Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #15

2/28/2017

To celebrate Black History Month, today you will be writing about this image made by artist and photojournalist Gordon Parks. This image is from a series Parks completed for Life Magazine. Life sent Parks to Alabama in 1956 to document 3 black families during one of the most turbulent times in American history. The project was meant to show how ordinary black families truly lived in the Deep South during 1956, and the images would serve to counter the misinformation spread that a racially segregated society was good for everyone.

From the Gordon Parks Foundation:

"Gordon Parks was one of the seminal figures of twentieth century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture from the early 1940s up until his death in 2006, with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights, and urban life. In addition, Parks was also a celebrated composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era - from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes."

Complete in class. FIVE paragraphs minimum; five sentences per paragraph.

Remember, refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

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

Your analysis will be graded on:

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

Good luck!

Hannah Lashway

2/28/2017 09:56:35 am

The image shown is of 4 children in a cabin style house. There are three boys and one girl. The two younger boys are sitting with the girl on the bed inside the house. The older boy sits outside with a rifle in his lap. There is no door which allows you to see inside the house. You cannot directly see any of the children's faces as they are all looking downward.

Both the older boy outside and the other children inside are photographed from an angle which allows for them all to be in the same line of sight. The open door, or lack of door, frames the children inside the house and gives a sense of protection. Perhaps it is because the wood beams of the house create horizontal lines and promotes peacefulness. The boy outside leans on his chair allowing the chair legs to create diagonal lines which symbolize action, and perhaps the action this boy is willing to take to protect his siblings; as represented by the gun. The focal point of the image is of the older boy outside and his gun.

I feel the image is overexposed as the left wall of the house appears overly bright as does the washing machine outside. This could also just be a result of the natural lighting and how the paint color appeared when photographed. However, the image is in focus and centered around the rifle in the eldest boy's hands. For me the gun stands out and feels out of place. Maybe, because the children inside the house give ideas of happiness or innocence and guns often symbolize anger or violence.

I think a question that stems from this photograph is 'what is this boy doing with a gun?' It is a valid question and one I asked myself, along with 'what is he going to use that for?' or 'is there something he is protecting himself or his family from? and if so from who or what?' I believe that the boy is protecting his siblings from something outside. He looks relaxed but the fact that he is looking down at the rifle shows signs of unsureness and doubt. Perhaps he is wondering if he could really fire that gun.

I like this image a lot, I like that is shows the reality for so many people, then and now. Many people used to live in poverty and continue to do so today. I like that the image makes you think. It makes you think quite a lot, which is what I consider a successful photograph. The gun in the photograph is like a big, red exclamation point or 'x'. It draws attention and with attention comes questions. You not only question the current moment captured but also what led up to this moment and what is going to happen.

Will Carsten link

2/28/2017 09:57:10 am

This image is of three boys sitting on a bed with a lady too. There seems to be a older boy cleaning a rifle. The colors are very bland to show the amount of money they have. It is midday so the lighting is very light due to a lot of windows being open. There is a shotgun,two beds, three boys and one girl.
In the image, the oldest boy is cleaning the rifle and the younger kids are playing on their bed. The image is not underexposed or overexposed due to good focus on the camera. The image is in focus. Although the colors are faded, the are in correlation. There is no pixelation in the image.
The image is indeed pleasing to look at because it shows life back in the 1900's. Rule of thirds is being used in the image because the oldest boy is towards the right of the bedroom. The image is taken from a first person point of view. It is framed by the wood gates and washing machine behind the oldest boy. The lines in the chair direct the viewers eyes to the oldest boy and then the younger children playing in the bedroom.
The image is unbalanced due to the angle of the camera. There is extra space in the image which is the bedroom. The edge of the image looks to be a washing machine. There is no negative space in the picture. The theme of this image is to show life back in the 1900's.
There might be a story being told about this specific family. The artist made this image to show life back in the 1900's... This doesn't really remind me of anything in particular besides history class. It does bring up the question of why the oldest boy has a rifle. Overall, I like this image.

Emmet Owen

2/28/2017 09:58:13 am

This photo is of four black people inside a wooden house. The person outside is holding a gun for protection. He seems young and he probably does not have a good education. The mother or sister is in the back on the bed teaching a child how to read. The other boy is looking at the two people on the bed and simply observing them.

