Nakaya Erickson

Nakaya Erickson

NBC Studios: Radio City New York

1932

 This image spoke to me because I loved looking at the structure of the buildings and how the light from one building is gleaming and reflecting off the other, making the detail on the second  building clearly visible. The image is in black and white, which is to be presumed because color images weren't made in that time period. I purposely chose an image without color because I feel like the color would have created a different feeling to the photo and would have caused a distraction of meaning they are trying to give. The feeling I got from this photo was a distant, closed off, curiosity feeling. I want to see this place in real life which is were my curiosity comes into play, but by knowing its so far from me gives me that sense of distance. Why I believe the image feels closed off is because of the placement of the camera. The building close off towards the middle of the frame and you see a dissipating shadow from the buildings moving inward. They slowing start to disappear and with the cars at the bottom slightly on the horizon line, looking more bunched up tower ards the middle created the idea for me that I am slightly trapped in the space provided. All the while I believe I would be ok with being trapped in the photo for some reason.

LewaNana Pinkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LewaNana Pinkey
Todd Hido
From "Khrystyna's world"

2015

When I lost my home in a fire and our family had to move into my grandmother's house it was 3 people in one full sized bed. 1 adult, a senior in High School and a pre-teen. No one ever fit comfortably. So, I often went to sleep on the couch. My grandmother suffers from OCD and our family not having enough space for all of our stuff was often a fighting point. There wasn't much privacy either so I often went out as much as possible to distract myself from the reality. I often found myself in my car. Late night or early morning, I used the silence to feel free to let out my frustrations with how life was going. Here I felt I could cry, I could laugh, I could sing, or paint and I didn't have to worry about anyone bothering me until I made the decision to come back inside. The loneliness of this photo by Todd Hido brings back 4 in the morning I accidentally slept in the car memories. Sometimes it was where I wanted to sleep. Sometimes my car was the best getaway my money could buy.

Ronaldo Martinez

Ronaldo Martinez
Jesse Frohman "Kurt Cobain"
1993


I selected this image "Kurt Cobain" by Jesse Frohman for multiple reasons. This was the last professional photoshoot of Nirvana shot in August 1993. Not only that but this was eight months before Kurt Cobain was found dead. There's a lot of photos of Kurt Cobain and there's always that not caring look he gives  but this one captured all of it. What he was wearing is so iconic, its 90s grunge at its finest, cigarette in one hand, bottle in the other, painted nails, everything just summed up to being unique. The story behind the actual photo makes it even better ,because Kurt showed up three hours later and asking for bucket ,because he had to puke. While taking the pictures Jesse Frohman explained that Kurt was coherent ,but at the same time out of it. Not only that ,but the pictures were originally supposed to be taken at Central Park ,but instead Frohman explained it was all improvised in a hotel basement.

Cathy Truong

Cathy Truong
André Kertész, "Central Park Boat Basin, New York" 

1944, gelatin sliver print

I chose this image because when I look at it, it's clear that it is a beautiful image: the repetition of emptiness in the park and the benches, the puddle perfectly still with a tree reflecting off of it. But it also sparked curiosity in me as well: what is the individual doing? Why are they carrying a model boat? Did they just sail the boat while it was raining or were they waiting for the rain to stop? This photo reminds me of the time I traveled to New York and would just sit in the park to relax and people watch. There would be individuals that did whatever they wanted, whether it'd be considered socially weird or not. The people in the park would just watch, shrug, and go about their day. It made me think of how fast-paced New York City is and that seeing something that was not alarming but out of the ordinary became a norm to a New Yorker. Kertész took in special consideration for the angle he shot at and the significant, but balanced contrast between the black and white photographs. This photograph was truly memorable for me, which was Kertész's goal. His main focus on photography was looking for the emotions of a photo, that a beautiful photo is still beautiful but if there is no emotion, it is not as memorable.

