Celeste Diaz

Celeste Diaz

John Gaunt, "Tragedy by the Sea"

1954, 120 Black and White Film

I first came across this photograph in a museum on a senior trip to Washington DC and have always carried it with me. The photograph made such an impact in my life, from driving my desire to create art to realizing how important each moment of life is. This black and white image captured this moment of tragedy for the couple. What had started off as a nice warm day turned into a grey, heart-breaking day. Their 19 month-old-child had been swept away by the waves and drowned. This imaged holds such deep emotion, and just with a still moment, we as the audience share their pain. 

Angela Atanyagul

Angela Atanyagul

"Fox Games" Sandy Skoglund

1989 Cibachrome Print 75x100 cm

Sandy Skoglund is a sculptor, and a photographer. She created the set and the statues. She then has models come in and position themselves in. Red foxes filled up a dining area of a restaurant. The color of the background and the props in the shot are grey and neural. Even the people in the background are wearing neutral grey clothing. If you look really closely you can see a neutral grey colored fox in the center of the picture. There are two light sources, one from behind the camera and another coming from left. The three people don't seem to care about all the chaos with all the foxes in the room. The grey room helps makes the red foxes pop out more, and hides the one grey one. She likes to have one of the animals using camouflage. It is a common thing in her pictures with her made sets.

I selected this picture because you would have to pay closer attention to fully see what was unseen. The subtle way certain things such as the grey fox and the people in the background were not as noticeable as compared to the bright red foxes creating chaos.

Angela Atanyagul

Angela Atanyagul

"Fox Games" Sandy Skoglund

1989 Cibachrome Print 75x100 cm

Sandy Skoglund is a sculptor, and a photographer. She created the set and the statues. She then has models come in and position themselves in. Red foxes filled up a dining area of a restaurant. The color of the background and the props in the shot are grey and neural. Even the people in the background are wearing neutral grey clothing. If you look really closely you can see a neutral grey colored fox in the center of the picture. There are two light sources, one from behind the camera and another coming from left. The three people don't seem to care about all the chaos with all the foxes in the room. The grey room helps makes the red foxes pop out more, and hides the one grey one. She likes to have one of the animals using camouflage. It is a common thing in her pictures with her made sets.

I selected this picture because you would have to pay closer attention to fully see what was unseen. The subtle way certain things such as the grey fox and the people in the background were not as noticeable as compared to the bright red foxes creating chaos.

Anthony Phillips

Anthony Phillips

Anthony Turpin

"Drive-In: A photography series" 2014

Anthony Turpin captured a short series of various narrative like car shots. For each of these the narrative changed from this couple above to a older couple, or a single women who could be waiting for her friend. I ended up choosing this photo or series of photos because; the idea had a unique perspective of a life inside the car, which is where a huge part of society spends their time. Along with that every instances on being in the car can lead to a new journey in life or even entering a different world when bulking your seat belt.  With Anthony's technique of an open flash and a 1 second to 2 second exposure, Anthony was able to fuse the two light sources (florescent, and Tungsten) to merge nicely on the subjects. Driving is apart of everyone's life, and although it is something we all must do, we tend to forget or look over the pleasures of driving or even just sitting in the car can put us in a completely different world even if it is for a short moment. 

Frank Vargas

Frank Vargas
Toyo Miyatake "Three Boys Playing Near a Barbed-Wire Fence"
1943

The picture I selected was taken in 1943 by Toyo Miyataoke. I displays the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War 2, in this case three young boys. When looking at this image I get the feeling of repetition and anger. Repetition because of the internment camps during World War 1 and the anger because in the passage of time between the two world wars, the US learned absolutely nothing. This image is very powerful because in the concentration camps there were even younger boys and girls looking out past the gates in which they were caged in. Miyataoke reminds everyone that the US is no better than they were and i think that's the meaning behind this photograph.

