Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #7

11/3/2017

Today you will be writing about this photograph by artist Bryan Schutmaat. This image is from his series called Grays The Mountain Sends, a series of portraits, still life, and landscapes Schutmaat made of mining towns in the contemporary American West and the people who inhabit them.

Your analysis must be 5 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.

If you do not complete your analysis in class, you must finish it for homework before your next class on MONDAY, 11/6/17.

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

Pato Wray link

11/3/2017 11:38:44 am

The image we have to write bout is by the name of Brian Schutmaat. He was a guy who made a collection of photos just like this one. He was in the mining business and he got this guy from it (I think). The picture in general looks very good. The lines look like there coming up to the guys face and it leads to that.

The guy who is in the photo is very old judging from the looks of his face. It might have been because he was also a miner and they work outside all day long. But there might have been because he's old. the picture was taken in shallow depth of field. You can tell this by the blur in the background. This might have been something similar to what we have to do and it's to go out on the streets and find people willing to take the photo.

It looks like they both sat down and had lunch or something together because they are sitting at a booth somewhere. His skin tone looks very pink so he might have been an outdoor guy. His eyes are actually very beautiful and they kinda strike at you once you see the photo. The restaurant (If they went to one) was very formal because everything in the back is very white and you can see everything so clearly. I do like the subject that the guy chose.

His nose also looks very big and it also kinda leads to the beautiful eyes that the guy luckily had. Maybe the guy was in his late 70's or earlier. He had very chapped lips to. I think the guy needs some chap stick or something. He was lucky to have these beloved face.

The person who shot the photo was very gifted to have such a wise guy. He looks like he could be an interesting guy. I do in fact like the photo and want to see me do it this weekend. Theres a lot of people willing to take the photo. And this guy was the best one I've seen.

Maria Tirado

11/3/2017 11:41:07 am

This image is of an old white colored man with light blue eyes. He is wearing a black colored shirt with white detailing. One thing I noticed about the colors he is including in this image is that they are complimentary colors. His light blue eyes contrast with his orangey looking hair and also with the brown sofa in the background. This man was not entirely happy in this photograph, but he is still the main object.

This image is very pleasing to look at, because of the color selection that is in this photograph. This looks like it has been shot inside, maybe in front of a window. The natural light allows Bryan Schutmaat, the artist, to make a good exposure. This image was shot with a shallow depth of field, because the background is blurred out. The upper body of this stranger fills up most of the image as the subject.

I really like this project that Schutmaat created, because it is very unique. Because we are about to shoot our own 50 images of strangers with correct exposures, I can understand how difficult this project must’ve been. You would have to be open and prepared for rejection while still not getting discouraged. I also love the fact that all of these strangers were hard workers and laborers. The expression on the faces of these men tell a story.

There are multiple stories to take away from this image, but I believe this aged man is just tired. His right eye is a little red, as well as his under eye bags. It could be that he has been out in the sun all day and is tired and anxious from working every day. He doesn't have a smile or a straight relaxed face, but he has a frown. This man is also very skinny and looks healthy for a guy his age.

This image is beautiful in its own unique way. It is pleasing to look at compositionally, but it is not one of my favorite pieces of work from his project. My favorite part that I enjoy looking at in this image is his stare straight at the camera with very pretty light blue eyes. I believe this photograph tells a story and gives variety to the rest of the dark pictures provided in the rest of this project. You can say this image was successful.

Marissa Elizondo

11/3/2017 11:48:32 am

This image is a portrait of a white man with blue eyes sitting on a couch. This man is also wearing a black shirt. In the image there is nothing happening in the background; it seems to be just a plain light greyish wall. The lighting is very bright and clear. The light looks like natural lighting. The colors in this image are pretty neutral except for the pop of blue in the man’s eye. The emotion expressed by the man’s face seems to be tired and unhappy.

This image is pleasing to look at. This image was taken in the point of view of the photographer. The subject of the image is the man and he does not take up the whole frame. This image was shot in a shallow depth of field and you can tell because his face is really in focused while the background is not. The couch has some leading lines in the bottom right side of the image that directs your eye to the subject.

This image is a portrait of a stranger that Bryan Schutmaat photographed. This image seems to have been taken inside in front of a window. He was probably up close to the person because the image is of the man’s top half of his body. The focus of this image was set really good, since the face of the man is really sharp and not blurry like the background. I can take inspiration from Bryan Schutmaat because on how to take good portraits of my family and stranger for my next project in digital art.

Based on the background information about Bryan Schutmaat his project about taking pictures of strangers who worked in mines in the american west I can form a theme. A potential theme for this picture is that life is not easy or great for everyone. In this image the man looks really skinny and worn out. His emotions express that he is tired and unhappy. This picture is trying to show how not everyone has it easy and not everyone gets to work in the dream job and live their dream life.

