Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #8

1/10/2020

Today you will be writing about this photograph by artist Jerry Uelsmann. This photograph is a composite, or an image made up of several combined photographs.

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 by midnight.

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

Some things to consider:

This photograph is a composite—i.e., it is made up of more than one image.

How is Uelsmann (the photographer) using compositing to influence the overall mood and feeling of the image?
How do you think this image was created?

Isabella

1/10/2020 12:24:45 pm

This is an image that is composed of four different images. First of all, the scene is set in an image of the clouds in the sky and sitting atop the clouds are chairs that are organized into a circle facing each other. Coming out of the circle are flying papers and a man is walking away from the commotion. The image is Black and white and the figure is not identifiable and has no features. The lighting is a healthy balance of shadows and highlights based on its black and white nature. The picture of the sky seems to have been taken at midday and not at night or in direct sunlight.

The composition of the image very much focuses and draws attention to it’s center where the chairs sit and the papers are floating from. The composition is pleasing to look at due to its simplicity and lack of conflict. The point of view is taken very much from a third party looking upon the scene from the sky. There is lots of empty space surrounding the focus point of the image. The negative space however is the clouds thus making it less empty and more stimulating. Because the image was taken from so far away the focus point is very small in size.

The themes or ideas that I have gathered from the image are sadness and loneliness and the image reminds me of an addiction meeting because of the circle of chairs which makes me draw the parallel of addiction and sadness. There is definitely a story being told in the image and if I could understand a bit more of what the papers that are floating meant I would be better able to infer what the story behind it was. This image reminds me of a dream or maybe even religion. The setting looks something like heaven and the lighting reminds me a bit of something my head would associate with god or a higher power. The image could potentially be questioning beliefs of religion or beliefs. The image is serene and beautiful and can be easily felt by the viewer.

I enjoy the image however it makes me feel alone and sad because of the things I associate with it. The clouds make me think of flying in an airplane which makes me think about leaving a place, travelling, saying goodbye. The papers I associate with words and thoughts and the empty chairs remind me of emptiness and addiction. The image is successful due to the craftsmanship it took to put it together in a time where there was no digital technology you could use to do it. The photograph makes me feel uncomfortable in a peaceful way and forces me to challenge my beliefs on religion and afterlife.

To obtain this effect the artist had to meticulously craft the final image through layering, chemistry and machinery. It would take an expert to do so. I assume that the process is long and difficult as well as detail ridden. I think the image was created through a process of layering different images on top of another and having to carve out the backgrounds of all the smaller factors of the image and then find a way to place and organize them all on the background of choice. This must have been difficult without today's technology which, for me, makes the image much more impressive and beautiful because it makes me respect the artist for his skill and creativity.

chloe clark

1/10/2020 12:34:48 pm

This image is in an almost dreamlike setting. It is set in the sky above the clouds. There are 10 chairs circled around each other with papers flying about them, and there is something systematic about the way that those papers, maybe drawings, fly together. We can see a man further away who could either be standing there or walking away. The image is black and white, however there are not very many dark shadows at all.

This image is taken from a bird’s eye view, as if we were looking at this setting above the clouds. The image does not crop off any aspect of the subject, but the subject itself does not completely fill the frame. The floating papers lead the eye upwards through the image. Just from looking at the image, it seems that the circle of chairs is placed using the rule of thirds. The negative space is the endless clouds that do not contain the subject of the image.

For me, this image has a clear theme. It seems as if the circle of chairs and the papers could represent that this man in the back is walking away from his childhood. The circle of chairs could represent the game of musical chairs, which I used to play a lot as a child. The papers flying could represent drawings being made as a child, as most children like to do. This image may be black and white because it represents that it is hard to leave your childhood behind.

I like this image because it is interesting and to me, it shows the pain of growing up. This man has to walk away from his childhood memories. It is a successful image because it represents adulthood. Uelsmann’s image makes me feel a little sad about how one day, I will become an adult and I, too will have to leave these memories behind. But, it also makes me feel a little better thinking about the man walking into the vast, endless possibilities that is the great range of clouds.

This image being a composite makes me think about how much effort went into it. The photographer did not use photoshop to craft this image, meaning that he had to do it by hand using digital negatives. Having that knowledge makes me think about how Uelsmann used multiple aspects of images to express the feeling of adulthood. He did this instead of finding a way to express it in just one image, and to me that means that he felt the need to get the feeling exactly right in his image. I am sure that in making this image, Uelsmann succeeded in capturing the feeling that he was going for.

Nathan Harrison

1/10/2020 04:19:38 pm

The image is set in the clouds with chairs, a shadowy figure, and paper flying from the circle of chairs. The shadowy figure appears to be walking away the circle of chairs. The paper flying away appears to have text on them and maybe important to the shadowy figure. The image does not contain any clears colors or vibrance. It is dark and somewhat gloomy. The image uses very little light even it is balanced in exposure.

