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.

Karen Castillejos

Karen Castillejos
Abelardo Morell "Manhattan Bridge Morning"
April 30, 2010

I chose this image by Abelardo Morell shot with the technique called camera obscura. He create these series by blacking out one of the windows in the room to create a giant camera then creates a small opening and put a lens. I chose this specific image because it gives me a sense of peace and loneliness. Sort of like a dream without pressure or stress. The colors of the picture are what gives it this emotion. Not only that but also the lack of people, cars and boats that are usually in this crowed city. The white couch is part of the this feeling because it's where we sit after a long day.