Period 3 - Critical Analysis #3

1/5/2022

Today you will be writing about this image by artist Zora Murff, which is from his series titled Corrections. Your analysis must be 4 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember to post your analysis as a comment to the blog post that corresponds to your class. If you post your analysis to the wrong class's post, it will not be graded.

Below is a project statement written by Murff about his body of work, Corrections:
From 2012 to 2015, I worked as a Tracker for Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a Tracker, I provided services to youths who were convicted of crimes, adjudicated, and subsequently ordered to complete probation. Juveniles in my charge were asked to comply with services which may include: electronic monitoring, therapies, drug screening, and community service; it was my responsibility to have continual contact with them to ensure these expectations are met.

Tracking and other similar community-based services are being increasingly used as an alternative to detention facilities. These services, which allow juveniles to stay in their homes, show a higher rate of success than strict incarceration. Although community-based services are built to foster a collaborative relationship between juveniles and service providers, attaining the actualization of teamwork becomes problematic when juveniles feel that they have done nothing wrong, are victims of circumstance, or do not fully understand why they have committed a crime. The system has been put in place to provide rehabilitation, but it is far from being a straightforward process. Many influences outside of the youths' control such as education, socioeconomic status, and race all play a role in whether or not a youth reoffends - all of these factors possessing the propensity to lead them to extended periods of incarceration in the juvenile system or to involvement with the criminal justice system as an adult.

By reconsidering the role that I played in the lives of the kids I worked with, I began to acknowledge the burden that comes with tasking young men and women with continued complicity. My stance as a consequence kept our relationships in a state of flux ranging from stable to tenuous – a constant motion mirroring the discord that develops between the system's intentions and outcomes. Through employing ideas of anonymity, voyeurism, and introspection, Corrections is an examination of youth experience in the system, the role images play in defining someone who is deemed a criminal, and how the concepts of privacy and control may affect their future.

Refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

Describe specifics.
Describe form.
Describe the content.
Evaluate the image

Your analyses will be graded on:

meeting minimum length requirements
depth of organization
evaluation of the content
grammar/punctuation

14 Comments

Brooke Kapoor

1/5/2022 07:15:07 am

This image was very interesting to me. When I first saw it, my mind immediately started to wonder what the other half of his face looks like.
This image is of a juvenile delinquent (according to the description). The colors are natural, doesn't look out of place or overly edited. The jeans add a nice contrast from the other, more bland colors. His face is obviously hidden for security reasons but I think there may be a deeper meaning behind it. I'm not 100% sure what the juvenile is doing in this photo, maybe community service or therapy?
The composition of this photo is very geometrical to me. The the angle of the rail covering his face, the shape of the stairs, his knees are at a sharp angle. The whole image is very sharp and precise making it not unpleasing to look at.
The angle of this photo is from a lower one, making it more personal. I feel like if his face was shown, maybe the boy and the photographer may have been having a conversation. The depth of field is interesting because the rail covering his face is blurred so he can be the main focus however, the rail is one of the most crucial parts to the photo.
The story behind this photo could be taken many different ways. The photographer behind this photo was a Tracker (a person who provides services for youth convicted of crimes). Maybe the photographer wanted to convey a message of relaxation. Why I say that is because there is no handcuffs on him, no restraints and his body language is completely relaxed. He is not being aggressive and a big stereotype about juveniles is that they are aggressive. It may be the photographers way of trying to break stereotypes. However, this piece can be so versatile.
This picture reminds me of some sort of late 90's coming of age movie. It reminds me of the movie The Outsiders. I really enjoyed this image and I think it can make a lot of people feel something. I feel that it will touch many hearts. I think the photographer defiantly succeeded.

Trinity Wilkinson

1/5/2022 08:36:25 am

The image is of a young boy. The subject of this image is mostly seen except the young boy’s face is partially covered. In this image the boy is shown sitting on stairs. The tones in this image are duller and darker, mostly greys, browns, and blacks. In this image there are a lot of shadowy areas with no direct lighting.