Santino Orosco

Santino Orosco
Seph Lawless, "Abandoned Malls"
April 2017

I chose this image because it speaks to me about overcoming something that is pulling you down. The dark areas in this photo would be the negatives things in life that are pulling you down or distracting you from becoming what you want to become in life. As the light of the sun shines down it seems as if your sticking to the path and avoiding all the negatives that are pulling you or distracting you from where you need to be in life or even in your short-term goals. Although you see the tree in the middle of the abandoned mall it gives off some kind of hope that there are positives throughout all the negatives things pulling or distracting you. Seph Lawless was born May 1, 1978, in Cleveland, Ohio. Seph is an American-based Photographer, Artist, Published Author, Political Activist, and photojournalist. He is known for his extensive documentation of abandoned places all over the world.

Alexandra Zavala

 

Alexandra Zavala

James L. Stanfield, "Grieving Mother #4"

1978

I selected this image by National Geographic Photographer James L. Stanfield of a woman in Bulgaria mourning the loss of her youngest son. It was the first image of many that I looked through that grasped my attention. Though I did not initially know the story behind this photo I could tell this woman had lost a child. The darkness surrounding her shows emptiness of how she must feel without this person in her life. While the light peaks in the room and hits the picture frame and woman's face I could tell this person was the light of her life. I love the beauty and simplicity of the light shining on the frame and mother as if hugging her one last time. Loss is something that we have all experienced in our lives in some form. This quote I found seems to represent this image very well. "Think pictures aren't important? Wait till they're all you have left."

Alysa Anthony

Alysa Anthony

John Hanses "Lost Coast #4"

2016

I selected this photo because of the way it made me feel like I was in a relaxed and quiet place. I like how the long exposure brings life to the river running through the center of the photo. I also loved the way the trees were growing in all different directions, and how some were even laying across the river. This aspect gave the photo life, and made me feel as though I was actually there in this moment. John Hanses is a nature photographer who believes the best part of being a photographer is being able to be in the presence of Nature. He focuses primarily on giving the viewer of his photos the same feeling that he received while being immersed in nature while shooting his photos. He started his photography journey at age 5, when his family moved to a rural ranch surrounded by nature. He began exploring and taking photo's once he realized that he wanted others to be able to feel the medicinal effect that being submerged in nature gives. 

Kalena Cienfuegos

Kalena Cienfuegos

David Clapp, "Autumn Reflection"

2015

The reason I chose this photograph was because it was one of the first photographs that caught my eye when I was flipping through the pages of the book I was looking at. It made me want to go outside, especially in a secluded area, and just look at all the nature around me and see how beautiful is it. The warm colors in this photograph just go together so well and makes me want to stare at it all day. 

I love the reflection in the lake as well. It is so clear and so symmetrical that if you cover the top half of the photograph, the bottom would act as if it was the whole photograph. Its just to mesmerizing. I also like how its a lonely cabin in the middle of all of it. I, myself, love being by myself so I feel as if I could be apart of this photograph and its just so welcoming. 

Karla Portillo

Karla Portillo

Ed Panar "Animals Who Saw Me"

2011

This image by photographer Ed Panar caught my attention because the raccoon is cute and because the bucket next to it is so bright! I also chose this image because I thought it was funny.  By looking at this image, the story I depict is that the raccoon was caught misbehaving! The tilted flower pot on the bottom of the picture was most likely knocked over by the raccoon. It looks like the photographer took this picture at a high angle which might make the animal feel like he's in trouble because someone is towering over him.

This photograph is from a book called "Animals That Saw Me" by Ed Panar. The photographer's book if filled with pictures of animals that are looking directly into the camera. Five years later he released a second volume to this collection.

Emily Hidalgo

Emily Hidalgo
Dorothea Lange, "Man Beside Wheelbarrow"
1934

I chose this image by Dorothea Lange that was shot during the Great Depression. Dorothea states that the bent over figure and the upside-down wheelbarrow mirror each other, which implied that the Depression had slowly caused the environment and the people to breakdown. To me, this photograph represents a long day of hard work and suffering. Even though the face of the figure is not facing the camera, the environment represents the strong emotion in this photograph. The dirty concrete wall, the empty box to the left, the position of the figure, and the foreground of dirt all play a part in showing that this work environment is not pleasant at all and that this work requires a lot of energy. This photograph also represents strength and I believe that the figure is taking a break and will soon flip the wheelbarrow right side up and head off to complete this unpleasant job to fight the Depression.