The photographer did use a lot of negative space. The only negative space is on the walls outside. The exposure is very good and there is a low iso. This photo was shot with a deep depth of field. You can tell this by looking at the blurred out table in the front.

I like this photo because it gives insight into how things were in the 1950-60s. The family is facing several hardships at the moment. These may include things like segregation to basic civil rights. The family is not wealthy and fortunate because of segregation. It was harder for black people to get jobs in the 60s. You can tell that they are not as fortunate because the clothes are ripped, dirty, and they do not have shoes.

The image is not symmetrical. The lighting is interesting because it focuses on the people. Lines direct the eye to the center of the photo. The artist made the image as a reminder and to educate people. There is a frame at the edge of the image.

The photo tells people the segregation is wrong. People should not need to wait outside with a gun as a mean of defense because they are scared. The people are treated unfairly and do not have many household items. It does not appear that they have a stable means of food as well. Everybody should be given the same education.

Mary Warder link

2/28/2017 10:01:49 am

This photograph depicts an African-American family in 1956 when racial segregation was still prominent in the United States. The photograph uses natural lighting and the colors are the standard colors within the room. Because of the natural lighting, there is a mix of dark shadows and light. The objects included in this image are the objects within the family’s house, and the faces are the solemn faces of each member photographed. There are two beds, a window, some large white structure (possibly an icebox,) and the book that is being read by the children. The most prominent object in this image is the gun being held by the most visible subject.

This image is slightly overexposed, most likely due to the abundance of natural light. The man closest to the camera is in clear focus, but other than him, most objects in the photo are slightly blurry. Despite this, the photograph overall has adequate resolution. This image was taken from third point of view, and it appears as though the photographer was in the room with the family. The main focal point of this image is the man closest to the camera and his gun, and the subject is framed by the surrounding elements of the photo such as the lines of the structure of the house. The rule of thirds is being used, as the subject is slightly off-center.

The lines in this image lead the eyes to the larger elements of the image. The lines of the bedframe lead the eyes to the children reading a book on the bed, and the lines of the chair lead the eyes to the man sitting in it. This image is asymmetrical, and there is not much negative space except for the white section of the house in the far left side of the photograph. The edge of the image is different parts of the house, and the black frame of the photo cuts off those remaining parts. The cropping of this image helps the person looking at it to just focus of the important parts of the image.

I believe the message behind this photograph is extremely relevant. Because of the fact that it was taken in a time of racial segregation, this photograph is extremely powerful. This photograph shines a light on the way of life of many oppressed African-Americans in the deep South during this time period. At a closer look, you can see that none of the people in this image are smiling. They all appear serious, somber, and exhausted. The man closest to the camera looks slightly on edge, and the gun in his hands only enforces that vibe. By looking at this image, the observer is able to see the solemnity and general sadness within this family home.

I think this image definitely challenged social ideas, especially during the time that it was taken. In the 1950’s, many believed that those of color did not deserve the same rights as white people. This photograph shows that this family is normal, but they are still living oppressed despite their normality. I believe that back in the time that this image was taken, it had the ability to change people’s views on how they see African-American people. I can only assume that it was just as powerful, if not more powerful, back then as it is today. I really love this image because of the message it carries across and how it causes one to think about the lives of others that may be less privileged.

Eric Hammond

2/28/2017 10:02:11 am

This image is of 4 people. One of the people is a female. The female is lying on a bed with a younger boy. There is another boy sitting on another bed. The younger boys are probably the woman's sons.

The 3 people lying on the beds are looking at what seems to be a book. There is one teenage boy holding a shotgun. The boy holding a shotgun is sitting in a chair leaning up against a white box. The white box kind of looks like a washing mashine but its hard to tell because of the angle. The people are poorly dressed with no shows and holes in there jeans.

The photo was taken in Shady Grove, Alabama. This was taken around 1956. The house is old and run down with no doors. The people are skinny meaning they don't have much food. Looking at this you can conclude that this family is very poor.

The rule of thirds was used in this photo because of the boy holding the shotgun. The image is not balanced because of the door frame is crooked. The people in this image look sad. The family was going through a lot of hardships because they are black and this was taken during the time when being black was greatly looked down upon. This photo was either taken in color or it was changed to have color later on.

This photo was correctly exposed and white balanced. This photo was taken in 1st person. I like this photo because it has a backstory behind it that you can make into anything. The backstory could be anything you think of. Such as the family is runaway slaves trying to survive by them selfs.

