate and governmental powers change the landscape that we live in. His series and photos are inspiring to look at because his subjects are inclusive and relative on many levels. The medium of the photo is dye coupler print on Kodak paper. The title is: Pushkar Camel fair, Rajasthan, India. In the photo there are two men in the desert in the center. One of them is making eye contact with the camera sitting down while the man behind him is fixing his headscarf. Beside both of them are large cloths and what looks like a water jar. The man is sitting down in front of a smoky fire pit. The smoke covers his feet and goes behind him. There is a camel to the right that is the closest to them and behind that camel there are other camels across the desert. To the left is a large mountain with a facing shadow and hills below it. The sun setting on the horizon is aligned with the front camel. A large cloud is spread out on the skyline almost touching the surrounding area of the sun near the right. What struck me about the photo was how there is an invisible leading line that leads to the horizon and the sun. The camels in the distance make a path that leads my eye. I can relate to the man that is sitting down because this is most likely his job and doesn’t look too bothered by being out in the desert. Everyone needs a break is the commonality and what makes this unique is it’s not as common especially in the states to work at a camel fair in the desert. I think Epstein is trying to show the day to day life of these men. Their lifestyle and the contrast compared to whoever is looking at his work. It can either make you feel grateful for the job you have or open your eyes to be open to the many things you can do in this world. He definitely is exposing the unseen. The composition as a whole has a good balance of foreground and background and nothing is overpowering each other even though there are many subjects.
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