The composition of the photo by my opinion is brilliant because even though I have no context on the image and its creator, I say that the image is cool within the first second of looking at it. The image does follow the rule of thirds which helps catch the eye. The bottom left point of the grid is heavily covered by positive space. The point of view at which the camera is higher than the subject and it produces a “after action” effect as it looks like the aftermath of a decision by someone in a movie. The depth of view isn’t far and it isn’t shallow, but at a good distance for the positive space of the image to good. The image looks as if it is unbalanced, but by detail it isn’t. The image is filled with eye catching detail and really isn’t unbalanced.

Like said in the previous paragraph, the image looks like the consequences of someone’s actions. Similar to a long shot/scene of events happening after a person did something in a movie. The image is a shot that I would definitely see in a TV show or a movie.

This image is probably my favorite one to write about so far in this class because of how surreal it is to me. There is a cooling feeling about the picture. The angle of the higher part of the sky, the lower part of the sky, the position of the chairs, and where both parts of the sky meet in the middle almost adds another dimension to the photo, or an extra dimension that most other photos don’t really have.

The image is a composite, which means the photo is made of components several other images. Nowadays composites are usually digital, but this one isn’t. The photographer managed to make this composite in a dark room. He put an existing image in front of light to create the general background and used real objects to create the rest of the image. Thinking about, doing this and creating such a successful image is truly amazing.

Ben Barlow

1/12/2020 08:25:06 pm

The Committee by Jerry Uelsmann is a composite photograph published in a monograph in 2002. At the time this picture was taken in the 70s, software was not yet available to edit digital photography. Uelsmann however, was able to create a technique to manipulate film himself in a darkroom to produce supernatural images. In this particular scene, a shadowy figure is seen walking on the clouds away from a circle of chairs. Papers are seen thrown up in the sky, but the man isn’t looking back to see what is going on behind him.

Jerry Uelsmann most likely was able to achieve the original background photographing inside a helicopter. Through holes in the clouds, glimpses of the earth can almost be made out. Also visible are the upper layers of the stratosphere and the unique cloud shapes that are forming there. The audience has a bird’s eye view above the scene taking place below them. The depth of field is very long, much seen is in focus.

I think the main theme being told by this image is a sense of freedom. The man seen walking away seems to be leaving his problems behind, whatever those chairs may had represented. Another sense of freedom can be seen from being in the clouds themselves. Most people have, at one point in their life, dreamt that they could be among the clouds, free of their current state of mind. Therefore, I think that all people can resonate with this image for the sense of freedom that in conveys.

Overall, I greatly appreciate this image for what it represents. Although I find the papers flying off rather cryptic and nonsensical, the talent that Uelsmann demonstrated in this were exceptional. He was far ahead of his time, and in many ways pioneered the art of using compositing in photography today. Taking this all into account, I think that this made the image very successful. Not only is it interesting to look at, but also it was fabricated through a very difficult and meticulous technique.

I think that compositing in this image leaves a supernatural effect. Although we may often imagine it, seeing someone walk on top of the clouds is not something that can be photographed. Yet Uelsmann did it using technology from the 1970s. The results he produced largely foreshadowed the creation of software such as Adobe Photoshop. The movement Jerry Uelsmann led in the 20th century influenced the next generation of photographers.

Kellen Dukatnik

1/12/2020 10:38:12 pm

The photograph created Jerry Uelsmann depicts someone walking away from a bunch of chairs with papers flying over the chairs. The image uses black and white in order to give the image a sort of sad mood. The lighting is rather dark, but the place it is taken seems as if it should be fairly bright. The objects in the image are chairs and papers. In the image, papers are flying above chairs while a man walks away, while above the clouds.
The composition is quite pleasing to look at because it’s an interesting setting and the small number of objects there are. The rule of thirds is being used because a corner is set in the middle of all of the chairs. The image uses a semi-deep depth of field. The lines of the image start in the middle of the chairs then leads up through the paper. The subject does not fill the image there are a lot of clouds all around the edges of the image.
The ideas of the image make the indication that this could be like a thought or a representation of how someone felt when they shared their ideas with a group. There could be a story about a personal experience the photographer had. The image reminds me of a dream where everyone could walk on clouds. The artist may have made this to paint the aftermath of something traumatic event that required therapy. The image is interesting because of how the artist created it before masking was invented.
I enjoyed the image because of the time it would have taken to create. Because the image editing was done in a darkroom rather than Photoshop, the effort to create this is for more excruciating. The photograph was successful in creating a dream-like reality for the viewer. The image does a great job in the message it was trying to portray, which is making a dream-like photo.
The photo was created in a dark room. The photographer uses compositing in order to give the photo imaginary features such as walking on clouds. This revolutionary photo was unlike any other at the time, because of this it influenced many photographers to come. Uelsmanns photos would inspire many photographers to come. This photograph may have been a key role in creating compositing on many Photoshop software in the future.