Victor Escobar

Victor Escobar

Joel Sartore

"Lion and Spotlight" - Uganda 2011

This adventurous photographer has received three awards for this photograph: The 2012 Animals in their environment-Commended, Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the year, The 2012 Award of Excellence, Science/Natural History Picture Story, pictures of the year International, and the 2011:Top ten photos of the year, National Geographic Magazine (Image ID:AN1019-00227).  Joel Sartore is a National Geographic photographer who travels the world capturing unreal photos of some of life's most untouched regions. I choose this photo because it reminded of me of a cat stuck in a tree. But it is so much more than that, its use of light and shadows is great example of how light and shadows should be used. Sartore even uses this particular photograph as an example of  how to use light in his film classes. It captures your attention because it seems unthinkable. For example, how did that lion get up there and why is it up there. But this photograph has a much more rich history to it.  Joel Sartore describes the experience as the following:  "Tree climbing is an usually behaviors for lions, but the pride in Ishasha in queen Elizabeth National park, Uganda is famous for napping trees during the day-- this male is just waking up at dusk."

Renming Liu

Renming Liu

Anders Petersen, "Stockholm"

1996

This photo, named Stockholm, is made by Anders Petersen in 1996. I choose this photo because I can feel that girl is alive in it. This is a black and white photo which shoots by the frontlight. The whole photo is out of focus which makes blur. The upper part is black and the bottom is white. This makes a contrast to obvious show that the girl in the middle is the subject. She covers her face and looks directly to the camera. Even though the photo is a little bit blur out, it cannot cover her sharp eying. When I first time saw this photo, I was shocked and attracted by her eying. She seems that is telling no matter how hard is it, she will insist herself and find the way to overcome the challenge. I feel like she is sending a message to people who is looking at this picture.

Jamie Linares

Jamie Linares
Vivian Maier, Untitled

The first time I saw this photo I became filled with a sense of mystery and curiosity. Not only because of the unknown man on the other side of the window, or the dark vignette, but also because of Vivian Maier's lack of titles on her photographs. After reading a bit about her, I wonder if she never titled her photographs because she took photos for herself, unaware that we would see. This mysterious image leads me to a lonely moment. The faceless man is walking away. The photographer is inside and there is a barrier between her and the subject. I love this image because it makes me curious as to who he is and why he is not inside as well. Is this only an affect for the image or another reason? Whatever it may be, the curiosity is what keeps my eyes stuck on the nameless photograph.

Kassy Menke

Kassy Menke
Eliot Porter, "Pool in a Brook"
Negative 1953; Print 1981, Dye Imbibition print

I first came across this image at an exhibit at the Getty and fell in love with it. Eliot Porter was born in 1901 and passed away in 1990.  He grew up in Illinois. He earned his degree in Chemical engineering and medicine.  He worked for 10 years as a scientist and teacher.  After being given a solo show in New York City he decided to switch and make photography his profession.  He started off shooting in black and white and then switch to color when the new technology was presented to do so. 

This image in particular has a sense of great wonderment and hope.  The simplicity of the composition complements the vivid colors and space.  Your eye is drawn from the leaves on the darker hue of the water to the rich hues of reds and oranges at the top of the image. I find this image in particular, inspiring and I find his work is able to capture moments that we sometimes overlook.  As you can see you don't need crazy sets, people, or things to draw the eye. Sometimes simplicity is the best remedy.

Mario Castro

Mario Castro

Julius Shulman "Case Study House #21" 

1958, Chromogenic Print

I chose this image because of how simple it is. A somewhat candid feel, framed as if the viewer is stumbling upon a typical suburban couple in their home. Photographed by Julius Shulman, one of the greatest architectural photographers, the photo utilizes impressive techniques to highlight a home in a very pleasing way. I admire the way Shulman composes his shot, allowing the viewers' eyes to follow the ceiling lines to the scene itself. That scene being casual suburban american living in a Modernist context. If composed any other way, the effectiveness of the shot could be lost in the geometrics. Those geometric patterns of glass and steel against a natural landscape, and also reflecting off water, provide a very attractive contrast. The color palette of the shot, tungsten interior lighting against fading daylight, compliment each other extremely well. Eventually meant to be an advertisement for postwar American housing, the photo demonstrates a unique aesthetic of simplicity, allowing postwar Modernist architecture to feel comfortable, as well as inviting to the American public. Shulman beautifully demonstrates the basis of this architectural style: form follows function, and simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Tanner Courtney

