Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #19

4/10/2017

Today you will be writing about a photograph from artist Brandon Thibodeaux's projectWhen Morning Comes.

Write 5 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember, refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

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

Read the project statement before you write:

WHEN MORNING COMES
When Morning Comes is a reflection of life in the Mississippi Delta. I first traveled to the region in the summer of 2009 because I needed to breathe after my own troubled times. I was in search of something stronger than myself and attended its churches not to photograph but to cry and be redeemed and to just be a part of the place. I was there to listen as I prayed for a revelation.

Over the past seven years I have witnessed signs of strength against struggle, humility amidst pride, and a promise for deliverance in the lives that I’ve come to know here. This is a land stigmatized by poverty beneath a long shadow of racism. I do not wish to overlook this fact but rather look between it for evidence of the tender and yet unwavering human spirit that resides within its fabric.

I photograph in five communities that span roughly 40 square miles of the northern Mississippi Delta. Villages with names like Alligator, and Bo Bo, as well as the country’s oldest completely African American city, Mound Bayou, where in 1910, a New York Times headline once declared, “no white man can own a square foot of land.”

In what began as a journey for personal exploration is found a narrative of another man’s faith, identity, and perseverance. I see the strength of a single man while acknowledging the machine that replaced thousands, the flight of childhood innocence grounded by the scar of life hard lived, a living room altar to a symbolic president and a toppled white king in a conquered game of chess.

While this work makes specific reference to the rural black experience, I am reminded with every visit that these themes of faith, identity, and perseverance are common to us all. These are the traits of strong men. And maybe that is the lesson I was looking for all along

Tamyka Mena

4/10/2017 11:30:48 am

The image is of a young boy jumping over a puddle outside. There is a trailer in the background. The image is in black and white. The lighting being used is natural sunlight. There are a couple of ugly cars in the background as well. In the image, the boy is jumping over a puddle.

The image is underexposed. The foreground of the image, the boy, is very blurry because he is jumping. The background, the trailer and trees, are in focus. The only pixelation in the image is the boy. Although, his reflection and the background has very adequate resolution.

The position the photographer is in makes the composition of the image actually quite pleasing. This is because it makes the photograph look like it was split in half. The photographer shot this image from ground level so that we could really see the reflection of the boy. The focal point of the image is the little boy. There are also both vertical and horizontal lines in the image.

The image is very symmetrical. In my opinion, thats what makes it pleasing to look at. The subject does not fill the frame. This really adds a story and a message in the image itself. I believe that the frame cuts off the rest of the trailers because I think this was shot in a trailer park.

The theme of the image is strength and humility. The story behind the image is that the photographer initially set off for personal exploration. In the end, he discovered five communities in Mississippi. This image reminds me of a childhood memory because my sister and I would go outside after it rained and jump over the puddles that had formed. Overall, I think the image is beautiful because of the message behind it.

Will Carsten link

4/10/2017 11:32:14 am

This image is of a young boy who seems to be jumping over a puddle of water. It is using dark colors to emphasize details. There are lots of dark shadows as well to show life back then. The objects are, the young boy, the puddle, the motel in the back, and the trees. In this image, the boy is enjoying himself by playing outside.

The image is kind of underexposed, due to him being silhouette. The image is in focus on the house behind the boy. The colors appear correct for the greyscale format. There seems to be no pixelation in the image. The composition in this photo makes it very pleasing to look at.

The rule of thirds in the image is not being used. The image is taken from a first person point of view. The image is framed by the amount of trees in the image. The lines from the street lead my eyes to the boy jumping over the puddle, then that lead my eyes to the house behind him. The image overall appears balanced, due to the frames.

There is no extra space in the image. The trees in the image fill the outer ring of the image. There is some negative space in the reflection of the boy in the water. The theme of this image is showing what life was back in the 1960s. There is a story being told about a boy who lived in Mississippi.

The artist made this image to connect it to the story being told to let the reader visualize what life was like. The image reminds me of something I learned in a social studies class. The image is beautiful by showing the enhanced details from the reflection in the water, to the house in the background. Overall, I like this image, I love looking at black and white images. This photograph would be successful to hang up on a wall.