I like this image, I think it is beautiful. However, it is not my favorite. I think this image is very successful because it is a good quality picture. It has a very good use of light and focus very well on the subject. I like that the photographer put in a lot of work into this image and the project is image is a part of. This image does tell a story and grabs the viewer's attention.

Larissa Esparza

11/3/2017 11:56:52 am

Bryan Schutmaat is a photographer that traveled around the American west to take pictures of mines and miners. The images of the miners and even the landscapes sometimes look tired and worn out. The miners look tired and worn out not only because of the hard work they have been doing but also because of the cold and dry but also hot weather they have to endure on their long days at work. The images capture a feeling of dissatisfaction, they feel dissatisfaction because they have been working so hard and they probably haven’t reached their goal in life. This image captures a bright day with its lighting shining on the subject.

The subject is an old white man with blonde hair and wrinkled skin. The old man’s hairs seems to be fading out but his blue eyes are big and grab ones attention. This image is taken in shallow depth of field.The brown and white in the background mix well with the man’s black shirt and light skin tone. The lighting the photographer used was natural and seemed to be strong but not overexposed. The man seems to be in a restaurant or cafe while being photoed.

This image is pleasing to look at because of the lighting and colors being used. The colors that are being used mix well with each other because they're all earth tones and not flashy colors. The lighting really focuses on the subject and his facial features. The photographer took the image at a regular eye level of the photographer and is using rule of thirds because the subject is directly in the middle of the image. The lines in this image are the lines of the booth and lead us to the man.

I think the story being told in this image is the story of the man life. The story is being told with his worn out and tired facial features. The man looks sad, we may not know the reason but we know that he has been working for a long time. Throughout time he could have faced many hardships which led to his sad expression. The artist made these images to tell the story of the miners that have worked hard throughout history. The images tell a story for all the miners as one;they are all tired and worn out.

I do like this image, I like this image because of the lighting,colors and story. The photographer has a theme for his whole collection and that is the story of miners that are older looking and tired. There’s little amount of young people in the images because they don’t tell the same story as the older men. The older men tell a stronger story of hardship. I think this image is successful both because it is eye pleasing and because it tells a story.

Jessica Mims

11/3/2017 11:59:22 am

This is a relational portrait by Bryan Schutmaat. The image is of a stranger from the chest up. He is staring into the camera with a neutral expression. He is wearing a black shirt. The man looks very old, but he might appear this way because he is a miner. His job might have weathered his body, so he probably looks older than he actually is, since the work he does is very strenuous. The background of this image is neutral, while the man's face has a hue that is almost pink. His eyes stand out because they are one of the only cool colors in this image. The lighting is bright, and it is probably natural.

This image is very pleasing to look at. The color of his eyes is complimented by the color of his skin. The depth of field is shallow. His face is very focused, and we can see all of the lines and hairs on his face clearly. The background is very blurred, but I think that this is good because it is irrelevant to the image.

This image is taken from a 3rd person point of view. It was probably taken at eye level because the subject seems to be looking directly at the camera. The rule of thirds is being used in this photograph, the subject is in the center of the image. The only thing being cut off by the edges of this photo is a couch and a blank wall in the background. My eye is directed to the subject of this image by the lines in the background, and the white lines on his black shirt.

The story behind this image is that this stranger is a miner somewhere in the American West. The photographer drove around this region taking photos of different things that would capture the essence of this project. His goal was to capture images of people and environments of the miners in the west. The feel of this entire project is worn out, tired, and weathered. We can see this in the colors that are being used, the environments, and the subject’s facial expressions.

I like this image. I really like the colors that are being used, especially the shades of pink and blue. I think that this photo and entire project are successful. I think that Schutmaat successfully captured images that tell stories about people's lives. Each photograph is made well, and all of them are interesting to look at.

Mikaela Mumme

11/3/2017 01:25:50 pm

This is an image of a man and he looks very thin. You can tell by the man's face he probably works outside because his skin looks weathered. The man is kind of old, maybe early to mid-fifties and does not appear very happy. The lighting of this image is bright and uses a cold color palette. This gives the image a welcoming and cozy feel.

This image has a shallow depth of field really allowing you to focus on the subject. The photographer took this image flat-footed more than likely. The man has two white lines and a row of buttons on his shirt and it frames him by all the lines leading to his face. The subject fills the frame really well in this space not leaving much negative space. These lines are very symmetrical balancing out the image, helping center the man. Both the positive and negative space uses cool-toned colors, except for the man whose face has some red.

