Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #15

3/1/2018

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.

Write 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.

Remember, 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

Ryan Kyle

3/1/2018 11:26:58 am

The image is of a black family who is outside of a store drinking water from water fountains. There are two water fountains, one for “colored only” and one for “white only”. This image was taken during very troubling times in the US that were due to racial tensions. This image was also taken in the deep south where not very many black people lived at the time. The image uses a lot of brown and a slight pink tone overall.

The image is in a third person perspective. The image is asymmetrical because both sides do not look the same. The subjects do not fill the frame and there is space for us to see the store and the advertisements in the window of it. At the edge of the image are window frames and the walls of the store. The positive space is the people as well as the water fountains and the negative space is everything else.

The themes in this image are how black people lived during that time. These images were supposed to serve as a reminder that racially segregated spaces were not right for everyone. The artist made this image to show how black people lived during the time. The image definitely challenged beliefs at the time. Now however, if you were to say that this challenged beliefs, it wouldn’t really be correct because all people are equal nowadays. The image is interesting because you can take a glimpse into the past and see how times have changed.

I do like the image because of the slight pink tone which makes it pleasing to look at. If the image were more into the sepia tone than a slight pink it would seem old and grungy. The pink however, gives the image a sort of life that it would not have without that color. The photograph is successful because it conveys the message that the photographer was trying to get across. I think that it really serves as a reminder of how far we have come from these times.

Troy Rollwitz

3/1/2018 11:27:31 am

In this image by Gordon Parks we see some black people. It is in the 1950s and there are two water fountains. One is white only and the other is blacks only. There is a child drinking out of the black only one. The image uses a lot of colors, many of which are on the cloths.

There is 7 people in the frame. It contains each person from head to toe. Gordon is using a deep depth of field as everything is in focus. There is some low railing and high railing that serves at leading lines. The subjects completely fill the frame.

The image’s purpose was to help improve the conditions of these blacks in the south by showing how there daily life is impacted by racial tensions. In the picture the people look so clean and dressed nicely. It seems hard to find any reason do discriminate them and the image may be trying to show that blacks and whites are the same, as human beings.

I like this image. I think it was successful in its purpose of raising awareness. This image not only portrays an extremely powerful message, but also it is pleasing to look at. This image is also very clear with its intent, and the moment I looked at it I realized what it was. The great quality of the image and the powerful story it tells make it a successful picture.

Marissa Elizondo

3/1/2018 11:36:17 am

In this image you can see a store that sells ice milk. You can also seven african american people standing in front of the store. You can also see a pole above a the ground that adds leading lines to the image. On the store window, you can see posters with ice-cream on them. You can also see two water fountains. One water fountain says “colored only” and the other says “white only”. The girls are all wearing colorful dresses/skirts.

There are a lot of colors in this image. The lighting is also very bright and the lighting seems to be natural light because this picture was taken outside. You can see a lot of blues, greens, and reds. The subjects of this image is the are the people. The fact that they are wearing bright colored clothing attracts your eye. The subjects are not the main focus of this image you can see a lot of other in this in the background of the image. This image was taken in the photographer’s point of view. The image was taken in a deep depth of field since everything is in focus.

This image captures the daily lives of the african american in the 1950s-1960s. The theme for this image is racial segregation. In the 50s and 60s there was still a lot of racial discrimination and segregation. Cities you had separate parks, restrooms, schools, and water fountains, as you can see in the image, for colored people and white people. Gordon Parks took this image for a series he completed for Life Magazine that showed how african americans lived their daily lives in the south where discrimination was very prominent. He took these pictures to bring awareness and to show people that a racially segregated society was not good for everyone.

I really liked this picture and think it is successful. The image quality and the color scheme are very pleasing to the eye. I also like that there is a lot of detail in this image. I also like this image because of the theme. I think Gordon Parks did a really good job what life was like for african americans back in the 50s and 60s when they were highly discriminated for the color of their skin. I think this image does a good job of reaching people and making them realized that the time of racial discrimination and segregation was not a proud moment in The United States' history.

Marynez Cantu Cardenas

3/1/2018 11:36:33 am

This photograph is by Gordon Parks during the time period of segregation in 1956. The point of this photograph was to make people open their eyes to see that discrimination is not okay in society. Here there is a colored family in a plaza and you can see their little girl drinking out of the colored water fountain and they are nowhere close to the white water fountain.
There is four colored little girls pictured in this photograph, they are with their dad and they are very well dressed with their sunday school outfits. To the right of this family there is also two black women and I believe that they are also in the same family. The little girls took their shoes off as they were probably coming come from church and they got tired.

