Linda Lee

Linda Lee

Aline Smithson, "Untitled"

2011 ,"In Case of Rain" series  

 

I don't remember the last time my family came together without being interrupted constantly with calls or texts from their phones. I don't remember the last time my friends and I went out and everyone put their phones away to just enjoy the moment. We're so consumed into capturing or talking about the moment that we forget to enjoy it fully.  The "In Case of Rain" series captured my attention with its simplicity through images of dolls, board games, and records. 

Not only are the items in each image "outdated" but also the color schemes seem to be the old versions of the color wheel today. I feel a wave of comfort while looking at these homey items but saddened because of their "extinction". There's one thing that Aline Smithson said in her statement about the series that stuck out to me: "I see them now as beautiful objects to be admired and preserved, if only on film." 

Jessica Arellano

Jessica Arellano

Tony Sweet, "Sparks Lane"

Year: 2002

 

I have decided to select this image because it grasped my attention due to the beauty within the nature. The reason why the nature spoke to me was because the perspective of the photograph was presented differently than the usual point of view. The usual point of view is always centered within the frame. Also, the photographer captured an asymmetry concept that makes the scene more interesting due to the color palette presented. The color palette presented shows a gloomy vibe and slight warmth feeling coming from the left side. When looking into the image in my perspective I feel the artist captured a nostalgic feeling when presenting nature.

Sara Sheltz

Sara Sheltz

Malcolm Browne, "The Burning Monk"

1963, black and white film

 

This photo portrays a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk in Saigon in 1963 burning himself alive. The monk was protesting the persecution and oppression of the Buddhist religion in Vietnam. The photographer, Malcolm Browne, drew international attention with this photo and even won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. The photo was so revealing that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was persuaded to withdraw support from the Vietnamese government. Kennedy stated that "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world." I chose this photo as one of my favorites because the story is a perfect example of how influential photography can be. Without the invention of photography, no one around the world would be able to actually see what was going on outside of their community. When people see a photo as powerful as this, they start to fight for what is just and right, like Kennedy did when withdrawing support from the Vietnamese government. 

Kiara Coronado

Kiara Coronado

Margaret Bourke-White, "Kentucky Flood"
1937, Gelatin Silver Print

Towards the last years of the United States' worst economic decline, a flood struck the Ohio River, sending those who lived in the houses of Louisiana, Kentucky, onto the streets. The billboard in the background holds a sense of irony; as the white, all-American family and their dog drive off into happiness and a bright future, a dozen and a half African-Americans are lined up, looking for hope in their new homeless life. The picture declares that Americans have the "World's Highest Standard of Living," and, while this may have held true, millions of people lived in despair and hopelessness as they were thrown out of their jobs and onto the street. Though the picture was taken during the Great Depression to capture the misfortune of the Kentucky Flood, this picture still holds true today. Millions of underrepresented populations live under the overbearing shadow of the rich, educated, straight, white man, including women and intersexual people, people outside the "European-white" umbrella, people who do not identify as straight, and people who are not educated beyond a high school diploma. If we live this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, then why are so many of us still suppressed in society today, just as we were back then?

Heather Shultz

Heather Shultz

Philippe Halsman, "Dutch actress Audrey HEPBURN"

1955, gelatin silver print

Philippe Halsman's series of portraits of people jumping happened almost by accident.  The photographer said he shocked himself the first time he asked a subject to jump for his camera after a particularly difficult session.  Halsman spent the following six years asking every famous or important person he photographed to jump for him.  The culmination of these photos was his "Jump Book," a study in the pseudo-academic subject of "jumpology."  Halsman claimed that the act of jumping forced people out of their preset expressions and into photo that was more representative of their true selves-without a mask.

I selected this image because it represents a carefree moment, frozen in time.  The playful nature captured in this photograph is a side of the art world that is often unseen, and a reminder to take life a little less seriously.

Ricky Ortuno

Ricky Ortuno

Marc Riboud "The Ultimate Confrontation: The Flower and the Bayonet"

1967

 

Marc Riboud was known for taking pictures about brief moments but express a lot of meaning. In this photograph it displays a young girl closing in on the soldiers with their bayonets while holding a flower. This was an anti-Vietnam march held outside the Pentagon with the National Guard ordered to hold their ground. In this photograph I felt both the discomfort of the soldiers and the compassion of the girl. The soldiers had no clue what to do for they were presented with a caring girl who wanted nothing to do with violence. This made me think of the constant battles my mother and I have had. Consistent fighting that led to no where but sadness. But one day after work I left a flower for her and it diffused the situation just like this one moment captured by Marc Riboud. We are all just people who want to live together in peace. 

Karina Lopez

Karina Lopez

Richard Avedon, "Veruschka"

1967

 

I chose this picture because it makes me feel peaceful. It looks like everything around her is dark and gloomy, like as if she's going through tough time right now. But she refuses to let it bring her down so she starts doing something childlike and fun like twirling around on your toes like ballerina. And its working, she seems so carefree and light like if she could just fly away in that blissful moment. She knows that Even though things aren't ideal she'll be fine, and It makes me feel like I'll be fine. So if things aren't going the best in life or things start to seem like they're falling apart you can put on a pretty dress and just twirl or dance around to forget about all the shitty things around you. All you need to do is disregard everything else and do something silly that makes you smile.

James Porcell

James Porcell

Robert Frank, "Charleston, South Carolina"

1955

 

This photograph, by Robert Frank is powerful yet hopeful. It is a photograph symbolizing the segregation and racism that once took over our country. It is a disturbing reflection of what our country's racial and gender roles used to be. Frank's photograph shows us the position that African-American women held in America as nannies. However, I believe that this photograph has an underlying meaning as well. Although the black woman's job is to take care of the white baby, she is holding the baby with such protection and love, as observed by the physical closeness. Even though it is very disheartening to see what the roles in society used to be based on the color of one's skin, I see this photograph as a sign in history that foreshadowed the hope for the end of segregation in our country. Just as the baby and the woman are so closely interacting, we now today interact the same way with others without feelings of hatred and segregation. 

--

Sincerely,

James Porcell

Melissa Portillo

Melissa Portillo

Elliott Erwitt, "Santa Monica, CA (California Kiss)"

1955, Gelatin silver print

"Elliott Erwitt is an advertising and documentary photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings."

The photograph 'California kiss' caught my attention immediately because of how happy the subjects are. It made me feel happy and warm inside. Elliott captured a moment at the right time. I really like how he captured the couple laughing and kissing from the reflection in a car's sideview mirror.  I thought it was important to keep the background out of focus and the couple in focus because it shows what a strong special moment the couple are having. It just seems almost like a dream like moment, which really interests me.

Boonyarak Wetsuwan (Lucky)

Boonyarak Wetsuwan (Lucky)

Hiroshi Sugimoto "Caribbean Sea, Jamaica" 

1980 Black and White

Seascapes – just water and air. Hiroshi explains that, "mystery of mysteries, water and air are right before us in the sea." It's something simple, unattractive, but yet it gives out a strong sense of calmness. Hiroshi's seascapes collection is a multiple series of black and white photos of the horizon, but what's unique about it is that it doesn't take place at one particular beach, but instead, it's an around the world photograph collections. It's a neat idea when it comes to exploring or traveling to different places because at different times and different location the photo varies by giving different light, values, and temperature. However, it captures unforgettable memories.

 

I selected this picture because I love to travel around the world and after hearing about Hiroshi's seascapes, it has given me ideas about how I would take pictures in different countries the next time I visit.