The composition is nice in this photo, it makes it pleasing to look at. For the most part the rule of thirds is not being used. Though, one could argue that the handrail of the stairs is in the left third of the picture. The lines of the handrail direct your eye from the bottom of the image to the end of the handrail, reaching the boy. There is extra space in this photo as the subject doesn’t take up the whole image.

Using the photographer’s background, it can be assumed that the image is trying to tell a story about youths put into juvenile detention. I infer the meaning of this to be that youths who have made past mistakes are easily judged and not seen in the correct light. Meaning, most people just look at their pasts and not the youths themselves. This image challenges the stereotype of young adults who have been put into juvenile detention. It makes the viewer really think about what is happening in the photo and why.

I do like this photo. I like it because, even without background knowledge, it clearly has a meaning behind it. Although, with the background knowledge the image’s meaning becomes a lot more powerful. I do think the image is successful. I think this because it clearly conveys a purpose/story and is well composed and nice to look at.

Myrthea Vigil

1/5/2022 08:44:17 am

The image is of a boy sitting on a set of stairs, the top part of his face covered by the reddish handrail. The image is using mostly cool tones, but also has a few warm tones for contrast. The lighting of the image is a bit gray. It doesn’t really have any bright lights or dark shadows. In the back, you can see a small sort of like a forest that gets cut off by cement and then leads you to the boy sitting on the stairs.

This image is pleasing to look at. It gives off a nice cool feeling that makes you want to see more. The rule of thirds is being used in this image. The boy is placed closer to the right of the image but still close to the middle. The image is in the point of view of the photographer, we as viewers are looking at the boy through the eyes of the camera. The lines of the stairs and the handrail lead your eyes towards the boy who is the main focus of the image.

Looking at the image you get the idea that the photographer is trying to tell the story of a teenager who is struggling with the things in his life. The photographer made this image in order to tell the story of this young boy and other young teenagers who are struggling. This image reminds me of someone I once knew who was struggling and ended up going down the wrong path because people refused to listen and categorized them as a delinquent.

I really like this image because it is showing the world a different side to those society labels as delinquents and outsiders. The image is interesting in the way it uses cool and warm tones to make the image stand out and how it covers the face of the boy so you can in a way insert yourself into the image. I think this image was very successful in the way it uses the setting and the colors around the boy.

reagan bishop

1/5/2022 08:44:28 am

When I look at this photo you can't see his eyes. I think that his photographer wanted to make this photo kind of mysterious and conceal his identity. Maybe this man in the photo really didn't want his identity to be out there or maybe this is just how the photographer wanted it. Even though you can't see his eyes or his hair you can see his nose and mouth and that does give some kind of identification and it makes you put the pieces together in your head. I want to see what he looks like and it makes me look at the photo more. I really like this photo and I want to see if there is a photo of him so I could see what he looks like.

I feel like the location of this photo says a lot. It is not in some populated area or in the city. It looks like it is in some rural area or in a neighborhood. Clearly he is on some stairs and you can see more in the background so I wonder where this could be. Maybe they are on their way to someplace up on a hill.

His clothes are different too. They are not different in the way of they are worn down and faded but they seem to be his personality. He is wearing darker colors and his shoes seem scuffed up. From what I noticed in the last paragraph it could be that he is on a hike or a walk in the park. These clothes are not what I picture for that type of exercise. I picture some athletic clothes or something more comfortable.

The way he is sitting is different too. It looks like he might be waiting for someone but it's not that relaxed. He is in a very tough stance and he could be almost intimidating.Maybe he is waiting for confrontation or maybe some work business. Thi is not the place I would expect that but that is what I am getting from the image.

Lily Warr

1/5/2022 08:45:14 am

This is an image of an older boy, probably a teenager, sitting on some steps. There are a lot of neutral colors and it almost seems like it was cloudy outside when the photo was taken. The boy’s face is covered by the stair railing. Behind him is a bunch of bushes or trees.
I’d say this image is pleasing to look at because of how accurate the colors seem to the real world. The rule of thirds isn’t being used and the photographer seems to have taken the photo eye-level to the boy. It has a deep depth of field and the stair railing almost guides the eye to the boy.
The themes in this image are anonymity and introspection. The photographer worked at a juvenile detention center and started thinking about how it was going to affect their futures’. He wanted to bring attention to how photos define someone who is deemed a criminal.
I like this image because of the colors and lighting. I also think it’s interesting how the photographer covered the boy’s face using the stair railing. It almost gives a sense of mystery to the image.