Kristina Samuel

2/28/2017 10:06:48 am

The photograph above portrays an African American family. The main focus of the photograph is a young man balancing on a chair. He has a rifle in his lap and is gazing at it. The expression on his face is one of defeat or melancholy. Through the doorway, we can see two younger boys on the bed with a women, presumingly being their mother. The house itself is small and simple.

The photograph was taken with natural lighting filling the room from the windows. The photographer used a slight shallow depth in field, with the young man being a tad more in focus than the people in the background. The color scheme takes on a more earthy tone, emphasizing the simpleness and maybe the lack of wealth that Gordon Parks was trying portray. The picture is made balanced with the young man leaning to the side and the people in the back filling the space in the center. Parks uses an interesting technique in this way.

The overall mood of the photograph is relaxed and laid back which is ironic given that a gun is in the subject, being a symbol of violence or chaos. The non threatening body language of the young man put the viewer at ease which is an interesting emotion to capture. It allows an outsider to look into an intimate situation inside one's home and experience a side of society that they may have never experienced.
The part of society that Parks photographs isn't something that is shown by media or something that is glorified. Capturing this moment at this level in society draws people in and educates them to a way of life that is different from theirs.

The photograph itself is visually pleasing. The clarity from the natural light gives an ethereal glow to the picture that draws you in. Although dramatic colors are not present, the harmonious earth tones give a relaxed aura. The casualness of the clothing and the body language of the people photographed eases the person when looking at it.
The minimalistic subject along with the powerful message regarding gun violence makes this photograph one of my favorites.

Parker attempted to show society the tension, fear, and living conditions of African Americans in the 50's and 60's, a time of great oppression. He was trying to counteract the hate and discrimination by the white washed society at the time. By inducing sympathy or a sense of understanding, Parker tried to change the outlook of the mainstream racist mindset. This photograph itself is a statement about the societal norms. This photograph is a prime example of how photography can be used to speak out against societal oppression and as an important outlet of communication.

Samantha Dickie link

2/28/2017 10:09:26 am

This image is of a family consisting of a mother and her three sons in their house. The eldest son, who is in the foreground of the image, is sitting back in a chair handling a gun. He is not wearing a shirt but is wearing worn jeans. In the background, there is a mother with her two youngest sons, sitting on the bed reading a book. The texture of the bed looks as if it is soft, the bed also has a pink, velvaty look to it.

The image is perfectly exposed in the foreground. However, in the background the window in a bit overexposed. The image is in full focus from front to back. The color is correct because the blues look blur and the blacks look black. There is a little pixilation in the wood paneling in the background, other than that there is no pixilation.

The image is pleasing to look at because of the depth it creates. The rule of thirds is not been used because of the depth the image shows us. The artist is more concerned with the variety of the image an not the subjects themselves. The depth of field being used is very deep. The image is not framed and is asymmetrical because of the inconsistency the depth creates.

The themes of the image have to do with the depth the image creates. It suggests that their lives are more deep and meaningful or even have more layers than their skin color suggests. The artist made this image to proclaim the normality of a black family's life. This image is both beautiful and noteworthy. It is beautiful because of the depth and is noteworthy because of normality it suggests.

I like this image very much because of the importance of the symbolism behind it. The image reminds me of the the red-neck images I have hanging on the walls of my ranch. Like the images, the casual look of cleaning a gun in a house is normal and and every day part of their lives. This image is very successful. It is successful because it allows for humans to see the stereotypes they put on people of color.

Bailey Dietzmann

2/28/2017 10:10:11 am

This is a photograph of a man and three children. The man closest to the camera is carrying a gun while leaning back on a wooden chair. The children in the background are sitting on a bed. Two of the three children are hovering over the book, while the other child is observing his two siblings. The colors are mainly red and white to describe the conditions (simplicity) that this family is living under. The lighting is natural lighting due to the sunlight beaming in through the window.

The point of view of this photograph is bug’s eye view. You can tell that this is the circumstance because the camera is capturing the subjects on the same level. The focal point of this image is the man with the gun. The image is framed by a black outlining. The lines are placed within the wooden chair and the headrest of the bed. The subject does not fill the frame because there are negative and positive spaces. The negative space is everything but the man, and the positive space is the man sitting on the wooden chair.