Image chosen from: Gordon, Linda. Aperture Masters of Photography Dorothea Lange. 2014.

Sandy Pascual

Sandy Pascual
Diane Arbus, "A Child Crying"
1967, Gelatin Silver Print

This photograph is titled "A Child Crying", it was created by Diane Arbus, an American photographer who was known mostly for her photographs of people who were kept in the margins of society, by society. This particular image is a gelatin silver print, which is the term used to describe the most common process for making black and white photographs.The photograph was taken at the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey at the 30th Annual Diaper Derby contest. Arbus wrote in a notebook in 1962, "It would be beautiful to photograph the winners of everything from Nobel to booby prize, clutching trophy, or money or certificate, solemn or smiling or tear stained or bloody." I selected this image because the child's crying face is the focal point of this image and it is so up close that its details called my attention. It captures the moment so perfectly that I can almost feel his sadness.

Gardenia Centanaro

​​

Gardenia Centanaro

Arnold Newman, "Kurt Godel" 

1956, black and white film. 

This is a portrait of mathematician and scientist, Kurt Godel, taken by photographer Arnold Newman in 1956 at Princeton, New Jersey. As I flipped through the book Masterclass by Arnold Newman written by William A. Ewing, I was fascinated by the portraiture of all these iconic painters, scientists, politicians, and celebrities. What is captivating about Arnold Newman's photos is the way he frames the subject by their art, legacy, etc. He is able to define a person in a simple photo. 

In contrary to many of his other portraits found in this book, the design itself follows the rule of thirds perfectly. The contrast in this photograph is beautiful in that the positioning of the subject's body is so that there is white on black. He maximizes the contrast between the suit and white background, as well as the blackboard on his white skin. The blackboard serves as a frame within a frame for Kurt Godel's head. He uses Rembrandt lighting on his face which gives an intense tone to the photograph. The subject isn't looking directly at the camera making it as if the photographer isn't there, almost like he is just thinking of an equation and all alone. The empty blackboard fascinated me. I could not understand why it was just blank with no equation. The board was in the center and took up most of the photo. What was its significance? Most of Newman's portraits had the subject next to their life's work or something that defined them yet Godel was just sitting in a specific placement with his head framed at the end of this empty board. I then researched Kurt Godel to learn more about this mysterious and intense man in this picture that caught my eye and found that he is known for his incompleteness theorems. So here is this well known mathematician from Princeton sitting in front of an incomplete black board with his head framed in the board. It's genius because he is framing what is inside Godel's mind- an incompleteness theorem. 

--

Best,

Gardenia

Fany Reyes Ton

Fany Reyes 

Maria Varela "A young Chicanita Hawks" 

1968 

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. This photographic

images conveys what might take many words to express. I selected this image for its powerful stage that illustrates some sort of story. Seeing how the images range of perception, emotions. Creating and capturing moments of unprecedented records, speaking loudly by capturing the historic moment,sign and symbol of Chicano Activism. Reason being why I felt an attachment to this image. Re-capturing how it is now a days. Especially now upon the injustice of Dreamers like myself are experiencing. Breaking away from the chains of silence. Like the little girl standing up for what we believe.  

Paloma Amezcua

Paloma Amezcua
Nick Brandt, "Wasteland with Elephant"
2015

I chose this image because of its powerful message and the emotional impact it had on me. In the photograph, a life-size portrait of an elephant that lived in that very location only seven years before sits among piles of trash that were created as a result of human intervention. As one looks at the creature's face, it almost seems as if the battle-scarred elephant, too, is gazing sadly upon the wasteland that was once its home. The artist's use of black and white gives the scene an even more bleak and miserable appearance. By juxtaposing this hideous landscape with what it used to be, this shocking, heartbreaking photograph serves as a reminder that the natural world is vanishing little by little every day and that it might soon be gone if we don't do more to protect and preserve it. If this destruction continues, photographs like this elephant portrait may be all we'll have left of nature's most beautiful creatures.  