This photograph was taken outside of an ice cream shop, it seems to be a hot day since everyone is wearing short sleeves and it is also very sunny. The photographer is at the same level as the people pictured in this photograph. Everything in this picture is clearly seen, you can even see the reflection of the shop’s window if you look closely. The lighting is very good and I think that it was taken during the day because the lighting is so bright and warm.

There is a wide variety of colors in this picture. You can see all of the different colors on the dresses of the girls and you can also see that outside of the ice cream shop there is many posters advertising the products that they are selling at a lower price. They were very well designed and you can see a wide variety of colors outside which add on the the picture a lot.

Pato Wray link

3/1/2018 11:37:55 am

The image shows a black family, before the time of non-segregation, drinking from a water fountain made for them. The colors in the image are mainly black and white except for the posters in the background. The image by Gordon Parks was using some form of lighting from the sun but mainly, this was on the street. The only people in the image are the black people getting a drink of water.

This image is far from being pleasing and it honestly makes me sad to see people getting treated like animals. The rules of thirds are not being applied in this image. The point of view for this image was of the street view if you were on the streets of Alabama back then, this is what you would see. The photographer take this image straight in front of the family. There is a deep depth of field in this image because you can see the posters very clearly and nothing is too hard to see. The image is not framed and the focal point is just to understand how we used to treat other that were not white Americans. The metal pipe at the bottom leads me to the outside of the image and that leads me to the family. The image is very symmetrical and a well-shot photo. There is some extra space where you can see the fan at the top and all the materials in the store but nothing big. There is not many things that are at the end of the image except the top with the fan. This image brings a negative space because of the background and the rudeness of the 50's Alabama people.

The main theme hear is just a flashback to what the United States used to be compared to what it is now. The story here is for people to follow the golden rule and be kind to one another. The intention of the image is for Gordon Parks to spread the word of life in the 50's. This image really only reminds me of almost every January when they play Martin Luther King's speech and how we have grown so much today. This image does attack at the few racist people out there and shows what the people have done. The image is not very beautiful because of what's going in the image but the image itself is very good.

I don't like this at all because I was not raised to be thinking that kind of way and it again makes me sad knowing what innocent people had to go threw back then. Although this was back in the 50's, someone should have realized that these people have done nothing to deserve this. The photo was very successful and getting a mental challenge for everyone back then. The photographer was really good at getting the point down at what he was trying to accomplish.

Larissa Esparza

3/1/2018 11:41:20 am

This image was taken by Gordon Parks. Gordon Parks’s images were meant to show that all people live the same. Black and white people live the same and that there really isn’t a difference between the two races. The images were meant to show that segregation was not good. The image is of a black family of five going through their day stopping at a water fountain to get water that has a sign that says “Blacks only”.

This image captures the daily things that a black family would do to show that white people do the exact same. There are signs around the water fountains that give the image some color. The small advertisement posters are advertising for food and a plastic food keeper. The family is most likely wearing their sunday best, which is the best pair of clothes that they own. Many black families did this at the time because they didn’t have enough money to afford all nice clothes. I can also tell that one of the women's shoes are too small for her feet but black families did not care because it was the best they could afford due to the segregation and loss of jobs for black families.

The lighting in this image is natural and there are some shadows because they are standing under a shaded sidewalk. This image is pleasing to look at because it has multiple things that are happening and there are several things you can observe. This image is using deep depth of field and was taken from a standard point of view. The image is somewhat framed by the windows in the background of the store. The lines are the windows and a tomato banner thing on the windows of the store. The lines lead your eyes and frame the family and poster advertisements.

This image is not symmetrical because there different amounts of people on different sides and different things are occurring on different sides of the image. The subject, the family, does fill most of the space in the image. Along with the family the posters also fill some of the space in the image. The edge of the image is the end of the shop and the, what seems to be, father’s foot and one of the young girls legs and dress. The families clothing also adds color to the image and makes the image more interesting to look at because it allows us to see how people dressed back then.

The themes of this image include that all people are the same and equal and we should just accept each other. There is a story being told in the image, its the story of a black family in Alabama during the times of segregation, the 1950’s to now. The artist’s intentions was to show people that segregation is bad and they should stop it. In my opinion I think that Life Magazine chose to show people instead of tell them because no one listens. I like this image because of the intentions it has and because it allows us to see what life was like before. This image is both noteworthy and successful.