The theme of this photograph is poverty and the circumstances of people around the world. The man looks to be admiring and cherishing the gun that is in his fragile hands. The children look to be observing a ‘foreign’ object (the book) because they’ve never touched or seen one before. The artist composed this photograph because he wanted to send a message to over-privileged people that they are real problems in the world. Not everyone has the luxury or privilege to live like we do. This image reminds me of when I went on a mission trip to San Diego and witnessed underprivileged people living.

I like this image because it sends a message in today’s society that clearly needs to be conveyed. Everyone is so concerned with only themselves and what’s going on with them. Instead, they need to recognize that there are real and legitimate problems in the world that need to be addressed and dealt with accordingly. There are people that are starving or are in extreme poverty to where they are uncertain about the next time that they will be able to eat palatable food or drink clean water. I believe that this artist was conveying that message in this photograph and it brings a smile to my face.

Photography can be used to express emotion and messages. Photography is a form of art that can have poignant meaning. In this particular photograph, the artist is conveying a message that needs to be addressed. This image is extremely meaningful in the sense that it makes the viewer really question their blessings and the things that they have. This family doesn’t have an abundance of items or belongings. They have torn jeans and shirts that they are wearing and the man does not have any shoes. This makes the viewer want to give the family more of their things.

Poni Bryan

2/28/2017 10:14:50 am

The photo above by Gordon Parks is of a young man. There are three young children, two boys and one girl, sitting on the beds behind him. The young guy looks concentrated on the gun that he has in his lap and he seems to be thinking about something. The room he is in is well lit with natural lighting and he's leaning back in a chair. The house he is in looks old and the colors in the photo are soft and light.

The image is slightly overexposed on the left side and in the window but other than that the image is perfectly exposed. The image is in focus because everything is clearly visible. The color is correct but some areas of the photo are brighter than others. No pixelation is present and the resolution is adequate.

The photo is pleasing to look at because the lighting in the photo gives the viewer a sense of calmness even though the boy is holding a gun. The way everything in the photo is composed looks like the setting is natural and organic. Rule of thirds isn't being used because the subject of focus is in the center of the photo. The point of view is first person and the angle the photo was taken at is straight. The photo is framed because of the other room behind the boy. The lines in the photo also direct the viewers eyes to the boy. The image is symmetrical and well balanced because nothing is crooked. The image is full and the positive space is the boy and the negative space is the area around him.

A possible theme this image could've had in 1956 is that black people have normal lives. The simplicity behind the image shows that black people are just like anybody else and that stereotypes shouldn't be placed upon people you don't know. The artist took this image to capture the fact that they are normal and just like anybody else. The photo could allow a message to white people that everyone is all the same and that color shouldn't divide people. The image doesn't really remind me of anything except the fight for equality in the 1950's. The image being viewed by someone in 1956 could've showed that most people live the same kind of life. The image to me is interesting because it captures the life of someone from the past. This is the main reason I like the image and the reason why the photo could be successful today. To show how people have or have not moved on and how life used to be.

Rylin McArthur

2/28/2017 10:15:21 am

The image is of African-American girls and boys sitting in a room. Two kids on the bed are reading a book while another boy is on a second bed hovering over the book as well. The boy sitting on the chair is grasping a gun. The children look like they are a family, considering the room shown is most likely in a small house they all share. The colors being used are faded and rustic such as the rose pink and the dull yellow. The lighting in the image is natural light coming through the window near the bed and the open door/window in front of the boy in the chair.

The objects included in the image are the boys and girl, two beds, a window, a book, a chair, and a gun. In the image, some areas of the room are underexposed and some areas are overexposed. The subject of the image, which is the boy with the gun, is in focus. The other kids behind him don't look as clear as the subject does. The colors in the image look correct. There is adequate resolution because nothing in the image looks grainy.

The image is pleasing to look at because of the rustic colors and setup of the room that I find very beautiful. In the other hand, it is not pleasing to look at because of the slight distress that the kids have on their faces, especially the boy with the gun. The rule of thirds isn't being used in this image because the subject of the image is pretty much centered. The photographer took this photo facing the side of the boy with the gun but also facing in front of the kids on the beds. A deep depth of field is being used in the image. The focal point of the image is the boy with a gun sitting in the chair.