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Angelica Flores

Angelica Flores

Dan Winters, "Tupac Shakur

1994

Dan Winters started his photographic career in 1971. It was not until 1986, in which he began his career as a photojournalist in Ventura County, California. He is widely recognized for his celebrity portraiture, including the famous Tupac Shakur. The portrait of Tupac Shakur was taken in 1994, 2 years before he was killed in a drive-by shooting. I find this portrait to be intriguing because it was one of the first photos that I remember seeing of the late rapper and an introduction to the hip-hop world. From the perspective in which the portrait was taken it is a moment of self-reflection in which he is contemplating his next move and weighing how his actions have affected his life. The shadow in the photograph can be interpreted as one's past will always be lurking in the present. The shadows projected on the late rapper give a sense of mystery in one's life. The photograph makes me wonder what was going on in Tupac's mind at the time of the photo.

Jose Jimenez

Jose Jimenez

Bernie Boston, "Flower Power" 

1967

This image can relate to everyone in this country more than ever in these hard times. While this photograph was taken years go for a different cause, (to protest the Vietnam war). The meaning behind the flowers in the barrel can be relating to many people in society now because of the amount of gun violence that is taking place. The significance of using the flowers in the barrel of a gun makes the strong statement of peace over violence. When I came across this picture, I realized how a photograph can tell 1000 stories and have 1000 meanings. Whether it is in 1967 or 2018, a picture can be significant to everyone in different ways, and this specific image was special to me because of a recent March that took place 3/24/18 throughout this country. The March for Our Lives, was a protest on Gun violence and this image reminded me of the reason behind the march. 

Bianca Vargas

Bianca Vargas

Laurence Demaison, "Psyches"

2009

This image by French photographer Laurence Demaison captures what is not visible to the human eye. She uses the long exposure technique to create distortion and ambiguity. I feel that this method she is using speaks volumes in the sense that you can almost hear the photograph. When I came across this image I can see a lot of noise and chaos, yet it felt like silence. Personally, two things come to mind when I see this image which are sleep paralysis and mental health. The reason I say this is because I've experienced both, and in a lot of ways they are similar. This image depicts how during sleep paralysis your body is asleep while your mind is awake. Similarly, when you struggle with mental health, your body is numb to the mind, in the sense that you are not physically aware of what is happening mentally. This image evokes fear and panic due to that the subject is still, while it also creates movement. The distortion of the image gives the idea that it's more acceptable to be imperfect rather than perfect. So, overall this image is powerful, because it depends on the person viewing it to decide what it means to them.  

Mark Nicolas

Mark Nicolas

Elliot Erwitt, "Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York"

1949, Silver Gelatin Print

This photo was taken by the photographer Elliot Erwitt. Erwitt is very popular with his creative use of black and white photographs to tell a different story each time. I chose this photo for two reasons. One, I believe this photograph tells some type of love story. It seems like the statue of the girl with the bow and arrow is trying to win over the man's heart and the man is not falling for her. It is a classic case of unrequited love. Second, I love how he uses the doorways of each hallways and the linear pattern of the chandeliers to bring out the focus on the statue. Each hallway appears to me like a barrier that the woman that is in love with the man has to go through many different barriers and cross boundaries with her arrow just to reach the man that seems to be so far away from her reach.

Michael O'Leary

Michael O'Leary
Manuel Alvarez Bravo, "The Crouched Ones"
1934, gelatin silver print

I chose this photo because I loved the lighting. The grate was only partially rolled up which created this dark shadow that hid all of their faces. By allowing their heads to fall off into the darkness, Bravo refrains from individualizing them. They are no longer singular persons but a collective people. Their clothes are all well worn, torn, or stained representing hard labor in their jobs. Another interesting feature is the chains that link all the chairs. They go across the back of the chairs so all the men's feet stay within them, perhaps suggesting a world that limits and locks them into certain jobs and standings.

Manuel Alvarez Bravo chose an interesting title for this image. It is called "The Crouched Ones though none of the people appear to be crouched. Bravo himself gave an interesting explanation for the title, saying that crouching was a defense mechanism for the Mexican people "who can fold their body and soul into this humble position and still retain their pride and integrity."