Mary Warder

4/10/2017 11:34:55 am

This image is of a young African-American boy jumping over a puddle in front of a house. In front of the clearly lived-in home, there are three cars parked outside of it. You can see trees around the house and electrical line above it, so it can be assumed that this house is a part of some sort of neighborhood. It is easy to tell that there is motion in this photograph. Because of the blur of the boy's figure, it is clear to see the image was taken as he was in the middle of jumping.

This picture is in grayscale, meaning there are no colors other than blacks and whites. Although it is black and white, this picture is underexposed. It does contain some light from the sky, but the majority of the photo consists of dark shadows. The image is in very clear focus with the exception of the boy. His figure is one large blur, making him stick out. The rest of the image has an adequate resolution and no visible pixelation.

The composition functions as a tool to bring your eyes to the boy in the center of the image. Because of how he is placed, it is hard to miss his leaping body. This picture is pleasing to look at, and the rule of thirds is not being used, as the boy is right in the center of the photograph. The point of view is from third person, as if taken by somebody close to him. The boy is framed by his surroundings such as the trees, the house,. Even his silhouette is framed by the puddle.

The vertical lines of the house and the outstretched limbs of the trees lead your eyes to the boy and his reflection in the puddle. He is clearly the subject, and it is hard to miss him with the amount of motion happening. The edge of the image cuts off the remainder of the area that could possibly reveal more about this young boy's life. The subject dopes not fill the frame, so there is plenty of negative space. This negative space includes the sky, the house, and the area of the puddle that his shadow does not take up.

I believe this photograph represents the obstacles the boy in this image grew up jumping over in Mississippi. He most likely grew up with racism, and he had to learn how to dodge it and learn to work through it. I think the puddle represents these problems that he had to endure. This image definitely challenges society, as it points out the struggles that many have to go through. These struggles may often not be exposed, but this image shows them. I also think it is interesting how this image is black and white, as this could perhaps point to the fact that many areas in the South see things as strictly black and white. I do like this image because of what it stands for and what it challenges.

Isabela Ruiz

4/10/2017 11:38:30 am

This image is of a boy trying not to step on a puddle. The photo is taken while the boy was in the air in a running position. The image is in black and white. The lighting is during the day. Behind the little boy there is a trailer home with three old rusty cars parked. There are also many trees scattered around.

There is no pixelation in this image. The image is focused on the trailer in the back along with the reflection of the boy and a tree in the puddle. The boy is very blurry but the reflection of the boy in the puddle is not. The colors being used are correct. There is nothing wrong with the colors.

The is pleasing to look at because of the reflection on the boy and the tree. The reflection in the puddle completes this image without the reflection this image would be very boring. The rule are thirds in not being used. The point of view ins bugs eye view. The image is pretty balanced. The positive space is in the back where the sky. The negative space is in the front of the image.

The theme of the image was probably to catch the reflection in the puddle to make this image more unique and different than the rest. In the image the boy was probably running from something or someone. He looks rushed and with the way of his hands positioned he looks panicked. The artist wanted to make this image different. This image does remind me of something from my past. As a little girl i used to play outside all the time, I would run outside all by myself and think it was fun. This one time i got frightened by something and ran as fast as i could and was very panicked just like this little boy looks.

I really like this image because of the reflection. The reflection adds character to the image. The artist took a perfect shot of the boy in the air. This image to me was successful because the way the objects in the background was set up fit the image very nicely. Nothing in this image seemed wrong or awkward.

Poni Bryan

4/10/2017 11:38:40 am

The image above is of a kid jumping over a puddle of water in front of a mobile home. The background looks very run down because of the condition the house is in. The photo is in black and white maybe because the photographer wanted to capture the true story or message behind the photo. The author mentions how he photographed on the Mississippi delta, a segregated area, to capture photos of people there. Since the area is segregated, black and white fits the theme. The lighting is bright behind the boy possibly because the sun is out or the sun is rising.

The image is unfocused on the boy due to a slower shutter speed. The surrounding area the boy is in is perfectly exposed. The boys shadow appears dark in the puddle probably because it is actually really sunny. The resolution is adequate and there is no pixelation.

The photo is pleasing to look at because I have questions about the scene the photo was taken in. Rule of thirds isn't present and the photo appears messy and unorganized because of the background. The condition of the house contributes to that because it gives the photo a gloomy vibe. The point of view is straight forward. The photo isn't framed by anything but it is balanced and symmetrical. The frame is filled and nothing important is cropped out of the photo. No negative space is present but the positive space is the boy and the trailer behind him.