The image is not balanced because it is not symmetrical. The subject does not fill the frame because the kids in the background are also included in the image. There is positive space throughout the image except for the negative space included with the left, white door frame. The theme of the image is how this black family lived while segregation was going on right outside the door of their house. The story being told is how the kids seem distressed and scared all because of the fact that they are being judged for the color of their skin. You can tell that the boy in the chair is especially scared because he is grasping a gun in his hand, probably getting prepared to protect himself against the people participating in segregation.

The artist made this image to portray how segregation affected black families. This image reminds me of the movie "The Help" because the movie takes place around the same time of this image and also represents the segregation that occurred. This image does challenge beliefs because some may think that segregation wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The image is interesting because there are many different ways you could interpret it. I like this photograph because it reminds me of how hard African-Americans had it back then.

Isabela Ruiz

2/28/2017 10:15:33 am

This image is of a three boys sitting in a room with on female lady that seems to be their mother helping one of the kids. The mother seems to be helping the child with homework on the bed. The colors in this image are all neutral colors. The lighting is not over or under exposed. There is four black people. One bed, one wooden chair and one window in the background. Everyone in this image are all relaxing.

This image is the perfect exposure. With the window in the back and what seems to be an open door way by the wooden chair gives this image a perfect exposure of sun light. The image is very focused. The image is focused the kid sitting on the wooden chair. The colors are not perfect. The whites are more an off white.There is no pixelation.

This image is pleasing to look at. It is pleasing because there are so many ideas happening in one image. The teen sitting on the wooden chair has a gun on his hands and examining it. The three people on the bed in the background busy on some type of paper. The lady is helping the child with the young boy and the other boy is just examining them do the work. The point of view is eye level.

The theme of this image is four colored people that don't have a lot in life. The bed is where they do their work because they don't have enough room to have a space for a work space. I can not tell the story being told in this image. This image to me is just very blunt. This image does not remind me of my child hood.

I do not like this image. i do not like this image because i feel no connection with this image. This photograph is not successful for me. to me there is no story behind this image. I don't not see the story.

allison dickie link

2/28/2017 10:20:09 am

This image shows siblings in their house. One of the siblings, looking a lot older than the others is holding a gun in front of what looks to be a door. He is also starring down at the gun and looks slightly worried or tense. The other children in this photograph are in the room behind the oldest boy and are sitting on a bed with a pink blanket covering it. These children are looking less worried and more playful than their older brother.

The main colors used in this image are the color of the children's skin, black, the blueish color of their clothes, the yellow on the walls, and the pink on the bed cover. The lighting in this image is slightly dull and seems to show a sense of nervousness in the air. While, this image is perfectly exposed, as I said before, the lighting does make it seem more dull and dark. The image is in focus and has a great sense of foreground and background. The color is also correct in the image.

The image does have adequate resolution and has no pixelation. This image is very pleasing to look at because of the sense of balance between the foreground and background. The rule of thirds is being used in this photograph because the oldest boy is in the right top and bottom intersection and the younger children are in the top left intersection. This image was taken from the point of view of 1st person. I believe that the focal point of this image is the gun that the oldest boy is holding. It is being framed by the doorway that leads to the next room.

There are leasing lines in the image which lead to the boy holding the gun are the lines of the doorway and the lines in the object the boy is leaning against. This image is balanced, however it is not symmetrical. The subject does not fill the frame because there are many other people that are included in the image. The things at the edges of the image are the door which the boy is facing and the object the boy is leaning against. The negative space in this image consists of the younger children and everything around them in the back room.

I believe the theme of this image is to show the way black people used to live their lives. Because they were not always safe, people would need to protect their families. This task was probably given to the eldest child and hows the burden and anxiety they would have to face on a daily basis. Because this image portrays this anxiety i do love and appreciate it. I believe it is also successful for this reason.

Montserrat Martinez Buganza

2/28/2017 10:25:59 am

The image seems to be inside a cabin of sorts, maybe a smaller house. The structure has decrepit wooden floors and maintained wooden walls. Even if the use of warm and cool colors is used, the saturation of those lacks intensity. It makes the picture look somewhat dull and uninteresting. However, the picture's quality immediately increases when you begin to notice the African-American family inside the house. Specially because who I assume is the father, is holding a gun while the woman plays with the kids.

The image seems to be correctly exposed; it neither too light or dark. I think the exposure was taken with a shallow depth of field. The man holding the gun is well focused, and his family behind him looks to be a little blurrier. The colors look to be correct as well, the white object (fridge? washing machine?) the man's chair is leaning on looks white to me. As well as adequate colors, this photograph shows an adequate resolution and lack of unnecessary pixelation.

