Period 4 -- Practice Critical Analysis

9/4/2019

McLean, Virginia, December 1978 © Joel Sternfeld

Each week in class, you will write a critical analysis on a work of photographic art. An image will be published weekly on our class blog. Spend time studying the image and then write a detailed analysis of the photograph. Publish your analysis as a comment to the blog post; this comment should show the student’s name and time posted. your analysis must be posted to the original blog post in order to be graded.

All analyses must be 4 paragraphs minimum, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph unless otherwise noted.

Students will write eleven critical analyses per semester, and the lowest grade per semester will be dropped.

On the class blog, if you look to the right you will see the word Analyze. There is a link to a handout you may download or print called your "How to See" handout. This will help you learn to write about art. 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

Diego Saucedo

9/4/2019 06:50:39 am

In this image there is a pumpkin/apple cider market with a guy dressed as a firefighterlooking at it, the background has an old house burning down with a truck with firefighters trying to put out the fire.

The image consist mostly in dark colors because it gives the tone of it and also it looks like its october, this image is made of a bunch of objects like a truck, fences, trees, a marker, pumpkins, a haouse and firefighters.

Tis image is not pleasing to look at butin the otehr hand it has a “humorous” part to it because it looks like h guy dressed as a firefighter is shoping for pumpkins, the space on this image is also negative, and on the edges you can see a bunch of destroyed pumpkins, it looks like the photographer took the picture from the front of the house but also in front of a small market,
I can tell this image has a heavy theme because of how the lighting is used and also because of the point of view of the photographer.

This image challenges some assumptions in many ways but for the most part in an ethical way because while the team of firefighters are trying to put out the fire, theres this other man dressed like one of them doing what maybe looks like he's going shopping.

In my opinion this image is great because it challenges you to think about the back story of it and why did the photographer took this picture.

Max Sherburne

9/4/2019 06:58:15 am

The pumpkin image by Joel Sternfeld is just that, a pumpkin image. With a little bit of irony, the wayward fire fighter, shopping for pumpkins in the middle of a fire rescue mission, the burning house in the background, and the smashed pumpkins in the foreground. While most of the colors are nice, dull earth tones; greens, blues, some dark yellows, and the bright orange of the pumpkins, the raging fire in the background with bright reds, yellows and oranges really catch your eye. The point of view, which is sort of dis-orienting, but also nice, is that of eye-level, so that you can see the smashed pumpkins, the fire fighter, and the burning fire all at the same time. Not to mention the beautiful sort of overcast, gray-white, gloomy lighting that gives this scene that feeling you get in the middle of October when the leaves have just finished falling off of their trees.
The lines of this image direct your eye directly to the fire, then down to the fire fighter. The frame, which is made up of natural trees, and a literal fence is sort of directing you to the center image. The main point of fire, pumpkins, and an old man who’s supposed to be fighting the fire. Also, the picture fills up the entire frame, there is no space left untouched with light, pumpkin, or fire.
The theme of “October” or at least late Fall to early Winter is perfect to describe this photo, it’s kind of gloomy, and dull, but also warm and welcoming, basically Grandma’s house during Thanksgiving. The story behind this is interesting, Sternfeld kept a police radio in his car while he was driving, so when he heard about a controlled burn happening at an abandoned house for fire fighter training, he couldn’t help but travel there and take photos of it. While the intentions are to show what America is really like, I think there is a bit of humor in this photo, because most people have no clue what’s happening, so they assume that the fire fighter is neglecting the fire at hand.
I absolutely love this image, it’s gloomy and dark, with a little bright aesthetic, and a little bit of humorous irony mixed in to the mess of oranges and browns and reds.

Kurt Bliss

9/4/2019 06:59:43 am

The image is of an old farmers market sitting on fertile farmland. A burning house sits in the background. It uses grey colors to portray this gloomy setting. The lighting is natural and is dim. There is a firefighter just getting some pumpkins while the house just sits there and burns down.
The image in my opinion is pleasing to look at because it gives your mind lots to think about and see. The photographer was relatively far away when he took the photograph in order to capture his full image and its meaning. The fenceline provides us with a line that directs us toward the house and the market. The subject of the photograph seems to fill the frame pretty well as there is not a lot of open space in the photograph.