This image is narrative and has a theme of storytelling. I feel like the image tells a story about telling stories. The man looks so calm and relaxed also unhappy. Even though he has very little emotion I think the story is in his emotionless face. I think the man tells a dull story. Maybe even about hardships of work and life because of the weathering of his face.

I think this photo was made very bravely by the photographer knowing this man is a stranger from another country. It is also unique because this man tells a story not everyone more maybe here in the united states has live dor understands. I think the photographer used geography to his advantage in this series of pictures he made. By showing us the physical and maybe cultural differences of people. This is brave and is a personal story that is very unique not everyone is willing to share and this photographer was able to capture that in his photos. He also had to be brave in asking the people to share their stories and they had to be brave too. I think he had to choose his subjects and find someone who would take on the persona of the story he wanted to get across.

I enjoy this image and I think it is made with good quality. I really enjoy the lighting and composition and think it is a successful image. It also tells a good story and makes you feel something more, which I think is cool. I like that the image is simple, good quality, and still, gives a narrative. I personally really like this image and would like owning it.

Ryan Kyle

11/4/2017 03:46:24 pm

This photograph is of am old man who doesn't really appear to be doing anything. The image uses two main colors, white and black. Maybe these colors are used to complement the simplicity of the image itself. The lighting looks like diffused light, maybe light coming through a window to be specific. The man in the image is not really doing anything and instead is just kind of sitting down and looking at the camera.

The composition of the image is not really that pleasing to look at because of the harshly contrasting colors of the man's shirt and everything else in the photo. The rule of thirds is being used because the man is in the center of the photo. This is kind of a second person point of view image because it is showing the man and is kind of emphasizing the “you” part of the image. The picture uses a very shallow depth of field. The depth of field is so shallow that you can even see how the man's face is in focus but his torso is not.

The focal point of the image is the man's face. There aren't any real lines in the image that lead your eyes to the subject. The photo is almost symmetrical except for the fact that the man's shoulders are slightly to the left. The subject mostly fills the frame with some space left over. Nothing is really cropped out either.

The themes of this image could be simplicity or aging. This picture is too vague to really know if there is a story or not. The artist made the image as a collection of portraits (I'm just assuming). The image doesn't really bring anything to mind except maybe golf because this man looks like he might be playing or enjoy playing golf. I don't particularly think that this image is very noteworthy or interesting.

I think that the photograph is unsuccessful because of how boring it is. From looking at the other pictures that the other classes had to write analysis on, I can see that theirs are more interesting than this one. If what the artist was going for was interesting self portraits, then this picture was not a successful part of that.
There is just not enough going on for the image to be interesting. I don't really like this image overall. That's not to say that this artist's work is bad because his other images are interesting, but this one just doesn't appeal to me.

Zach Burgos

11/5/2017 07:07:55 pm

This image is a person who is or was a miner. The colors Bryan Schutmaat used was white and black. Bryan used most likely used a studio setup because it seems really bright. The objects in the image are the miner and a couch. The miner is sitting and getting his picture taken.

The image does not look pleasing to look at because the miner looks very tired and somewhat sad. The rule of thirds is not being used because the miner is the center of the object. Bryan took this photograph in the 2nd person and he is directly facing the miner. Bryan is using a low depth of field because the background is blurred. The focal point is the miner’s face and it is framed by the depth of field.

The lines of the image are the couch and the miner’s outline going towards his face. The image is balanced and it is asymmetrical. The subject mostly fills the image but there is still some area near the top left and right. The edge of the image is a couch and it cuts off the rest of the couch. The positive space is the miner and the negative space is the couch and the background.

The themes of the image were probably to take pictures of miners. I don’t think there is a story behind the image. Bryan made these images to show what the people that still live in the mining towns look like. The image reminds me of what people wear at rodeos and what cowboys wear. The image is interesting because the miner looks very tired and worn out.

I don’t really like this image mostly because the miner looks tired and sad. The miner looks very worn out by his job. I think the photograph was successful because it looks very well done. You can see the emotion and the tiredness of the miner. It’s not easy for strangers to show themselves to other people.

Josh salehi

11/6/2017 08:40:36 am

Critical analysis

This imagine by bryan schutmaat is of an old man staringing into the camera. This man traveled to the midwest and he is wearing traveling clothes.This image has a lot of light in the backround and i really enjoy this image.My favorite part of the image is how he is staring at the camera because we haven't really seen those type of pictures that don't have many distracting things in the background.

This image is a very shallow depth of view and the background is bright but at the same time it is blurry. The guy is wearing a black shirt in this image and his shirt has white buttons on it and white stripes.The man has really blue eyes and his face is a little wrinkled up and he has many freckles all over his face. His hair is blonde and it is cut short.