Maria Tirado

3/1/2018 11:43:14 am

This photograph was shot by Gordon Parks, who was an american photographer that was sent to capture some images in Alabama. This project was meant to persuade people’s minds about racial injustices. In this particular image, Parks captured a colored family taking a nice stroll to the ice cream shop. This image is a big contributor to the rest of this project, because there are two seperate water fountains with labels on them. The colored people’s water fountain is not as modern as the whites, and that is because in the 50’s there was still racial segregation in the state of Alabama. This image has a few little girls probably running around with their shoes off, and 3 adults.

This image is pleasing to look at, because there are a lot of very different colors and patterns going on. For example, the women’s skirts and the dresses the little girls are wearing contrast with the more neutral colors on the ground and top half of the shop. The main subject could be debated, but I think it is the little girl standing in between the two water fountains. The sign of “white only” also stand out a lot more. There is a slight bit of symmetry going on in this image, because there are two water fountains and the people are balanced out on each side. This photograph was shot with deep depth of field, because there is nothing that is blurred out. Compositionally, I really like this image since it has a good quality of light and very sharp focus.

The main theme in this photograph is how to look at racial segregation differently. This image allows the viewers to think about how a racially segregated society was not right. This family is trying to enjoy a nice day outside and get some ice cream. Imagine if the girls get thirsty, which they did in this picture, now you have to explain to your little girl why she has to wait for sister to stop drinking even though there is another fountain right next to her. That is not okay, because these kids are being raised differently and are being treated with lesser value just because of the color of their skin. I think this image is really beautiful, not because of the colors or scenery, but because it shares an authentic view of how colored people had to go and live their lives.

I personally really like this image, because I enjoy all of the designs and colors that are being captured. The other reason as to why I truly enjoy this image is because of the story its puts across. In that case, I really like all of the photographs in Gordon Parks project. This is not my favorite image but I believe it is still very successful in all aspects of things. There are a lot of opinionated people in this world so I think this image is very risky in the sense that not everyone will enjoy it and agree with it. I am just glad that Parks could capture something like that, because it is from this history that people learn how to move forward and live a non-segregated life like we live today.

Zach Burgos

3/1/2018 11:47:06 am

The image is a picture of a black family(s?) at a racially segregated water fountain. The colors it is using is white, red, blue, yellow, green, and black. The lighting is bright sunlight. There are water fountains that have “colored/white only” signs, ice cream posters, and the people are wearing very nice clothing. A black family(s) is drinking at a racially segregated water fountain in front of an ice cream store.

The rule of thirds is somewhat used in this photo. Both the man and the 2 girls on the left are in the area of a cross and the same with the 2 woman on the right. Gordon is using a large depth of field. The focal point of the image is the man and 2 girls drinking at the “colored only” water fountain. The image is asymmetrical because they are not the same on the sides.

The themes behind this image was to show how black families lived in the south during the times of racial segregation. The story of this image is a black family(s) standing in line to drink from a singular fountain labeled “colored only”. Gordon made this image to tell how families in the south during 1956 were treated. This image challenges social beliefs during a time of racial segregation by showing how these are treated because there skin color is different.

I like the image because of what the message is about. The message is about how bad it is to discriminate people just because they look different. I think the photograph is successful because it most likely changed how people thought on segregation. The images were used to counter the assumption that segregation was good for everyone. I think the image is also good by the way gordon took it.

Mikaela Mumme

3/1/2018 11:48:23 am

In this image, there is a group of African American people and water fountains which can be seen as the focus. They could be a family because it is a man a woman, children, and girl who looks like she's in her teens maybe around seventeen. They are dressed nicely kind of like Sunday church dress. In the background, you can see that they are at two water fountains. On these two water fountains, it says colored and white only. This infers the time frame which would have been the late fifties when there were race inequality and segregation.
This image was taken outdoors and has a nice diffused quality of light with very warm toned objects. The depth of field is deep allowing all of the image to be clear and in focus. The photographer took this image flatfoot or eye-level showing us what he saw from his view. The main focal point of this image is the people and water fountain. The big white letter on the “white only” water fountain really draws your eye, especially since it is standing alone. This photo does not really have any negative space and makes use of all the frame to add to the image in some way.