The picture portrays how people live their lives and go about their day in a chaotic world.I think the fire fighter represents people and the house represents the chaos that surrounds our everyday world. The picture could also represent how people ignore their problems that slowly build up and grow inside them. I think the flame is our internal problems, the fire fighter is our subconscious ignoring those problems, and the house is the person that is being engulfed and eaten away by his own internal problems and struggles. The image reminds me of a book I once read, fahrenheit 451, which follows the story of a post apocalyptic fire dept tasked with burning books that defied the rule of the capital. The image is very interesting and provides the viewer with a lot to think about.

I enjoy the image because I think it represents the darkness and internal issues that eat away at our soul and it personally gives me a lot to think about. I think the photograph is successful as it provides me with a message and a story. The photograph is also successful because it allows the viewer to interpret its contents in a lot of different and unique ways.

Zac Isaac

9/4/2019 07:00:57 am

Zac Isaac
9/4/19

In the picture there is a house on fire. Near the flaming house, there is a farm market. On the ground, there are pumpkins everywhere. The picture is using earth colors like green, brown, orange, and gray. Near the store, a fireman looks like he is shopping at the market.

In my opinion I think the picture is pleasing and at the same time scary. The setting of fall is in the picture that makes you think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. And the market with pumpkins is nice to see. But when you look behind the market, there is a huge fire. This part of the picture brings the peaceful setting to a stop.

I think there is a story being told in the picture. In the market it is peaceful but in the house it is chaotic. This can show how someone can be having a good day while another person is having the worst day of his life. The artist shows this very clearly by having both places in the same picture. The artist also shows the fire truck taking out the fire.

I like the photo because it shows color and different things in it. All I like how some colors stand out so that way you are able to identify it first. The gray of the roof and the red of the fire truck catches my eye first. The setting is a mix of peaceful, chaotic, and confusing. The peaceful part is the market, the chaotic part is the fire and the confusing part is the smashed pumpkins on the ground.

Anaya Zachery

9/4/2019 07:06:36 am

This image depicts a seemingly deserted pumpkin patch on an overcast day. In the background, there is a burning house and a fire truck. At the pumpkin patch, there is a firefighter who should most likely be back at the burning house, but is shopping for a pumpkin. The colors in the photo consist of mostly neutral earth tones such as orange, brown , and green. The lighting is mainly natural, coming from the overcast sky.
The image is taken from the point of view of a bystander. It was taken slightly lower than eye level in order to capture the burning house. Most of the photo is filled and is without much negative space. It looks as though the photographer intentionally took the photo from a few feet away so that the smashed pumpkins in the foreground would be included as well. The fence posts lined up on the right of the image serve to guide your eyes toward the pumpkin patch and over to the house.Based on what I know about the rule of thirds, the burning house is positioned right on one of the lines’ intersections, most likely because the photographer wanted to draw attention to it.
Upon first seeing the photo, I thought that the farmer was being neglectful of his duties and ignoring the fire going on right behind him. In fact, neglect or abandonment is one of the themes that seems to be shown in the image. The firefighter abandoned his job, and even the farmer’s market that he is at looks empty. Another theme shown is destruction. We see the smashed pumpkins in front of the farmer’s market, and the house is also being destroyed.
I definitely enjoyed the photo; I think it was interesting to look at, and nicely depicts the subjects of it.The colors used, while not particularly eye catching, contribute to the overall mood of the image. I think that McLean did a good job of capturing the irony of the scene. He did so in such a way that makes viewers want to further examine the photo in an attempt to find out what is actually going on. Overall, I think that this was a successful photo.

Garrett Greiner

9/4/2019 07:07:10 am

This image by Joe Sternfeld depicts a house on fire, more specifically the roof. There are firefighters at the scene attempting to put out the fire. You can see the firefighter’s truck at the top right of the picture, and the crane mounted to the truck is positioned so that the firefighters are right up to the fire. In the middle ground, we see a farmer’s market that sells pumpkins and sweet apple cider. The market is a small little hut that looks a bit old and has been damaged a little. To the left of the market you can see jugs of apple cider, and a few lawn chairs are scattered around. One of the firefighters, who is presumably supposed to be putting out the fire, is at the market trying to purchase a pumpkin. In the foreground, there are a bunch of smashed pumpkins laying in front of the market. There are some trees in the background, and all of the tall ones have no leaves and appear dead except for one tree. It is taken outside, and therefore it is natural lighting.