The image has three main colors that stand out to the eye the most. There is a lot of blue at the top from the sky. And there is a reddish brown in the back of him which looks like it is from a canyon or a mountain. This color pattern makes the man's shirt stand out better because the background is blurry and he is clear.

This image can tell a lot of stories because since the guy travels a lot and he explores the world t could possibly tell a story of one of his many days in his life he spent getting out of his car and exploring the different places he stops at. It could also be a picture of him taking an id photo because in most id photos the people looks straight at the camera without smiling.

I really like this image because it showcases different versions of photography. I also think this image is successful because of how well it was taken and also the light and the background blur is really well shot. The colors in the photograph reflect of each other and it is really pleasing to the eye.

Marynez Cantu

11/6/2017 10:57:37 am

This is a very interesting photograph taken by Bryan Schutmaat. I was very surprised when I learned that he didn’t know the people which he photographed, because it honestly takes up a lot of courage to go up to a complete stranger and ask to photograph them. This a photograph taken of an elderly man, he has very sea blue eyes, he has blonde hair, and he has many wrinkles.

There is very good lighting in this photograph and I believe that this was taken midday near a very bright window. Bryan Schutmaat did a great job because this photograph could have easily been over exposed since there is a large amount of lighting, I also believe that he had a fast shutter speed since the photograph is clearly seen and the lighting is very controlled. What really stands out to me is the stranger's eyes since that is what the viewers eye is directed to.

The stranger in this photograph is wearing a black buttoned down shirt with two white stripes, this looks like a very typical country shirt so I can presume that he is from the west. The stranger is very serious, almost as if he were sad or mad. The photographer, Bryan Schutmaat, most likely told him how to position himself and what his facial expression should be like. The subject in this photograph has a very light type of skin, and in some parts of his face you can see a little bit of red.
The lighting in this photograph is very good, it seems to be as if there is a window in front of the person being photographed which gives a good view of the person. His eyes are bright blue and they really stand out.

Kate Madison

11/9/2017 06:21:23 pm

This is a photo by Bryan Schutmaat where he went around traveling through the American West taking pictures of strangers and still-life and this seems to be one of those strangers. This image is of a miner or worker at least that Bryan found in the West. This image is mostly using natural colors and black. The lighting is most likely set-up studio light. Objects included in this a miner’s face.

The rule of third is not being used in this image, it is on the first line but it is mostly in the middle box. This image was taken from the third point of view - viewing life from your perspective. This is using a shallow depth of field, which is obvious since the man is focused but the background is blurred. This image is pleasing to look at because it has a nice, soft background and then the man is sharp but his wrinkles look smooth so it’s not so bad. This image’s focal point is the man.

The lines are the different colors oh the man’s shirt the direct your eyes to his face. I do not think that this image is balanced because the man is standing a little sideways, throwing it a little off. There is extra space around the picture. The edge of the image is the wall behind him and all that is being cut off is the extra wall. The negative space is around the man and the positive space is the man.

I like this image because old people always look kind and caring. This image shows how some people work their entire life and might not end up where they want to me in life. This photo seems unfortunate because he has worked there a long time and he could still be 40 or 50 but the work has aged him to look older. I feel like he could be replaced with a younger worker that can be faster at getting materials or minerals and that’s sad. He might have no family that supports him througtout these times.

Troy Rollwitz

11/13/2017 05:36:31 pm

In this photo by Bryan Schutmaat, we see an elderly man. It is a portrait of him alone, nothing else is in the picture that we would pay attention too, just a blurred couch. The man’s face is has more wrinkles that most elderly’s faces, so we immediately assume that he has had a hard life. He looks utterly worn out. The lighting used is diffused, white light. The only shadow I see is from the couch, and even then I am not completely sure that is is a shadow. The photo was taken pretty close to his face, it captures just below the chest and above.

The image is using the rule of thirds, because the man is slightly in the left side of the frame. Bryan is using a very shallow depth of field, only the man’s face is in focus, his neck, and ears, and everything else in the frame is blurred. There are really no lines directing our eyes, his shoulder acts as one a little but I wouldn’t count it as such because every portrait has that. His eyes are a bright blue, and that color attracts the attention of our eyes. The subject fills the frame, and there is nothing else for us to see.

The image is trying to show us a story of what the toll of hard work is on your body. We know that he was a manual laborer. And we see in his face that he looks worn out and is full of wrinkles. I think this image was made to make us feel lucky for our lives, that we don’t have to go through those hard ship.

I like this image, though I wouldn’t put it in my room or anything like that. I like it because it tells a powerful story. Without knowing any background information, I already assume that he has had a hard life and I think Bryan did a very good job at telling the story.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #7

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