The composition functions in a way in which the picture is framed multiple times within the house. For instance, the doorway behind the man functions to create a separate frame for the woman and her sons. This helps to distance the auras of the two separate rooms. Also, some lines within the photograph also allow you to direct your eyes towards the man and the doorway with his family. There is a diagonal wooden column on the left side of the main frame, which directs you toward the positive space of the picture. According to the elements of design blog entry on the class website, this diagonal column expresses the movement and action within the photograph due to its tilted position.

I cannot see at theme within the picture, but as crazy as this may sound, I think this man is planning to kill someone. The way he holds his gun with an unsettled look leads me to think he's planning murder. Given that his family is the only group of people shown within the photograph's universe... Anyway. This picture and my interpretation surely might cause people to question their ethical beliefs. Then again, this is only my opinion and others may think differently. Personally, I am drawn towards the dramatic, so this scenario may be taken straight from a movie cliche.

I like the picture. If I don't think about its theme for too long, I begin to find it pleasing to look at. As a photographic project, I would consider this one a success. Why? I think that it doesn't necessarily needs to be pondered upon in order to find value within the picture, however, if one chooses to, a theme can be easily found. It can be appealing both mentally and physically.

Sebastian Sotomayor

2/28/2017 10:37:01 am

The image shows black family inside a house. In the foreground, there is a shirtless, barefoot young man leaning back in a wooden chair in what appears to be the house's porch. He has a rifle resting in his lap, and he is examining it really closely. In the background, inside the house, there is a young boy sitting in his bed, and then another young boy in another bed examining a book with what seems to be his mother. It uses dull, worn out colors, which creates a kind of dusty and "torn" environment. The picture is completely lit by natural light, coming in from the side of the porch and through the house's windows.

The image seems to be perfectly exposed. The image has the young man in perfect focus, and the background seems to be reasonably clear as well. It seems to be a semi-deep depth of field (the front column is not in focus, so its not quite "deep") . The image has no pixelation and is of adequate resolution. The image also seems to have some contrast in value between the surfaces that are directly hit by the light and the surfaces that are not.

The image is pleasing to look at because it contains various layers when looking at foreground and background (from the man, to the child, to the other child and his mother). The man is resting upon one of the thirds, following the rule of thirds. The photographer seems to be kneeling down at the level of the man sitting down in the porch of the house. The main focus of the image is the man with the gun, but the people inside the house are emphasized because they are framed by the doorway. The diagonal lines made by the legs of the chair, by the barrel of the gun, and by the boards of the wall make this an overall active image, and the lines created by the floorboards and by the boards on the wall guide your eye by the man with the gun, and into the interior of the house. The image is asymmetrical, and there is space behind the subjects composed of walls and furniture. At the edges of the image, we can see walls and a wooden columns supporting the roof of the porch.

The image portrays a black family struggling through their lives. They appear to live in a small, creaky house, and they have ripped clothes, so they may be struggling economically/ The man is holding up a gun which may show how he may need to stand up to outside sources in order to protect his family from problems like racism and inequality. These are very violent times in society for black families like this one, so the man is thinking of the significance the rifle may have in his life. The fact that he may need a gun to defend himself and his family seems to be new to him. The artist probably made this image to show the struggle that many black families were going through during these harsh times. It makes us put ourselves in the shoes of these people and makes us think what we're willing to do to protect our families during these harsh times. When putting ourselves in that situation, we may notice that, just like them, we are human, no matter what our color is. This may be one of the artist's goals; to make us realize that we are all human; even in these disastrous situations.

I found this image to be very interesting and really liked it. It portrays the struggles of a day and age when I wasn't alive, and makes me glad that the world was able to overcome these struggles. It is successful because it manages to reflect on social problems, like gun violence and provides a sort of backstory to why people might have guns. It also does a great job bringing me back in time to imagine my life as a member of that family.

Yara Akhrass link

2/28/2017 10:34:32 pm

This photograph of Gordon Parks (1912-2006) is of him sitting on a chair in an old looking house. He is wearing baggy looking jeans with no shirt, has no shoes and is sitting on a chair leaning back on it while concentrating his eyes on a rifle. In the back, there is a bed with pink covers and three more children sitting on the bed. The boy on the right is sitting on the bed, wearing overalls and staring at the two children in the back. The two children in the back are wearing white, pink and blue. They seem to be concentrating on homework, or writing something important down. The girl also may be helping the young child next to her with his homework.