Tanner Courtney

Philip-Lorca diCorcia, New York

1997, chromogenic development (from color negative) print

This image was taken by Philip-Lorca diCorcia in New York in 1997. It was captured in an average moment in the busy city, but focuses in on the intimacy of a couple. I picked this picture because it made me realize how moments that seem hectic and busy can also be sweet and serene. We often move too fast in life and let moments that we should appreciate pass us by. I imagine it is late afternoon, and this couple is greeting each other, joining together again after a long day's work. The technique diCorcia used with the natural daylight made it seem as if the couple was glowing, which really helps the intimacy of the moment shine through in this image.

Trey Tomas

Trey Tomas

Jessica Backhaus

"World35" 

year 2010

  At first, this picture seems like some post-modern painting that pretentious rich people would pay millions for. But in actuality it's a photograph of a puddle distorting the buildings through its reflections. Backhaus has an entire series where she takes photos of water giving the buildings she's focusing on a distorted, Picasso-esque look to them. It's almost painterly. Impressionistic. An abstraction. Only giving us enough visual information to know that that's a building, that's an air conditioning unit, and that might be a pole. I'm not sure. I'm still gargling my coffee. Perhaps she's making a statement on the often dismissed small details of everyday life where we miss out on a world of beauty. On the other hand this certainly isn't staged. So maybe she isn't even saying anything at all. There's never a narrative or just documentations in her work. Either way, intended or not, maybe we should all break from routine sometimes, appreciate the small puddles around us, and drop the coffee.   

Bryan Espinal

Bryan Espinal

Richard Avedon "Ballet Dancers"

May 5, 1948

I selected this image because when I saw it the motion of the ballet dancers caught my attention. The blur of the back two dancers makes the ballet dancer in the middle stand out because she is sharp in focus. Making the image black and white makes it catch the attention of the viewer more than it probably would in color. What I like about Richard Avedon is that he categorizes his image by what the subject is doing. The image "Ballet Dancers" is of course in the Dance category of all his images. But what  I found interesting in the Dance category of Richard Avedon was that he put a portrait of choreographer's face with out doing any dance moves or motion, instead of putting him in the portraits category Avedon puts him in the Dance category. I want to learn to take pictures in motion as good as Richard Avedon and that is why I picked this image.

Miguel Corona

Miguel Corona

Duane Michals, "Duane Duck"

1984, Gelatin Silver print on paper

I chose this image because I like how the photographer created a new image with his shadow. By shaping his hand as the neck and head of a duck, the shadow became a duck. It speaks to me because it shows how people can create simple things with their bodies. It shows how shadows can be deceiving. 

Javier Gonzalez

Javier Gonzalez
Jack Delano "Dear Folks: 1943"

1943 Photographic Print

This image was taken by Jack Delano in July of 1943 and is part of the "Greenville, South Carolina. Air Service Command. Writing a letter home series." Looking at the image one doesn't know whether it was staged or not. To me it looks as if this were taken at a moment where the two soldiers were actually writing letters to their loved ones which they were out fighting a battle. The seriousness and somewhat expression less face of the man in the center is what made me feel as if this were not staged but then the lighting in the room tells me that some effort was put into this to make it seems staged. The reason I chose this black and white image is because an image without color makes you focus on the essence of the photo, such as lighting and composition. With color photographs I feel as if there is a slight amount of distraction because we seem to the colors to pop or have them work together. Black and White also helps the photographer set a certain type of emotion.