This image could have many possible themes. Segregation, life in the south, youth, home life, or the playfulness a child has can be seen as a possible theme. The artist took this image to capture the everyday life of people in the south. The image doesn't remind me of anything specific. The image is questionable because I have questions about the boy. Is he playing with friends? Why has he chosen to play outside? What was the photographer trying to portray when he took this photo? The image does not make me question my beliefs, it just makes me think of how other people live. The image is interesting to me because I am seeing someones life through a lens and I do think that the image is highly noteworthy. I do like the photo because it says a lot without having to show much. And I do think that the photograph is successful because it shows modern day life in the south and how people live. It captures life through the view of a child, which is interesting.

Yara Akhrass link

4/10/2017 11:38:57 am

This photograph was taken by Brandon Thibodeaux. It shows an african-american boy running wearing shorts, a white t-shirt, cap and shoes. There is a puddle under him which reflect the boy running. Behind him, there are trees and a small home. There are two cars parked in front of the home and they are old fashioned which gives us the idea that this might be an old photo.

The photograph is underexposed in some parts of the photograph. It is in black and white and shaded darkly throughout different parts of the photograph. The bottom corners of the photograph are especially dark. The lighting is also underexposed on the boy's face which makes it impossible to see his facial features. The photograph was probably taken in a low shutter speed because the boy is blurry however the back of the photograph is more in focus.

This photograph is pleasing to look at because of the reflection. The point of view for this photo is first person. The focal point of this photograph is probably the reflection of the puddle. The lines of this photograph are mainly on the house and its windows. There is negative space on the bottom corners and positive on the top left corner of the photograph.

The photographer talks about how in Mississippi, there are and still is a lot of racism and segregation. This boy might be talking about how this boy is just like any other person living their life. However, he lives with the issues of facing racism and segregation. This photograph definitely challenges social beliefs and assumptions however it isn't really a controversial photograph. I believe that this photograph is interesting and noteworthy.

I like this photograph and its simplicity. However, when I first look at it, the idea of racism and segregation doesn't really cross my mind. My first impression of this photograph is that its a boy simply running and enjoying life as a child. Personally, I don't really think this photograph is successful. It is a very interesting photograph however.

Robert McAllen link

4/10/2017 11:39:08 am

The image is about a boy who is jumping over a large puddle. I think the image uses black and white as its main colors because it's reflecting on the setting of the image. In short I think that image's colors is repressenting poverty. A boy is jumping over a puddle in this image, and you can see in the background that he lives in an area of poverty.

I think that the image is a mix between underexposed and overexposed. For example some of the trees shadows are really dark, and some parts of the trees are too bright. The image doesn't have any pixelation. I think that the color is correct for the image. The black seems to fit the image and the white does too. The image is in focus of the background, but it's not in focus on the boy there are some parts that are blurry.

The image has a third person view because you can see the boy's entire body. The subject does not fill the frame because you can see cars, a house, and some trees. I think that the image is pleasing to look at because it has a deep meaning that shows the life that some people have in the united states that we don't know about. The frame crops of the top of some trees.

I think the theme behind this image is to show to remnence of the old Mississippi, and how it use to be. I think the story behind this image is that the boy had some free time on his hand, so he spent it playing around outside. I think that the artist was trying to make an image that really captures the way we think about the old Mississippi. It shows that the old south can still be seen.

This image reminds me of a child who is taking what he has, and using it to his advantage despite the area that he lives in. I think that this image is beautiful because it shows a sense of change in the harshest areas in America. I also think that the image is noteworthy because it shows that the old generation might have been different, but the new generation can always fix it. I like this image because it has a deep meaning and it's beautiful.

Bailey Dietzmann

4/10/2017 11:40:26 am

This is an image of a young boy running over a puddle of water. The background is of at a trailer house. The colors that are being used in this photograph are black and white. This is because of the circumstances behind the photo. A lot of dark shadows are being portrayed here in this image because of how dark and gloomy the topic really is.

The image is a little underexposed. The camera is not really in focus due to the upper body of the young boy being blurry. The color does look correct because of how the black looking black and the white background looking white. This photograph is pleasing to look at because of the focus being on the silhouette of the adolescent. The rule of thirds is not necessarily being used in this image because of the boy being in the middle of the frame instead of the far right or the far left.