I don’t really think it is pleasing to look at because it just doesn’t incite any good feelings. The photographer had to step back quite a bit to capture all of the things they wanted in the picture. They took the picture at eye level, and it makes it seem like you are right there standing in the pumpkin field looking at the burning house. The fence line directs your attention towards the center of the picture, and then it leads you along the path in front of those smaller trees, which brings you to the crane, and after following the crane you end up at the burning house. I think the subject fills the space pretty well, each part is instrumental to getting the message across. A bit of a tree is cut off in the picture, but other than that nothing is really cut off.

One of the biggest themes in this photo is destruction. We see this in all three zones of the photo. In the foreground, the pumpkins are smashed. In the middle ground, the farmer’s market building isn’t destroyed, but it is damaged and it looks like the building has lost a bit of its structure over time. In the background, we see the house on fire, and smoke in the air. The artist was trying to picture everyday life in America, and the photograph does this effectively. From what you see in the picture, it is hard to find the truth of the situation. It appears to be telling a story of a house on fire and a firefighter is slacking off, as he is buying a pumpkin at the market. However, this was a controlled fire, and this firefighter was taking a break. I think it was an interesting image, but I don’t know if I would consider this beautiful.

I like the picture because I enjoyed thinking about what could have actually happened in this picture, but I dislike it at the same time because to me it just isn’t visually appealing. It just doesn’t really make me want to keep on looking at it, if you know what I mean. There are some photos that you can just keep on looking at because they just look amazing, but this one just doesn’t incite that feeling in me. I think it is successful in depicting everyday life in America, and does a great job showing the entire situation. But it just isn’t visually appealing to me.

Ryan shields

9/4/2019 07:07:38 am

The image is of a fireman shopping for pumpkins at a farmers market while a house burns down in the background. There are smashed up pumpkins and a pile of sticks and branches in a little open area in front of the farmers market and a fence line just to the right. There’s a pile of pumpkins for sale right in front of the market and a fireman shopping for pumpkins . There’s a small porch area in the market with some smaller pumpkins in baskets, some tables and chairs, and a bench with a couple apple cider jugs on it. Just behind the farmers market there’s a dirt road and a row of four small trees with brown leaves. Behind the small trees there’s one big spruce tree, and behind the big tree there’s a house on fire and a fire truck.

The rule of thirds is being used as there are the pumpkins in the foreground, the farmers market in the middle ground, and the burning house and fire truck in the background. The picture was taken straight but at distance to include the farmers market and the open are in front of it. There are fence lines to the right of the farmers market that direct the eye from the foreground, past the market, and to the burning house. The image is full and there aren’t any blank areas in the picture, but it does cut off the top of the big tree.

Some themes in the image are the pumpkin patch, farmers market, and the burning down house. There is a story about the image. The fireman shopping for pumpkins isn’t just ignoring the burning down house, he’s on break. The house that's on fire was an old empty house that was purposefully set on fire so that the firemen can practice putting out fires. The image reminds me of my neighbors house which burned down last week. The image doesn’t challenge any beliefs or assumptions. I think the image is interesting because it's funny to see a fire man shopping for pumpkins while a house is burning down in the background.

I like the photo because it‘s funny to see a fireman shopping for pumpkins while a house is burning down in the background. I think the photo is successful because it’s a good picture that’s fun to look at and there’s not much wrong with it.

Elise Miles link

9/4/2019 07:11:26 am

This image is of a farmer’s market and a burning house in the back. There is a firefighter at the farmer’s market buying a pumpkin while the fire is burning which I don’t really understand. In front of the farmer’s market are a bunch of pumpkins laying everywhere. Some are mashed and some are whole. This image is using fall type colors to show what’s happening. The colors are a mix of oranges, grays, reds, and greens. The lighting in the photograph is bright as in the studio set-up is of a bunch of things. The objects in the image are of pumpkins, the firefighter, the farmer’s market, the burning house, and the old trees. Many things at once are happening in the image such as there is an old firefighter buying pumpkins, while in the back a house is burning with firefighters trying to take it out.
The composition functions in a good way; everything is clear and it is very pleasing to look at. The rule of thirds is not really used in this photograph because there are multiple things happening at once in different places of the image. The point of view is centered because the photographer wanted to include as much stuff as he could in the image. The focal point of the image is how a firefighter is buying a pumpkin while a house is burning down in the back and it is not framed. I think the image is symmetrical because it is taken a good angle and has as much details as the photographer could include in the image. The subject fills the frame. Pumpkins and trees are along the edge of the frame and are being cut off.
The themes of this photograph are fall and burning houses. The story behind this photograph is that the burning house was used as practice for the firefighters and the one firefighter who is buying a pumpkin, was just taking a break. The artist made this photograph because he wanted to capture what real America looked like. The image reminds me of when I go out and pick out pumpkins to make for Halloween. This image makes me wonder why the person who owned the house, let it be used for firefighter practice with the risk of losing it. The image is beautiful in the way that it has many things happening at once.
I like the image because it has many things happening at once and many different colors used. I think the photograph is successful because it really got the artist’s point across of a normal actual America.