Juarez, Karina

Karina Juarez

Ciril Jazbec, "On thin ice"

2015

Photography is not only capturing the best moments in life, but capturing what people never see in hopes that maybe they will make a stand and try to change for the better. Global warming is an issue many people know about but never do much about it. This photo shows a man standing in the middle of a lake where it used to be a more than just water. The history behind this photo is the man on the piece of ice, Albert Lukassen, was a hunter on this land before all the ice had melted. Now this 64-year-old man is not able to hunt due to global warming because the heat caused the ice to melt. This photograph shows that we are not taking care of the earth and we can easily lose everything we once let us have everything. Albert was able to survive off the land and now the land can not provide for him. We cut down trees and pollute the air which leads to rising of sea water levels, animal extinctions and so much more. I think what the photographer Ciril Jazbec tried to photograph is to show us that we need to take care of what provides for us in order to keep surviving and not end up on thin ice.

Mahal Sourgose

Mahal Sourgose

Lee Friedlander "Shadows"

1966, Leica 35mm/Hasselblad Superwide

I believe that one of the most difficult subjects to photograph is people - naturally. I can't seem to take pictures of my friends without them posing in one unnatural way or another. The best photos - the ones that seem to best capture their aura - tend to be the candids. Often referred to as the 'no's or the 'delete's or the 'never post that's. The slurping of the soup, the hunching over the computer, the next step of the dance move. The pictures that we all love of other people because "it's totally them" are the very ones that they hate.

Ever since I was introduced to Lee Friedlander's "Shadows", I was enamored by its simple, humorous, and human quality. In the series as a whole, Friedlander projects himself onto strangers and random places. By inserting himself into the photograph, he creates a narrative with a completely different plot than one without his presence - he becomes apart of the story. His shadow, this extension of himself, becomes a character with a mind of its own; the protagonist of its own mini-story.

Whilst the other person or the place remains natural and oblivious, Friedlander transforms, becoming the unaware passerby, the nosy jerk, the posing human.

Emily Gottlieb

Emily Gottlieb

Traer Scott, "Callie"

2015

Having been animal-obsessed all my life, I have come across quite a few pictures of animals, but never have I felt so connected to an image as I have for Traer Scott's portrait Callie. About 10 years ago, Traer Scott, a professional photographer and animal shelter volunteer started taking photos of the dogs waiting to be chosen by loving new owners, creating a book to share these animals with the world. Now in her sixth book Finding Home: Shelter Dogs and Their Stories, she has added the beautifully composed photo of a dog named Callie. What makes this photo stand out to me, other than the soft lighting and clarity of the details, is the human element of what looks like a tear in the dog's eye. This very small but very important element conveys a sense of sadness and longingness that is hard to put into words.

Juan Maldonado

Juan Maldonado

William Eggleston "Untitled" 

1970

William Eggleston is known for his vibrant colors in photographs and his simplicity of the subjects he chooses to shoot.  What I like about his specific style is how he focuses on colors.  The colors he uses help make the image stronger and stand out.  Eggleston is a street photographer, in which he takes pictures of things an average person would see in everyday life, but his focus on times of day, weather, and light is extravagant.  I selected this picture because of how he used his technique to make this image appealing to the eye.  His attention to detail and technique is what stood out to me.  From the reflection of the sky on the hood of the car, the color of the sky and how it contrasts to the paint of the car and the color of the boys' clothes, his small depth of field allowing the background to become blurry but his subjects completely in focus, all add to make this image appealing to me.    

Javier Vera

Javier Vera 

Ansel Adams, "Half Dome"

1920s, gelatin silver print

I selected this image because it brings out the natural pause of an individual experiencing the beauty of nature for the first time through the natural creations of life. At exceeding heights overseeing the whole Yosemite valley, one witnesses the natural giant rock that stands almighty across the valley known as Half Dome. The man standing tall along the edge of the cliff seems as a giant with unlimited power that is being imitated with the giant rock across the valley. The Point of view, the texture, and the light is what brings this image out  the scale of extraordinary and to the amazing power of an individual amongst the creations of life.

Marlene Herrera

Marlene Herrera

Steve McCurry, "Dust Storm, Rajasthan, India"

1983, Cibachrome print

Steve McCurry is an American photographer whose career with National Geographic has produce very well known photographs.