The point of view of this photograph is bugs-eye. The main focus of this image is the boy. The subject does not fill the frame because of the trailer, car, and trees in the background. However, the photograph contains negative and positive space. The negative space is the trailer and everything around it. The positive space is the boy and the reflection of the boy in the puddle.

The idea behind the making of this photograph is that the boy is trying to avoid his problems by leaping over the puddle of water. The artist made this image to bring awareness to the struggle and poverty of every day life in the less fortunate communities of Mississippi. This reminds me of a mission trip that I took to San Diego where I saw a multitude of homeless people and struggle. They were lucky to even live in a trailer like the one pictured. This photograph is definitely noteworthy because it's bringing awareness to something that is very important and relevant.

I love this picture because of how important it is. It brings awareness to important causes and situations. It symbolizes the want and the need to try and avoid big problems like the young boy was trying extremely hard to jump over that big puddle. This photograph is successful because it is beautiful and tells a story. Not many people can tell a story and make a photograph beautiful, and this artist did.

Samantha Dickie link

4/10/2017 11:41:44 am

This image is of a young boy jumping over a puddle with his reflection the puddle below him. The boy is in the foreground of the image and is out of focus. Even though the boy is blurred out, we see that he is wearing shorts, high tops and a white shirt. Behind the boy, lays a long mobile home with several old cars parked in front. The image is in gray scale which adds to the image's overall theme.

The image is perfectly exposed which is impressive considering the gray scale aspect of the image. The image is partially in focus with the foreground or the boy out of focus and the house in focus. The colors are somewhat correct. The sky in the photo seems to be a bit overexposed and therefore comes off very bright in the gray scale. There is no pixilation with in this photo.

This image is very pleasing to look at because of the blurred out foreground and the sharp background. The rule of thirds is not being used because the young boy is in the center of the image. There us a very deep depth of field being used as stated before, with the boy out of focus and the house behind him in focus. The lines lead us not only to the boy but to the boy's reflection. Even with the reflection present, this image is asymmetrical because of the unbalance in the photo. The leads to reflect the theme of the unbalance of life.

The themes or ideas of this image that the boy is confused about the way he is growing up in this unbalanced way. The blurred out boy shows us that his authority figures are more worried about what type of house he lives in than the boy himself. This feeling leads the boy to feel isolated and forgotten. The gray scale of the image also highlights the sadness and loneliness the boy is feeling. The artist's intention is to show this way of life and to highlight the way this boy and many other people are treated.

This image reminds me of running away as a child. Even though we down go far, when we do run away, we tend to feel neglected or sad about a certain situation, this seems to highlight what the boy is feeling now. This image is beautiful but also sad. It is beautiful because of the technique and artistry behind the image but is sad because of the theme it portrays. This image is successful because of the beauty behind the image but also because of the sadness it suggests.

Emmet Owen

4/10/2017 11:42:06 am

This photograph by Brandon Thibodeaux is of a little boy jumping over a puddle. He seems to be trying to have fun because otherwise he could just walk around it. He is apart of a poor neighborhood considering the cars and house behind him. The photograph is in black and white which adds simplicity. It appears to be during the afternoon due to the lighting.

This photo does not follow the rule of thirds. The photograph is also non symmetrical. There is not a ton of negative space around the photo. The lines do not direct your attention to anywhere specific in the photo. Rather, I am attracted to the boy because he is in the center and closest to our point of view.

The shutter speed was fast in order to catch him jumping over the puddle. The iso is not too grainy but there is a certain blur due to the depth of field. The photo has a deep depth of field because the background is clear and the foreground is blurry. The reflection also shows the boy jumping over the puddle. If the reflection is supposed to be a symbol then I do not know why.

I like this photo because of its simplicity. There is not a ton going on in the photo and the black and white makes it pleasant to the eye. This photograph shows us that it does not matter what you have in order to enjoy life. The boy is a representation of a pure and innocent child that wants to have a good time. The trees give off the sense of nature and beauty.

The photograph is exposed nicely. It is not too dark or light. The artist made this image to show us a different place and different types of people. It does not appear to question beliefs. Overall, I find this photograph successful.