MJ Ervin

9/4/2019 07:12:35 am

The picture is of a house on fire and a guy / firefighter looking at pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. The image is unique because it looks like the fire fighter is looking at pumpkins instead of helping the others with the house on fire. The way the lighting in the image makes the scene feel gloomy and spooky. The colors I would say are kind of coldish colors on the top with a bit of warm colors at the bottom. The natural light is nice because the sun isn't out but it is kinda hidden so it makes the image better in my opinion. The image consists of a house in the background on fire with the fire truck ladder right next to it. Then the farm market is closer to the camera and the man is looking at the pumpkins. I like it because there isn't just one thing to look at.

The image has a lot of activities that keeps you not looking at just one subject but many things like the pumpkins, the house and the farm market building. The rule of thirds is being used in this image because the buildings aren't in the center but more near the edges. The image isn't so bright and boom colors it is a subtle pleasing picture that does not have so many bright colors. Everything seems to be symmetrical and in line. The picture has a bit of extra space but it's mainly at the bottom. Some of the negative space is at the top of the page and positives near the bottom.

The image looks like the guy isn't helping put the fire out and is just getting pumpkins. There's a reason why though he is. I think he is trying to make somebody think of why is he not helping them and why is he picking pumpkins. This image kinda reminds me of something that would be in a movie or something like a haunted house. When I first saw the image it made me think of IT or harry potter the prisoner of azkaban when they save buckbeak. The image is interesting and something different for sure.

I like the image it tells a story and make you think about what's really going on in the picture. I think this image is successful because it made me suspicious and confused but also makes you want to look at it and wonder what's going on.

dana salinas

9/4/2019 07:13:48 am

The image that is being presented shows a fireman shopping for pumpkins while a house is burning down in the background. The background is composed of trees and the house on fire. We can assume that there are also other firemen putting out the fire because the truck and stairs they use to do so are still in place and near where the fire is. The colors of the photograph give it more meaning in a sense that it is not a bright day. There is no direct sunlight but it seems as if it were a cloudy, gloomy day. This and the fact that there is fire and crushed pumpkins gives off a sense of disaster and sadness due to the lack of bright colors and order. These colors are being used so that the person looking at the image really questions the actions and placement of the firefighter.
Personally, I think this photograph is not totally unpleasant but I also do not love it. I don’t totally love the image because I don’t like how it’s not focused on anything, really. Everything that is portrayed in the image is being seen from a distance and not a close up. Yes, the image is clear but I can’t really focus my eyes well on it. I can’t distinguish the tiny objects next to the farmers market or the smashing of the pumpkins. I can’t see further into the house or the fire. The focal point includes the fire, the farmers market, the man, and the smashed pumpkins. There are also guiding objects that allow us to see further into the setting. For example, the green fence that is captured makes us know that there is a large distance between the photographer and the market and house. There aren’t many significant objects that are being cut off except the pumpkins and some trees however, the image looks full and complete.
I believe that the artist made this image to fully convey the irony of everyday life. The artist knew that many of the people viewing his art weren’t going to know the real story behind it and therefore the ironic message is even more relatable. What is ironic is that the fireman is prepped to save lives and people’s property and truly care about the wellbeing of others. However, the fireman is shopping and having leisure time while he apparently should be working. I think that the artist also wanted to portray some sense of judgement into the viewers mind because without knowing the full story, it is easy for us to think that the man is careless and selfish. He is a trained firefighter and instead of helping, he’s pretending that nothing is wrong by buying pumpkins, which is even more odd. It isn’t until later that if the viewer wants to know more about the image that we find out that the firefighter was actually just taking a break. Everything then makes sense.
I am neutral about this picture. I don’t necessarily hate it but I also don’t love it. I don’t like how there isn’t a lot of focus on the image and everything is pretty far away from the artist. That is pretty much my only problem with the image. I like the dull colors of nature and the natural light. I especially like it because I’m not a big fan of direct sunlight or sunny days. I also admire the artist because of how precise the timing was when this picture was taken. He could’ve gotten the firefighter walking to the farmers market but instead got it when he was picking pumpkins. He had a purpose with this image, therefore I believe that this image is successful. He portrays different meanings that the viewer can take away while also giving a pleasing image to look at.