John Paul Ortiz

1/5/2022 08:45:25 am

The picture is a guy sitting on some stairs and the rail is blocking his eyes. It’s using grey because of the concrete stairs, and the railing is brown, and the grass is green. The main subjects of the picture are lighter and the background is darker. There is a person, some stairs, the railing of the stairs, and the background of grass and trees.
The person is just sitting there.
It is pleasing to look at but it is a very normal image. I would say the rule of thirds is not being used because the main subject is only in the center of the picture. The focal point is the person sitting on the stairs because he is in the center of the image. The lines of the railing makes your eyes focus towards the center of the image. I would say the image is symmetrical but on the left side of the photo, there is nothing happening. There is extra space on the left side. The positive space would be the person, the railing, and the stairs. The negative space would be the grass and trees in the background.
I do not think there is a story being told because it is a very simple image. There may be symbolism because his eyes are hidden by the railing. Potentially one could say that he is shy or that he is hiding his identity. Even that he may have something to hide. I would say there is no story being told but the image could be described as mysterious.
I like the image because it seems very natural to see someone like this. Just sitting on the stairs and you may look at them differently because you don’t know them. I think the image was successful because it is pleasing to look at but there seems to be no story being told.

Kevin Kessler

1/5/2022 08:48:14 am

I like how the wood piece is covering his eye. There is also a lot of contrast with the bright concrete and dark trees. I also notice his shoes are a little beat up. They also look like they could be used for skateboarding which might explain why they’re beat up. He is sitting on some concrete steps.

The composition of the image is very good. My eyes start at the bottom of the stairs where he is and follow up the wood pole and all the way up the staircase. The photo is not being framed by anything. There is not very much empty space. The only empty space in the photo might be by his foot with the plain concrete but even that is filled with colorful leaves.

I think a theme from this photo has something to do with concealing identity. We don’t know who that is or what he looks like because the wood pole is covering his face but we can tell a lot about him by what he’s wearing and how he is sitting. This image is very interesting because I rarely see photos where the main person isn’t shown completely. This image reminds me of a time when I went to a skatepark. It reminds me of this because of the concrete staircase and the railings.

I like this photo because it reminds me of a skatepark I used to go to. I also like this photo because of the way the photographer blurred the background. I think this photo is successful. I don’t like that the pole takes away from a lot of the photo. It blocks a lot and I think it is too big and wastes too much space.

Katie Hendrick

1/5/2022 08:48:21 am

This is an image of a person sitting on steps outside with two planks of wood covering his eyes in the frame. These planks are most likely part of a railing for the steps. These planks are a dark red. Which makes them stand out against the neutral colors of the rest of the image. This photo looks like it was taken on a cloudy day because there is no significant source of light. There is a pile of fallen leaves by the person’s feet and a dark green bush in the background. There is also a ledge in the frame that is light grey.
I wouldn’t say this image is pleasing to look at but I wouldn’t say that it is not pleasing to look at. I feel neutral about this image because I don’t see anything that specifically catches my eye. The rule of thirds is being used in this photo because the main part of the image, which is the person, is closer to the left side of the photo than the middle. I would say there isn’t a significant point of view for this image. It looks like the photographer may have been crouched down while taking the photo to get a better angle but it isn't a bug's eye view. This photo has a shallow depth of field because the planks of wood and the person are focused and at the front of the photo while the background is a little blurry and not the main focus of the photo. The focal point of the image is definitely where the two planks intersect due to the fact that they cover the person’s eyes. I think this photo was framed to make sure that only the edge of the steps was in the bottom of the frame, leaving whatever is below them out of the frame.
A theme that I am noticing throughout the photo is the neutral colors. Since we don’t get a lot of emotion from the person who is being photographed, we depend on the colors to set the mood for the image. These colors are neutral greys, pale whites, and greens, which set a nice color arrangement. I think the image doesn’t tell a story but just shows someone sitting on some steps. Maybe the person is feeling lonely or feels like they aren’t being seen due to the fact that their eyes are covered in the image. This image reminds me of a piece of art my art teacher in middle school once showed us. The person who was drawn in the photo had so many details except for the fact that their mouth was covered with a piece of tape that the artist had placed on the drawing. I think these two pieces of art correlate with each other because I think the messages that the artists are trying to portray the feelings of not being seen and not being heard.
I feel neutral about this photo. I definitely think it has great importance but I don’t necessarily like it. I wouldn’t change anything about this photo but it doesn't spark my interest in it. I think this photo is successful because it shows the message that the photographer is trying to get across to their audience. This message is that many people feel like they are not being fully seen for who they are and may even feel invisible at times. I think this photo has a darker meaning and shows how specifically kids feel like their feelings aren’t being seen and their opinions are not being seen and listened to.