Hannah Lashway

4/10/2017 11:42:49 am

The photograph above is from a body of work called 'When Morning Comes' by Brandon Thibodeaux. It was shot in the Mississippi Delta. The body of work as a whole was inspired by the hard times of the photographer and the lifestyle of a rural community. The project initially began as a personal search for redemption but became about something more than just the photographer. In this body of work he discovered and photographed a community living in not just poverty, but racism.

The image itself is shot in black and white, on 120 film which is why the photograph is square. In the image we see a boy jumping over a puddle. Behind him is a trailer home of sorts, it is on stilts. The puddle the boy is jumping over takes up more than half the image and contains the boy's whole reflection. I think the photographer chose black and white film to capture the simplicity of the image and the boy and his reflection.

The image is not underexposed nor is it overexposed. The rule of thirds is not in use. The focus of the photograph is not the boy but rather his shadow. The shutter speed was too slow for this photograph because the boy is blurry; however this could have been done on purpose by the photographer. The puddle being the subject takes up about three fourths of the image. The image cuts off where the house ends and the forrest to begin.

The trees surrounding the image give the sense that you are seeing something that is supposed to be secret and private. That this boy and his house and life are a secret, kind of in a fairytale way. I think the photographer wanted to show the soft side of a very rough lifestyle. He wanted to capture a photograph that wasn't a stereotype.

I think this image is well executed. The photographer had a strong message and I think he stuck with that message. I like this image because of its simplicity. This image is easy to look at for me because I can visualize it. Primarily because this image and situation is very similar to something you would see in San Antonio. The environment is similar to something I would see in my city, perhaps that's why I like it.

Eric Hammond

4/10/2017 11:43:08 am

This is a photograph of a kid running. Behind the kid is a house. The house is one story tall and kind of long. In front of the house there are three white cars. The house and all of the cars are trashy and old.

The windows in the house are broken and the door is missing. This is a woodland scene. There is a puddle under the kid. The kid appears to be a black boy. The boy is wearing a white collared shirt, dark colored shorts, and some black shoes.

This photo was taken in black and white. It looks like the camera was focused on the house behind the kid. The kid is in the air and that tells you that the photographer used a fast shutter speed. The rule of thirds was not used in this photograph. There are a lot of shadows meaning that this photograph was taken during the day.

This photograph was taken from a bugs eye view. There is a bit of symmetry used in this photo. An example of the symmetry is in the reflection of the boy, trees, and house in the water puddle. There are a lot of vertical lines in this photograph. The boards on the house are all vertical and the trees are too.

This photo is not pleasing to look at because of the lack of color. This photo gives off a sad and somewhat scary vibe. I like a happy and exiting photo. Those are some of the reasons i don't like this photo. I think this photograph was successful because the author accomplished what he was trying to do.

Rylin McArthur

4/10/2017 11:46:27 am

The image is of a boy jumping over a puddle. The colors being used in the image are black and white. Natural lighting is also being used in the image. The objects included in the image are a boy, a puddle, and a home with three cars shown behind the boy. In the image, it looks like the boy is jumping over the puddle for fun because there is no reason for us to think otherwise.

The image doesn't look underexposed or overexposed but just right. The image is in focus, and the boy is the clear subject. The color is not correct because the image is in black and white. It looks like the boy has pixelation just because he is moving in mid-air. The composition is pleasing to look at because it makes you think of the good times you had when you used to jump over puddle. On the other hand, its a little sad to look at because of the fact that the black and white factor makes it a little gloomy and because the home in the background doesn't look like the best place to live.

The rule of thirds is not being used because the boy is pretty muted centered. The photographer took the photo while facing the right side of the jumping boy. The focal point is the boy's shadow and it's framed by the puddle surrounding it. The subject doesn't fill the frame because the house and trees are able to be seen behind the boy and his shadow. It looks like the puddle was bigger but the frame cropped off the rest.

The theme of the image is that some kids have fun by going outside and doing things like jumping over puddles. Some kids aren't fortunate enough to have things like tv's, iPads, or iPhones, so they have to make due with what they have. You can tell by the house that the boy may not have a lot of things to keep him busy, so he resolves his problem by finding the fun outdoors. The photographers intention was to remind people to enjoy all the things you have because some people aren't as fortunate. This photo reminds me of my little cousins because I know that they like to jump in puddles just like the boy in the image.