George Welch

9/4/2019 07:17:13 am

The way I see this image is a house fire in the background and a calm, little farmer’s market in the foreground. In the image the fire is raging while one firefighter is shopping in the market. The image uses natural light and more dark colors. I think it looks like that because the picture was taken in December 1978, meaning that there’s a lot of clouds and not a lot of direct sunlight. There’s a lot of objects in this photo. There’s a lot of fire trucks by the burning house, a burning house, a farmer’s market, smashed pumpkins, a firefighter buying a pumpkin, and an ambulance. What I see happening in the image is a burning house in the background with a firefighter buying a pumpkin in the foreground.
The composition of this image to me has you look at the house on fire and work your way down to the firefighter shopping, then to the smashed pumpkins at the bottom of the image. It does look pleasing to look at in the sense that everyone looks very calm about a potentially dangerous situation. The photo’s point of view is from far away from the fire by the smashed pumpkins at the bottom of the image. The photo also crops out parts of the scenery like the top of a tree, part of a table with pumpkins on it, some rotting pumpkins in the bottom left corner, and part of an ambulance. The negative space in the fire in the background and the positive space is the farmer’s market in the foreground.
I think Joel Sternfeld took this image to show real, rural America/Americans. This image does kind or remind me of a dream I had where there was a neighborhood on fire and all the neighbors were just socializing in the street like there was nothing wrong (weird). This image does look interesting too. It also looks kinda bizarre that there’s a fire in the background and there’s a firefighter acting like there’s nothing going on when it’s his job to put it out. It’s also looks like there’s only two firefighters in the crane when you zoom in, trying to make an effort. That kind of reminds me of school because there’s a lot of kids who work hard and make an effort to get good grades, but there are also people who don’t really care about school and don’t really try.
In the end, I like this photo. It’s kinda funny because of the irony of a firefighter not fire fighting. I also think the photo is successful because it’s one of Joel Sternfeld’s best works of art. It also looks like a representation of the 1970s when people didn’t have the internet to buy goods and more small businesses were supported. Especially since from the market it was taken in the small town of McLean (outside of DC).

Nathan Bond

9/4/2019 07:18:08 am

In this image there is a pumpkin patch with a fence near it. The fence acts as a line that leads toward the next thing, which is a farmers market with pumpkins in it. There is a man standing by the pumpkins looking at them. The man is wearing a yellow jacket and he’s probably shopping for pumpkins. The next thing to see is behind the market. Trees in a row which leads to a large house with a large fire on its roof. There is smoke coming out of the roof to the left of it and a fire truck to the right. Then you realize the man wearing a yellow jacket is a firefighter thats ignoring the fire behind him and just shopping for pumpkins.

I like this image it’s interesting and pleasing to look at. The image is noteworthy and tells a story. The subject fills the frame. There is no important extra space. This picture could potentially spark assumptions that firefighters aren’t taking their jobs seriously and not doing their jobs at all. Like the teacher mentioned in class the fences act as a line that leads toward the market and then the trees behind the market lead toward the most eye catching thing in the image which is the house on fire.

There are other details in this image you’ll find after looking at it for a while. The pumpkins that the man is looking at are on a table. In the background to the left of the man there is another little take with a few pumpkins on it and some falling off of the table. There are more pumpkin in the back that are right next to the fence which is the line leading towards the market. Those pumpkins are torn apart and cut in half. They are not as nice as the good ones the man is looking at. There are a couple of cinder blocks right by the market wall and one outside of the fence.

This market is worn down and old by the look of it. The trees in the background are grey and have no leaves. The little trees under them have leaves, but look worn down. There is no sun out, just a completely grey sky with black smoke coming out from the house.

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