Out of so many of his photographs, I selected "Dust Storm, Rajasthan, India," because I was intrigued with the story the shot

was telling. I wanted to know what lead up to that precise moment and also what happened after the photograph was made.

The shot was taken in 1983, when McCurry was passing through the dessert to a town called Jaisalmer and a dust storm was 

heading down their way. He wanted to make a photograph anticipating the monsoon. For me, it communicates a moment of

high stakes with orange and red hues and the natural light illuminating the human need for companionship in such moments. 

Even the lady, who seems to be alone looks out to a man who also looks towards her direction. Nature is illustrated in two 

characters within this image, the tree, as seen centered in the photograph, protects the ladies in red and the dust, lite by the 

sun, threatens them. It's like McCurry describes it, " life and death seemed to hang in precarious balance."

Cynthia Rojas

Cynthia Rojas

Carol Guzy, "War and Innocence" 

(1999)

In 1999, former Washington Post photographer Carol Guzy spent time at a refugee camp in Albania during the Kusovo crisis and took this image, winning the Pulitzer Prize.

Akim Shala, 2, is passed through a barbed wire fence into the hands of his grandparents at a camp in Kukes, Albania. To me, this image celebrates the reunion of a family torn apart by war. The straight barbed wire lines represent the oppression that is holding these people back while the bent wire illustrates the hope that these people will overcome their situation. Taken from the photographer's eye level, this photo makes the viewer feel as if they are in the scene, looking at the child. The contrast between the child's bright blue outfit and the orange field isolates the toddler as the subject in focus while emphasizing the innocent and hopeful nature of the image. 

Anardis Navarro

Anardis Navarro

Ruth Prieto Arenas "Safe Heaven"

2013, Digital Color

One of the reason why I choose this image by Ruth Prieto Arenas, is because represent the everyday life of an immigrant women. This image is part of the documentary "Save Heaven." The story narrow on this image, I connected personally in most of the aspects. The best thing about this image, is that way it was made, with no filter or any intentions to persuade people to believe into something that is not true. This image is about reality, which represent the daily struggle of an immigrant women to keep moving forward. This image is very symbolic. The image was took it at a house. As where the author mentioned "Homes have deep emotional meanings" home is the place where we act, who we really are. Home is like the box secrets, because is where we get to know everything about a person.

Morgan Garrett

Morgan Garrett

Uta Barth, "Untitled 99.12" in "nowhere near" series

1999, Chromogenic print in artist frame

 

Light. Perspective. Normality. In this photo, the simple essence of our everyday lives is captured through a home window. The sunlight sheds light on what would otherwise be considered dull.

 

Uta Barth, the photographer of this image, makes what would normally seem accidental, purposeful. Through her camera lens, she captures the endless possibilities posed by change of perspective. In all of her series, Barth is able to capture the distinct relationship between what is seen and what is unseen. She is known for her distinct use of light, perspective, and depth of field. Together, they create an image such as this one—one that intrigues the eye and challenges the mind.

 

Have we, too, become a product of our society, not taking the time to notice the small things? Take a page from Uta's book. Pick up your camera and capture the moment that you would have otherwise ignored.

Mark Santiago

Mark Santiago
William Eggleston, "Memphis (Tricycle)"
1969, dye transfer print

This picture was taken by William Eggleston, an American photographer. Eggleston started out as a black and white photographer inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank and Walker Evans but then later became to be more recognized for color photography. While other street photographers roamed the world documenting beautiful landscapes, fine art and notable events, Eggleston while stuck in Memphis where at one point told a friend that there was nothing to photograph because everything in the city was ugly. The friend then told him to "photograph the ugly stuff." Eggleston began to do just that and make photographs of things that were often overlooked, the mundane and the ordinary. Instead of trying to find extraordinary things to photograph, Eggleston was drawn to the everyday and boring and wanted to show the beauty of things that we often overlook. This photograph stands out because it finds beauty in the common place and turns something such as a rusty old tricycle into something iconic. In this photograph, Eggleston documented an ordinary and boring subject from a new perspective and enlarged the mundane to make it special.