Jorie weeks

1/5/2022 08:49:09 am

When I first look at the image I see a boy sitting on the stairs. These stairs go beyond him in the background going south of the way the boy is facing. I also am not able to see the full face of this boy due to a red hand rail in front of the boy that seems to be made out of wood. If I were to guess I would say this picture was taken on a foggy day due to the dim lighting. The background appears to be abstract from my point of view due to the change in direction of stairs, concrete wall, and panel of brush. There is a splash of color in the leaves bringing a warm tint along with the red hand rail.

This image's composition is unpleasing to me due the fact that I am not able to see his face. This is a personal opinion because some may see it as very interesting not being able to see his face due the hand rail being perfectly placed in the frame. The rule of thirds doesn’t seem to be at play in this object with the fact that the main object is straight in the middle of the image. This point of view looks to be bug eyes, but not super low. I would say the focal point is the boy, because one is drawn to something that is not fully seen, but yet a large amount is seen. A negative space would be the little area to the right of the brush behind the boy.

The theme looks to be hidden identities. I see a hidden meaning of a kid who wants to be seen, but isn’t so he acts out due to not receiving the attention he wants. I think the photographer was trying to voice the feeling of the child and how he really felt through a hidden meaning. This image reminds me of High School Musical just because of the steps and in the movie they are always jumping off steps. I think this photo is very interesting, because it is concealing the identity of an individual.

I have grown to really appreciate this photo. At first I viewed the photo as interesting, but as I broke it down it helped me to realize that there was a hidden meaning behind it. If in fact the photographer was trying to portray the feeling of not not being seen, then I would say he excelled in the fact that he opened the eyes of others to how these children feel. If I could do anything differently I would have maybe even picked a more gloomy day for that sad feeling. I think the author succeeded through the story he portrayed through this boy.

Brighton Dietrich

1/5/2022 08:52:05 am

This picture is a kid sitting on a set of stairs outside. You can see his whole body, except for his eyes. You can’t see his eyes because they are covered by a red wood guardrail. The kid is wearing jeans, a black shirt, and black shoes. He is focused on the camera, but the wood is blocking his view and the wood is blocking our view of him. The lighting is bright around the kid, but dark in the background.
The main object, (the kid) is in the center of the picture. You don't really focus on anything else in the picture except for the red guardrail that is covering his eyes.I don’t think the picture is very pleasing to look at, because I want to see the kids face. I think it would be more pleasing to look at if the frame didn’t cut off the rest of the staircase, and if we could see the kids face. Other than that, I think it's a well rounded picture with good lighting and good contrast.
This is a very simple picture, and I don’t think there is any background or story behind it. However, when the wood conceals the kids identity. It is a mystery about the kid, and you want to guess his identity and his lifestyle. For some reason, the picture reminds me of being all by myself, and the picture is just out there by itself. There aren’t very many pictures like it.
I don’t really like the picture, I feel like it is too centered on the kid, and you don’t focus on the background. When I look at pictures, I like the smaller things in the background to focus on. In this picture, you don't focus on the background. For some people it’s a good picture, but for me, it's not. I would like it more if there were more small things around it.