Katya Licea

Katya licea
Irving Haberman "1939"
1939

I chose this picture of Irving Haberman because I thought it was very interesting that he was able to capture a moment where a women is topless in Queens, and no-one is really doing anything about it because no one can really control what a women should do, or put them in a social confiding mold. You can tell that the women has very nice clothes due to the fact of her fur coat on the floor and her leather gloves. Even though she may be a stripteaser, she can come from a middle class and I feel like this picture captures a moment that defines the fact that just because you may be a stripteaser doesn't mean you have to be from the lower class. Haberman was known for having perfect timing and being a part of defining the eras from the world war II up to Nixon's campaign. He brought us all the great historical moments that came from the thirties to the sixties. This picture is a big moment for women because it shows the moment a women decided to break free of the social restrains put on them by society by being topless in front of 26 million people. It is definitely a photograph that stood out.

Jenna Hoffman

Jenna Hoffman

Matt Black, "Texas Migrant in Her Yard." Teviston, California

2001

The image I chose was Texas Migrant in Her Yard from Matt Black's project called "Kingdom of Dust". Photojournalist Matt Black is using his project to show the hardships for the agricultural workers in rural California. From California's severe drought crisis to the advancement of technology, many of the agricultural workers are losing their jobs and still trying to support their families with income below the poverty level. I was drawn to this image because it reminded me of being at grandfather's ranch and watching my grandmother sitting on the porch. My grandfather led a migrant lifestyle, until finding an agricultural job in Parlier, California. Each year he wished for a good 'growing season' to support his nine children. Black's project captures many small towns in California being the home of some of the richest farms in America and the people who reside in them. Matt Black's raw imagery is used to impart to us the realization of how important these jobs are to the residents of these farm communities.

Anabelle Lozano

Anabelle Lozano
Hulton Archive/Getty Images "Give Peace a Chance"
1980

This photo is one that captures part of a vigil held in New York in December of 1980. The vigil was held in honor of John Lennon after he had been shot by a fan in his home. I felt that this picture is one that I could connect to because of the events that have been happening in our country so far this year, and especially this past Saturday. On December 14th, 1980, during the largest vigil for John Lennon in Central Park, people made and held up signs and gathered in silence for peace. They were silent for 10 minutes, per Yoko Ono's request, to honor the fallen star. This silence included radio broadcasts that halted their shows for those 10 minutes. This vigil reminds me of the March for Our Lives event that took place around the country Saturday, March 24, 2018. People marched, they held signs, they spoke out for there to be peace in America. I think that this picture specifically spoke out to me because the subject of the photo is holding a sign that asks "Why?" A question that could not be answered then. And a question that really cannot be answered now, 39 years later.

Moran Maccanico

Moran Maccanico

David Longstreath, "Farewell"

1997

A child waits in line outside Saint Thomas' church with a bouquet of flowers to pay last respects to Mother Teresa, winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor. David Longstreath uses a digital camera to capture this moment, speeding the image to newspapers around the world. Longstreath spotted the young boy making his way to the church where the viewing was being held. This picture is great because of its simplicity. When I saw this picture, my eyes instantly locked into the eyes of this young boys. Anyone can look at the young boy and know he may be poor and desperate but despite all of that you can tell that Mother Teresa was very important to him by just simply looking into his eyes.  

This image made me think about how I felt (scared/sad) when my grandfather passed away and how I my mother made me walk up to the casket to say my last goodbye.

Yaelin Calderon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yaelin Calderon
Zbigniew Religa// The history of a picture that changed the world
1987 , By: Richard Minuk

Coming across many different types of amazing photography, I selected this particular picture because it caught my attention for some reason. It made me actually want to look up its history behind it. It was taken in 1987, and it turned out to be that it was actually a real life scene. It was one long day for Dr. Zbigniew Religa after 23 hours of heart transplant. He was very successful and in that time of area doctors did not have all the right tools and machines. The surgeon sleeping in the corner, the bloody mess like a very hard job has been done. It's very touching and powerful that someone had the ability to save someone's life. His assistant in the picture just fits perfect for that shot. The focus is the doctor and the patient, all the machines plugged in gives you the chills and shows you how gloomy the picture is. It gives you goosebumps, the blood on his gloves mean so much as well and it's just an amazing photograph. How people go through so much and people showed really appreciate what they have and that our health isn't bad as others that have to suffer. In a way he changed someone's life.