Isaiah Rettig link

1/13/2020 12:31:32 pm

The image is of a person walking away from a circle of chairs. Both the chairs and the person are high above in the clouds. From the center in the circle of chairs pieces of paper can be seen flying either into it or away from it. The picture is in black and white to add a sad tone. No specifics such as the man’s face and the writing on the paper can be made out.
The image is pleasing to look at because of it’s confusing meaning. The point of view from a high distance. There are no lines to direct your eyes but if you follow the papers down you will see the circle of chairs. Nothing is cropped off in the image. The mains subjects do not take up much of the image causing there to be a lot of negative space.
Though the story is very vague but too main themes seem to be mystery and leaving something behind. The man perhaps is the last member of some type of group and now must leave. It could represent being the last one in a friend group before it splits apart. The clouds, papers and chairs all form a question mark. It could also mean leaving questions behind and letting things go. The image is beautiful because so many stories for it could be right.
I love the image because it’s very thought provoking and does so much with so little. The image is so mysterious in every aspect but never needing to explain itself. It’s also impressive that this was made before the time of photoshop. The image reminds me of of the end of a movie when the main character can finally leave the source of conflict. This piece is successful in the way that it expresses a vague idea that can tell many stories.
The piece most likely has three masks. To take the photo the easiest part was probably getting the chairs in a circle and the person to walk away from them. The second mask would be the papers flying in the air. The third and base mask would be the shot of the clouds. He would then have to put all of these mask together in a dark room.

mateo

1/13/2020 12:33:48 pm

This image is of someone walking on clouds with a paper tornado surrounded by chairs behind them. The image is in black and white. The lighting is provided by a sun covered by clouds. There are chairs, clouds, papers and a person in the image.

Its pleasing to look at because of the randomness and the supernatural element of it. There is a shallow depth of field being used. The focal point is the tornado of paper in the middle of the image. The lines above the tornado direct your eyes to look down towards the tornado. There is empty space all around the tornado. The edge of the image cuts off the rest of the clouds.

The idea behind the image is to be dreamlike and surreal. The artist made this photograph because it is not possible in the real world and it makes you imagine what is beyond the clouds. This image reminds of a dream I had where I was walking on the clouds. The image is beautiful because of the calm feeling it gives me and because of how it is not possible in the real world gives me room to imagine what other images could be created like this.

I liked the image and the dream it reminded me of. I enjoyed the colors and the setting. The black and white is a direct contrast of the vividness of dreams but the image reminds me of how random dreams can be and I enjoy it. The photograph was successful because it achieved reminding me of dreams I have had before.

The photographer, Jerry Uelsmann, is using compositing to include more objects in his image. He is also using compositing to make the floor of clouds and still have a sky with clouds above him. He also placed a person and chairs on the clouds through compositing. He is using compositing to influence the overall mood and feeling of the image by making the impossible happen and give us the idea that this is a dream.

Abby Muir

2/9/2020 06:20:43 pm

This image appears to be of a circle of chairs up in the clouds, with papers flying away and a man walking away from the circle. It is black and white, so you can’t tell what colors are in the image. When I zoom in, it looks like the papers are either pictures or newspaper articles. The light is filtering through the clouds and focusing on the circle, while the outer edges of the image is quite dark. The sky is also very dark.

The papers were the first thing I noticed. They directed my eye to the chairs, and I then noticed the man walking away. The rule of thirds is kind of being used? I think it depends on the viewer to determine the subject of this photograph. The subject definitely doesn’t fill the frame.

The reason the image looks this way is because of the time it was made. Digital printing and developing wasn’t yet available, so they had to use darkrooms. This created an almost dreamlike effect. Obviously, he used an older version of compositing. He most likely took the cloud photo out of an airplane, then the circle of chairs, then the newspapers, and finally the figure walking away.

After he took those images, he somehow put them together in a way that made them look like they are all one image. For me, this creates a calming, dreamlike effect. It almost embodies the saying “less is more”. He managed to take a relatively simple photograph and make it thought provoking as well as pleasing to look at. Pictures really are worth a thousand words, and this really shows that.

This reminds me of a dream I once had. I was in a room with white walls, no door, window, or anything. The only thing in the room was a black wood chair. This voice kept telling me to not sit in the chair, so I didn’t. I felt underneath it and found a lever, and pulled it. The floor disappeared, and I was falling. Then, I just landed right back where I was. It was the weirdest dream, but this image reminds me of it.

Comments are closed.

Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #8

Analyze

Archives

Categories

Home