Jackson Uhr

The image is of a man sitting on some steps. The man is wearing faded blue jeans and a black shirt, and the upper part of his face is covered by wooden stair railing. He seems to be in a park because of the thick grove of trees behind him. The lighting in this image is fairly dark. Nothing seems to be happening in this image other than the man just chilling on the steps.

I think the image is pleasing to look at. The colors are nice, and nothing is overwhelming. The photo is taken from a level point of view (not birds or bugs eye). I think the focal point of the image is the man's upper face, hidden from view. It makes one wonder what he looks like, and why the photographer made the decision to hide the upper part of the face.

I think that maybe a theme of this might be identity and that the author is somehow ashamed of themselves, and doesn’t want to show their face. There doesn’t seem to be a story told in this image, however, if paired with other photos from the series, there might be a story. This image doesn’t seem to question any political or social beliefs either. I don’t think the image is interesting. Not very noteworthy, as I feel like, while it's a good picture, there just isn’t much going on and it's not very special.

I personally do not like the picture. I think the picture is successful, and has good composition, and I believe that it is pleasing to look at. The mystery of the person’s face is also a nice touch. However, past that there isn’t much to the picture. It doesn’t really evoke any feelings when I look at it, and nothing interesting is happening in the photo. I believe that the photo is good but not interesting or noteworthy.

Olivia Talley

1/5/2022 08:52:51 am

The photo is showing a man sitting on what appears to be concrete stairs. There is a dark red colored wooden post that is hiding the majority of the man’s face, which was probably intended by the photographer. The man is wearing blue jeans and a black shirt, with what looks to be black Heely shoes. There is a cluster of trees behind him that are deep green and add some contrast to the photo. From the lighting of the photo, I am guessing that the image was taken on a cloudy day.
Although the man is mostly centered in the photo, the rule of thirds still applies to the red post that is concealing his face. The image definitely has a shallow depth of field, with the focus mainly centered on the post and the man behind it. The photo is partially framed by the concrete surrounding the man. The greenery behind the main focus of the scene seems to just be extra color to fill the space. Because of the post’s bold color, it leads the viewer's eye directly to the man, and highlights the fact that his face is covered.
I think the photographer intended the photo to be a message telling viewers that identity isn’t all about a person’s face. Although the man’s face is concealed in the image, we can still deduce a lot about him based on his clothing, posture, and surroundings. The story of the photo seems to be entirely up to the viewer’s interpretation. As soon as I see the image, my mind immediately pictures the man sitting on the kind of steps that you would see outside of a public highschool. The photo is interesting in this way because it makes you wonder where the steps lead.
I’m sort of getting weird vibes from the photo, especially because of the weather. Cloudy days always seem sort of depressing, and assuming that this photo was taken on an overcast day, I feel the same way about the photo. I wouldn’t say that I dislike the photo, but it’s not abstract enough for me to thoroughly enjoy looking at it. If the colors were more vibrant and the man was doing something more active, it would probably add to the appeal of the photo. Overall, it is a successful photo that conveys a message.

Christian Lacayo

1/5/2022 09:31:21 pm

This photo depicts a boy sitting on what looks to be some concrete steps with his eyes covered by the rails. This image does not use very vibrant colors, mostly just neutral tones. It was daytime when he took this photo, and the setting looks like the front yard of a house. The lightest part of the photo seemed to be the bottom and the darkest the top. The color and general theme makes me think of sadness.
This photo is pleasing to look at because of the sharpness and the focus on the boy instead of the post. The artist did not use the rule of thirds in this photo, but I don’t think that takes away from the photo. It seems that the photo was taken at the same level as the boy sitting on the steps. I think that the stairs going up lead the eye throughout the image. Another interesting thing I noticed is that not only does the brightness of the image change from top to bottom, but also from left to right, as the photo gets darker to the right.
The subject in this image seems to be frowning, so they might be sad. The top part of his face is also covered which must mean something. I also noticed that he turned his back on the stairs going up, which probably was not on purpose, but there might be a story behind this image. The contrast between the brightness of the left, right, up, and down side of the photo might also symbolize a certain feeling the subject has. The rails next to the stairs reminds me of my grandparents’ stair rail outside.
I do like this image overall. I think that my one problem is that there is nothing that for me, nothing really stands out. It’s not my favorite but I do like the sharpness throughout. I also really like the stairs on the right side because they lead my eyes through the photo. I think this photo was a success if the photographer was able to create a story for this photo. I think the reason I didn’t like this photo as much as some of the others we’ve seen is because I really didn’t understand it well.