The image is interesting because it can be interpreted in many different ways. The image is also beautiful because it shows that good things can come from bad. A lot of people may not like the rain, but for this little boy it brings puddles that gets to play in. I like the image because I think the reflection of the boy in the puddle is really beautiful and satisfying. The photograph is successful because it shows beauty but it also presents a concept a lot of people have trouble thinking about from day to day.

allison dickie link

4/10/2017 11:47:12 am

This image by Brandon Thibodeaux shows a colored boy jumping across a large puddle. Within the puddle, there is a reflection of the boy that also shows him leaping. In the background of the image there is also a long sided house that has a broken window and an open door. Also included in the image are two cars parked in front of the house. The photograph is in black and white, and other then the light house in the background, the image is fairly dark.

Although the image is very dark, it is not underexposed. The boy in the image is not in focus, however the reflection is in focus and probably was meant to be the main focus of the whole image. I believe that the color is correct in this image. Along with that, there is no pixelation and adequate resolution. I believe that the rule of thirds is being used because the open door in the image is in the top right intersection of the image, and draws the eye.

This image is very pleasing to look at because of the election of the boy which satisfies the eye after seeing the blurry and moving boy. This image is taken from a 1st person perspective because the boy is the only living being in the image. I believe that the focal point of this image is the reflection of the boy, because the real boy is not in focus. The focal point is also being framed by the edges of the puddle. The negative space in the image seems to be everything above the reflection of the boy.

I believe that the theme behind the image is the idea of seeing yourself from someone else's view, kind of what is seen by a reflection. Brandon Thibodeaux came to Mississippi to reflect in his life and breath, so it makes perfect sense that he would have a photograph based on the idea of reflection. After, you reflect you see to see yourself more clearly, which explains why the reflection of the boy is clearer than the actual boy. This photograph reminds me of the someone cheesy movie, High School Musical 2. In this particular scene, one of the main characters reflects on his past decisions by looking at his reflection in water.

I believe this photograph brings serenity to the viewers because of the peaceful looking reflection of the boy. However, if you have interpreted this image the way I have, and have made bad decisions, the view might feel a rush of emotions having to due with the effects of his decisions. In a way, this photograph does question some beliefs, but it depends on the viewers background. I believe this image is successful because it brings different emotions to each person that sees it. Personally, I love this image because it gives a sense of calmness to my mind.

Kristina Samuel

4/10/2017 11:48:30 am

The photograph depicts a blurry picture of a boy jumping over a puddle. However, the reflection of this boy is in focus and is very sharp. In the background is a simple tin house and trees surrounding it. Given the introduction about this project, this was probably taken in the Mississippi Delta. This is were the mindset of racism is still prominent today. It is hard to tell, but it looks like the boy is African American which adds to any possible cultural statements the photographer wants to make.

The photograph itself seems a little overexposed. i made this conclusion from the way the light diffuses the shadow of the leaves in the trees. However, the photograph is white and black so this detail can be easily overlooked. The colors seem to be correct with the black contrasting greatly from the white. The resolution is adequate as well with the pixelation being little to none.

The angle at which the picture was taken is intriguing as well. The camera shot the photograph from a lower angle looking up, possible so that the reflection in the puddle would take up as much space in the photograph as the actual boy jumping over the puddle. It also gives an interesting angle because looking at the photograph makes you feel as if you were sitting down right their and watching him. The photographer also plays with symmetry by making the reflection and the actual person of equal importance as done in the composition. There also is a good use of positive space taking up most of the photograph.

The message that I interpreted from this photograph is interesting. From the way that the photographer played with depth of fields and by making one of the make subjects blurry made me interpret the photograph in a whole other way. The fact that the reflection of the boy was more clear than the actual boy maybe represents the mindset of racism in Mississippi. Perhaps the reflection symbolizes the people's bad image of African Americans in their head, without taking consideration of who they are as a person. The reality of who you are as an African American is blurred out and taken over by the generalization and shared mindset of discrimination against your race.

I enjoy this photograph and think that it is successful for a number for reasons.It manages to incorporate beauty from its crisp reflection and a casual intimacy from the angles from which it was shot at. Also, it had an underlying political/cultural statement as well. I also think that the intentions of the author and the place where we was while shooting this project provides background information I'm glad to be aware of because it strengthens the meaning of the photograph. I applaud Brandon Thibodeaux to create a photograph with such a message whilst presenting it in such a beautiful way.

