Akeem Louigarde
Journal 4
English 1101 (Prof Scanlan)
October 4, 2015
The Six Photos
In the book call “The place where we Dwell” There are 6 photos that were taken during the 1900s. The six photos that were taken during the 1900s were the “Seventh Avenue looking South from 35th Street, Manhattan” and “Manhattan Bridge, From Bowery and Canal Street, Manhattan to Warren and Bridge Street, Brooklyn,” by Berenice Abbott, “Riveters attaching a beam” and “Sweat shop, New York City” by Lewis Wickes Hine, “Home of Gerard Basquiat, 533 Pacific St, Park Slope, Brooklyn” and “Joe Roifer & friend Apt 9E Tuner Tower, 135 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights Brooklyn” by Dinanda H. Nooney. Comparing and Contrasting these 6 photo, there are many things that makes one photo more attracting than others, such as the camera angles of what is being displayed, the first impression of the photograph, etc. In addition, also other things make these photographs as a whole, stand out from other photographs. One of the things is the artistic approach of taking the photograph because they are things that the artist could not control, but taking the photographs successfully. In other words, the artist were not able to control where certain things could be placed, the depth of field, or the lighting, but they were still able to take the photograph beautifully, by artistically knowing when and where to take the photograph and what camera angle to use.
The reason the artist decides to use these artistic skills is to bring out a certain message from the photograph to show the viewers and while all six photographs were done beautifully, “Riveters attaching a beam” is a photograph that I think tops them all. Comparing and Contrasting Berenice Abbott’s photographs with “Riveters attaching a beam” by Lewis Wickes Hine, Berenice Abbott’s photographs doesn’t create an immediate emotional response, especially when most of photographs aren’t taken on a neutral vertical camera angle level juxtapose to “Riveters attaching a beam” by Lewis Wickes Hine. Although Berenice Abbott’s photographs do raise one comment and a question, I feel as though she failed on showing a clear message, in which Lewis Wickes Hine showed in his photograph, because in his photograph, the photos immediately says these group of men are working in a unsafe condition and they could possibly fall and die. Now comparing and contrasting Dinanda H. Nooney’s photographs with “Riveters attaching a beam” by Lewis Wickes Hine, Dinanda H. Nooney’s photographs seems to be not so interesting and it makes me want to go to sleep. However, in the photograph call “Riveters attaching a beam” by Lewis Wickes Hine, it doesn’t put me to sleep, it surprises me to know how high off the ground these guys are working it a makes me wonder how come these guys haven’t fallen yet, etc. Although one of Dinanda H. Nooney’s photographs call “Joe Roifer & friend Apt 9E Tuner Tower 135 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights Brooklyn” gives me something to look at, it doesn’t make my imagination go wild, such as what could happen, because there isn’t anything happening, which is also kind of similar to what I was saying Berenice Abbott’s Photographs.
