Boy Jumps

What I really liked about this photo was the way the photographer effectively uses contrast in the photo. Everything in the photo seems to be white and grey except the figure of the boy is almost completely black.  The photo does a wonderful job of making this photo an action shot. As you can see the boy is jumping into the air and you can perfectly see the sand coming off of his feet. It looks as if the photographer used a shorter shutter speed and low aperture setting in order to freeze the action and keep the clarity of the photo in the forefront while the background seems to be very blurry. 

Gecko

This photo stood out to me because of how it captures frames and the thing itself. The lines of the leaf that the gecko is sitting on creates a relationship between the ridges of the leaf and the gecko. The frame that is created from those lines of the ridges forces the viewer to look directly at the gecko and wonder what the hell it is doing there. From far away you may not be able to notice the gecko sitting on the leaf, but the strong detail and focus in the center of the photo up close really brings out the eye of the gecko. I really liked this image because of its simplicity, but at the same time makes you think about what the gecko is thinking about while having his picture taken.

Reza Nader

This photograph was made by Reza Nader and taken from tinyvices.com.  I have no idea where this photograph was taken or what city is being represented, but I think that is part of the reason I like it.  I like how it shows how the nightlife of the city along the water by the mass of lights that dwindle as your eye goes up the hill away from the street on the water.  On the hill you can only see little windows with light shining from them in a sea of black, whereas on the lower street you can see incredible detail due to the lights illuminating the buildings.  I like that this photograph could really represent any small city on the water and the fact that the lights captured can explain the life of the town.

Palestinians III

I was really drawn to this photograph's title, "Palestinians III," because of my interest in the situation in the Middle East. The photograph was taken by Robert Gardiner at a Palestinian protest in New York City. Every face Gardiner captured clearly, is looking in a different direction: either down, at the camera, or up. As a whole, I do not get a feeling of sadness from their faces; if anything they display hope, drive, seriousness, and possible optimism. A hand on the frontmost figure, indicates an intimacy the protestors share, and asks the question of how; through similar strong beliefs, actual familial relation, etc. The forefront of the image is very clear, and the background is just clear enough to see the signs, showing some type of protest, which provides good content for the viewer.

Struggling to Survive

This photograph entitled "Struggling to Survive," was taken by Vega Omer. It elicits a lot of emotion, particularly sadness, despair and isolation. The picture gives a "last resort" kind of feel, through the determination and worry on the mothers' faces with their children in their arms, and the massive amount of mothers on the left side of the gate. The gate frames each side of the photograph so well; they are such opposites, one side almost bare, and one without any room for movement. The shadow from a building on the right side of the photo also frames the two men pushing the gate and emphasizes this part's emptiness. After researching this photograph further, I found that this was taken after a famine in Niger at a therapeutic center for malnourished children, whose capacity is only 200 children. The center is run by the Africa Muslim Agency, and they simply could not accommodate more patients. Without knowing where or when the photograph was taken, I thought it was a representation of the world: one side struggling to make it through a gate or advance in their lives, while another side tries to keep them out, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Candy Cigarette

I really like this photo. It is called "Candy Cigarette," by Sally Mann; I'm assuming it was one of her children. The photo has so much content in it, in the way that it asks so many questions. There is clearly a story behind it and I think that is what draws the viewer in. The contrast is so good, in terms of her white dress and blonde hair, that looks white, and the dark background. The contrast helps make the photograph ironic because the whiteness, as well as her age, adds to how pure the girl looks. Another ironic aspect is how beautiful the girl looks, especially in her dress, but her action is anything but beautiful, actually deadly. What else is striking about this photo is the careless, or carefree nature the girl exhibits, something rare in young adults, who may try to seem carefree.

Playing in Water

This photograph by Danny Griffin titled after school fun at the river, in Laos captures so much in just one picture. The focus and thing itself in the photo is the boy who looks like he just popped up out of the water. At the same time you can tell from the boys stature as well as the flimsy bridge in the background that these people live in area of poverty. I don’t believe it is Griffin’s intention to show what poverty is, instead the photo shows me the happiness in children regardless of where they are from, or what they have, playing in water will always be something children love to do.