The setting of lighting in this photograph is daylight/ natural lighting from the windows in the back. The man sitting on the chair in the front of the photograph looks like he is sitting outside because of the brightness which increases in the front left corners. The colors in this photograph are very neutral which gives the photograph a very subtle look. The photo doesn't seem dark at all, it is correctly exposed however some corners of the image in the the front left corners are a tiny bit overexposed. The right side of the photograph have shadows casting behind the chair leaning on what seems to be a freezer.

This photograph is using rules of thirds because of the lines of the bottom of the chair. The photograph is also using rules of thirds in the windows in the back and the head of the bed. The focal point of this photograph is from birds-eye view. It gives the viewer the idea that there possibly might be a person sitting or standing next to the man with the rifle.

The family in the photograph seem to be struggling financially because of their clothes being torn and the old look of their house. The young man that is sitting on the outside of the house i holding a gun gives off the hint that he is expecting someone or feels that there is a threat towards him or his family. This might be because of prejudice or inequality the family is feeling towards the color of their skin. Just by looking at the man's face, you can see a sense of anticipation or fear while the children in the back seem to be clueless to the situation.

I like this photograph because of the story behind it. While we always see african-americans living in the outside world feeling discrimination, we can see how they try to deal with their prejudice by trying to defend themselves. This photograph gives non-blacks and people who don't feel prejudice on a daily basis a better understanding on how minorities try to overcome their fears. While this man may not have shot anyone, having the rifle is a symbolism of safety to them. This photograph is definitely successful.

TAMYKA MENA

3/1/2017 08:15:38 am

This image depicts a black family in a house. The man sitting in the chair, who I assume is the father, is holding a shotgun. The woman in the background, who I assume is the mother, is reading to two little boys. The image uses warm-toned colors and natural lighting. The father seems to be leaning on a kitchen counter.

I think the image is slightly overexposed. The image is in focused. Also, the whites look white so the color is correct. There is no pixilation. The image has adequate resolution.

I think the composition is pleasing to look at because the way all the subjects are placed. The focal point is the father in the chair. The woman and two little boys in the background are being framed by the doorway. There are many vertical lines in the photo and the lines on the wooden floor direct your eyes the people in the background. I think the image is slightly symmetrical because if you split the image in half, two subjects are in each frame.

The subject does not fill the frame because of his family in the background. I think this makes the photo more powerful. The frame crops off what I think may be the kitchen. It also cuts off the door his foot is on. There is negative space in the image and it is around the subject.

The theme of this image is black history. The story behind the photo is that they are a black family living in the deep south during one of the most disruptive times in history. This image's purpose was to show how racially segregated society is not a good idea. This image reminds me of the movies I've seen that are based on racial segregation. Overall, I think this photograph is beautiful and powerful.

Robert McAllen link

3/1/2017 09:36:44 pm

The image is about a black man who is protecting his family with a shotgun in 1956. The lighting of the image has a faded look to it because the image was taken about 61 years ago. What is happening in the image is that a black man is protecting his family with a shotgun on his porch. He is likely protecting his family from racial discriminators.

The image is a good mix between underexposed and overexposed. One part that is underexposed is the side of the man's face it's hard to see. The window seems to be a little overexposed because it looks super white to the point where you can't see anything beyond it. The image has no pixelation, and the colors that the image uses are correct.

The point of view of the image is in between first person and third person. The reason for this is because i'm unsure if the image is in third person view of the man, or if it is in first person of the person taking the picture, but I most likely think that is in first person. The image is pleasing to look at because it has this meaning of honor and protection.

The theme behind this image is protection and honor. I think that the story behind this image is that the man with the gun heard about a group of extremists roaming around the neighborhood, so he took matters into his hands and began protecting his house. I think that the image is noteworthy because it represents a dark time in American history where we judged other people because of their skin color.

I like this image a lot because it has a empowering meaning of honor, protection, and bravery. I think that it holds these meanings because it shows a father protecting his family from the harshness of the world. He is standing up for what is right and what should be done. I think that the image is successful because it has a great theme and meaning, and the image quality is good.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #15

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