Max Eitter

1/10/2022 06:13:12 pm

The image is of a of a guy(or boy) sitting down on a what seems to be a public staircase and the colors are kind of dull and the lighting is cloudy(as in a cloudy day).They probably gave off dull colors and dim lighting to show off an uncheerful and unbright mood to kind of set a point that,“Hey!!! This is supposed to be dark and make you exhibit melancholy throughout the rest of your day!”. There are dead/weared down leaves on the sidewalk and grass and some kind of cedar looking tree behind him. The actual staircase and sidewalk(+sidewalk wall) is concrete, while everything else on the stairs is a wooden rail to hold onto, a human, some dead leaves and cold colored clothes on the human. Half of the boy's face is covered ,and the half that’s showing seems to be showing some sadness to maybe even no emotions, but because of his posture he seems to be sad, disappointed, confused, upset, and even resentful like he’s pondering something he can’t get off his mind. So I guess what’s happening is he’s not having a good time.

This is boring, as a photograph, to look at, but as you get into depth it’s just sad to look at. The Composition is interesting because you think you wouldn’t look at the face first because of the way it’s covered…but that is the first thing I looked at. The mysterious cover face is kind of in the center, but it is really high and kind of pushed to the right a little. The rule of thirds is kind of being used since the focal point is on the top-right corner of the middle box. The point of view is like a normal person's point of view.

The theme is a gloomy/ depressing day filled with melancholy. But there is an actual story being told. A short summary is that it is about teenagers who have to go to do service, work, or training or therapies and develop better abilities that could help their mistakes. They are there because they were convicted for crimes and stuff. They were trackers!!!!It says that she said, “I provided services to youths who were convicted of crimes, adjudicated, and subsequently ordered to complete probation.” and that, “it was my responsibility to have continual contact with them to ensure these expectations are met.” To me it kind of sounds like a paid stalker who takes evidence and photos of you being a BADDIE and kind of tries to control your life. Kind of SCARY but oh well, maybe I didn’t read it clearly enough and I’ve heard of creepier jobs than that. Besides, it saves lives(maybe ) and gives juveniles another chance(or another dose that leads them to insanity!!!). This image reminds me of melancholy and being sad for no reason…it also reminds me of when I try to sneak downstairs and then someone sees me but I try to pretend I’m not there. I think this image is many things: boring, melancholy(sad for no reason, sneaking downstairs to grab my phone a my parents nightstand, resentfulness….but most of all beautiful: because, “Anything worth pondering about in life is beautiful.”-me because I thought this was worth it .

Warning: Don't read last paragraph

I liked it because it was able to ponder about things and write them down, but the image isn’t something I’ll think about again unless I have déjà vu or something. Successful for pondering about but unsuccessful in an image I’ll think about every once in a while. But everything successful has something behind its’ shine that is unsuccessful. For example you got the perfect image….Great….but you wasted time in other little things you could have done. But overall it was a success led by a bunch of small unsuccesses. So I thought it succeeded in an image to be able to ponder about and grow from, but it was unsuccessful to impact me in other ways. So it goes both ways…faliure is a success in growth………idk I am just gonna say it was both but since everything unsuccessful is a success in growth then success is one point higher. To be honest, to consider something successful or not you have to be more specific.Like instead of “Is it successful or unsuccessful?” The question should be: Is it overall successful or overall unsuccessful? It is overall successful for confusing me. I’m done…I overthought the last paragraph.

Period 3 - Critical Analysis #3

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