Montserrat Martínez

4/10/2017 11:52:45 am

The photograph shows a young black boy skipping over a large puddle on the streets. Behind him, a long house-like structure rests in the background. The Mississippi weather is present and represented with plantations and huddled trees. You can almost see and feel the river. In the picture it is also daytime, which can imply that whatever the theme to this photograph is, should be in the light and talked about.

Because of the variety of focus throughout the picture, I'm going to guess that the artist used a shallow depth of field. If I remember correctly, a shallow depth of field allows you to chase what or whom to focus on. In this case, the artist chose to focus on the background. By "background", I mean the building behind the little boy previously mentioned. Which is a weird and unusual choice to make on art.

As much as I'd like to say that the boy is the subject of this picture, I can't bring myself to say so. The reason being, that the boy itself isn't even well-focused. This may be for artistic reasons, or simply that the shutter speed of the camera was too slow to capture a quick movement, like jumping. I believe this both of these to be the case. Another thing, is the this picture was photoshopped, or turned into greyscale because it's completely black and white, which may also be symbolic.

After reading the artist's background, goals and intentions from this project, I have come up with a few of my observations. First, I have decided that the black boy is indeed part of the main picture. The fact that he is blurred, is a statement to the fact that racism is an issue often ignored or imply not brought up for conversation. If you look directly under the boy, his shadow can be seen underneath the puddle, but if you change your perspective a little bit, it almost seems as though the house and the Mississippi world are literally under the shadow of what we previously defined as "racism" (aka the boy).

I really like this picture, and I've come to admire what I perceived to be the theme, specially because I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in English class. It has a nice theme, and I enjoyed analyzing this one. I really believe in the photograph's theme and I'd be happy to promote more of this kind of photography. I believe so, because this is the world in which we live in today. This is by far my favorite picture to analyze.

Sebastian Sotomayor

4/10/2017 08:00:06 pm

The image shows a young African-American boy jumping/running over a puddle in a cloudy day in front of a long, wooden home that seems to be in an impoverished area.In the puddle, one can see the reflection of the boy and of a tree that is behind the house. The road the puddle is on seems to have many holes and is clearly in need of repair. The image is in black and white to show the deep contrasts in the environment. It also gives the image a very dramatic mood. The shadows seem to be quite dark in this image and is completely set up outdoors with natural light.

The image is underexposed in reference to the boy, but seems to be perfectly exposed in reference to the building in the background. The sky seems to be overexposed, but it’s clear that the photographer intended the house to be properly exposed. The child in the image, and his shadow are not in focus. This image was taken with a shallow depth of field and focuses on the house and tree in the background (the tree’s reflection also appears to be in focus). The image appears to be of adequate resolution and no pixelation is apparent. The image was taken with a slow shutter speed in order for the viewer to perceive motion when looking at the child run.

The image is very pleasing to look at because it shows partial symmetry between the top half of the image and the reflection of the puddle in the bottom half. The rule of thirds is being used by placing the child and his reflection within the 2 horizontal lines of thirds. The photo was taken from a low point of view (probably used tiny tripod or laid on the ground) in order to make the reflection a major part of the image. It also causes the child’s running to look more grand that it actually is. The horizontal lines created by the power cables, the roofline of the house, and by the ripple of the puddle give the image a sense of tranquility. The vertical lines made by the legs,arms, and back of the kid gives him a sense of action/dynamicness in the midst of the tranquil space. There is a lot of extra space in the image besides the subject, showing the environment and conditions the boy lives in.

The image may be trying to show how simple life was for the children at these times. Even though the family of this child may not be high up in the economic ladder, the child is still happily running around through puddles after a rainy day. This reminds me of when I went outside after a storm to play in the puddles. I didn’t care about getting wet, or dirty, and just enjoyed my time outside without a single worry. The photographer may be trying to capture that moment. Nothing is more satisfying than stepping on a perfectly tranquil puddle, and the photographer succeeded in capturing that moment. This reflects how the photographer said that he didn’t just capture moments unique to African-American culture, but experiences that we can all relate to. This is another element that makes the image successful. Overall, I really like the photo due to its unique and interesting composition and the way it portrays a theme from childhood.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #19

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