This image tells a narrative of when segregation was still around and a problem. The way this image was photographed the ‘white only’ water fountain is left wide open and the colored people around drinking from the colored fountain, which was a custom in the late fifties in states where there were still problems with racial inequality. I think this image shares out of our history and it is important. Without Photographs and documentation of this, how would we be able to fix and prevent what happened in the past. I think just about everyone today could look at this image and see how wrong it is this is how society used to be. This image shows African American being stripped of their rights of equality we can learn from this image that it is not ok to belittle and humiliate others. Everyone deserves equal rights.

I like this image and think it is very successful. The image is successful because it shares a narrative that is very touching for the viewer. The quality of this image is very good too with the colors used and focus on the image. I like how the photographer took this image flat foot. It makes you feel like you are really there making the image more personal. I personally really like this image and find it very successful with the qualities it offers. I also appreciate how well the photographer was able to take this image and tell the story he did.

Jessica Mims

3/1/2018 04:46:07 pm

This is an image created by Gordon Parks. In the image, we see a black family and the effects that segregation is having on them. The family is standing around two fountains outside of a grocery store. One of the fountains is labeled “White Only”, and the other labeled “Colored Only”. Due to the time in history, the family is gathered around the colored fountain. There are a lot of colors used in this image, but they are kind of faded. This helps to give the image an older feel.

This image was taken in the third person point of view. The family is spread across the frame. The excess space of the frame is taken up by the wall of the grocery store and the fountains. The window panels, posters, and railing on the ground all serve as leading lines in this image. This image is not symmetrical, there are different objects and people on both sides of the picture.

This image is definitely telling a story. This image was made in a time of segregation in our country. I believe that the intention of this image is to remind us of the things our country has gone through in the past. By looking at this image, we see how the daily lives of people were affected by the segregation. The circumstances that this image was taken in make it less beautiful, but I believe that all of the elements of this image were captured beautifully. As we look at it today it is very noteworthy because it is history.

I really like this image. There is a meaningful message behind it. The colors that are being used are also very appealing to the eye. I think that this image is also successful. It definitely spreads awareness of what life was like for African Americans in the US in the 1950s. I think that Gordon Parks did a really good job in capturing this image for Life Magazine.

Josh Salehi

3/2/2018 03:00:00 pm

This image by jordan parks production is picture of a black family outside of a grocery store the family shows the little girls walking the streets without shoes. I don’t think they are poor because i can tell because they are wearing nice church clothes and it’s hard to point out why there shoes are off but I think that specific detail brings a lot of questions to this picture and makes the viewer really wonder.

I think this image was successful because it had really good light and it was shot in a close aperture his picture would most likely me able to tell a lot of cool stories . This picture also had a good use of the lines and they pointed more to the middle of the picture and drew the attention up on the store you could easily view a big sign that says ice milk sold here so maybe they wanted buy some ice milk.

In the back there is a water fountain and it says whites only. This is the time of segregation so the family had a hard time of living at that time. Back in the early 40’s Martin Luther king speech “I believe” made a huge impact on segregation in today’s era. This picture is a flashback to that horrible time.

I like this image because of the message and how much tiny details are hiding in the background.I think this photograph by Jordan parks turned out to be successful and I would imagine a lot of the viewers would thinks so too.

Kate Madison

3/3/2018 07:57:14 am

This image is of a african american family drinking from a “colored only” water fountain in from of a store. The colors in this image are slightly won-out like they’ve been there for decades.The lighting in this image is natural light. Objects in this image are people, shoes, railings, water fountains, poters, a storefront, etc. In this image there are three little african american girls drinking from a water fountain outside of a storefront.

This image is not pleasing to look at because of the story behind it, which is segregation and racism and that’s horrible to think of. The rule of thirds is not being used in this image. This is rom third point of view to capture what happens in the everyday lives of some unfortunate people. This is using a shallow depth of field to capture everything that is happening. The focal point is probably the little girls drinking from the fountain.

The lines are in the storefront window frames and the direct my eye to the top to see that this image was taken a little sideways. This image is not balanced. This image fills the frame. At the edge of this image it’s probably cutting others out and the rest of the stores. There doesn’t seem to be any negative space.

The themes in this os the way african americans had to live before segregation ended. A story being told is segregation. The artist made this to show how African Americans truly lived. This image reminds me that we could all have it worse, like before, and we should be grateful. This image might enrage people against segregation.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #15

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