Period 7 -- Critical Analysis #4

10/15/2018

©Natsumi Hayashi

Today you will be writing about this self-portrait image by Japanese artist Natsumi Hayashi.

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 before 4PM Wednesday, 10/17/18.

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:

What steps might the artist have had to take to make this photograph happen? Do you think this would be a simple or difficult image to create?
What does the perspective that this was taken from suggest about the artist?
A self-portrait tells us something about the person being photographed. What do you think this artist wants us to take away from her photograph?

Campbell Streak-Jensen

10/15/2018 01:06:25 pm

The image is of a sewing factory. There is a lot of pink fabric around the factory. There is a girl who is levitating in the middle of the photograph looking at one of the workers. There are a lot of sewing machines, which all of the workers are using. Most of them are wearing masks mostly due to germs and diseases.

The image shows a lot of workers at their jobs. The lighting looks like sunlight but there might be some help from lights. Almost all of the women are wearing pink shirts, including the one in the middle. There is a man in the back right of the photo wearing a gray shirt. There are cords coming from the sewing machines that are going to a pole that is above them.

The photograph is pleasing to look at because the levitating woman is in the middle while there are workers on either side of her. The focal point is the woman in the middle who is levitating. There is extra space in the frame. The rule of thirds is not being used in this photo because the focal point is in the middle.

This photograph looks a bit like a dream. It looks like she is flying around looking at the workers. The possible intention of this photograph is to show the workers. That there are so many workers in a tight space making the same thing. This could challenge possible ethical beliefs about mass workers in tight spaces working for, possibly, low wages.

I do like the photograph. The photograph is pleasing to look at for me because of the colors. The photograph is also pleasing to look at because of the levitating woman being right in the middle. I do not know whether the photographer was successful or not because I do not know her full intentions for making this. If she was trying to make a photo with a woman that looked like she was flying, then yes she was successful.

Shayna Bolton

10/15/2018 01:08:58 pm

The image depicts a girl floating, she watches workers around her manufacturing clothing. There are many workers around her wearing special sanitary clothing. She stands out because she wears typical clothing, not created for a specific purpose. It uses lots of pinks to draw the eye to things the artist wants to pop. The lighting is very dark, like the lighting of a factory, there are very little shadows in the picture.

I think it is pleasing to look at because, none of the workers pay attention to the girl. It has a sort of calming effect on the viewer, there is no danger or large events happening. The rule of thirds is not being used in this picture, you know this because the main object is in the center of the screen. A shallow depth of field is being used, this means that a small amount of the foreground is very crisp and in focus. However, all of the background is very blurry and out of focus, as to not draw attention to it.

I think that the theme of the photo is a sort of calmness or serenity. The girl is in her own little world where others don’t react or pay attention to her. The story being told in the image might be of a young girl who is looking at the place where she will one day work. This can be guessed from the fact that all the workers are women in a clothing factory, and, usually, women work in clothing factories, especially in days. I think the artist made this image because she wanted to show how workers in factories can be slaves, they all work in very pristine and clean conditions for long hours.

I like the image because it can be seen as telling many different stories. It’s a picture with lots of variety and possibilities. It is viewed exactly as how the viewer wants it to be, they can make up anything to explain what is happening in the picture. I think the photo is successful because the photographer managed to make it both pretty, and possibly dangerous. The girl could be in a situation where she is in trouble, or she could just be touring a workplace in a futuristic world.

The artist may have had to take many advanced steps in getting the girl to look like she’s floating. She could have had the girl balance on certain things against a green screen, and then crop out the things around her. I think it would be a difficult to create because the effect that the girl has on her surroundings is something special that not many people can recreate. The perspective of this photo shows that the artist has lots of imagination and creativity to think up something like this. The artist wants us to take away from the photograph the fact that anything is possible, even superhuman powers or special effects.

Eduardo Saucedo

10/15/2018 01:11:35 pm

This image is about an Asian company that's making some type of food or paper, the lady is levitating and wondering around the room. this image is using bright colors in order to show a word of fantasy. the main subject is the girl that is levitating. she is checking is the product that they are making might have any defects or issues. my point of view of this image is probably that the lady is dreaming about having some sort of levitating powers.

The story is being told in this image because the colors come alive and that makes the photograph tell a story of fantasy combined with reality. the theme of this image is that dreaming will never get old. this means that if your 88 years old, you can still have weird dreams because its what makes you childhood fun. this reminds me of a dream I had about me being in a white room and there were people flying around me. the artist is successful, because he/she is showing you a photo of something that most of us don't think about.

Anson Adamek

10/15/2018 01:17:18 pm

Critical analysis 3

The image is of a bed that is stationed inside of a juvenile detention. The room has a bed, baby pictures on the wall, a box that looks like it has blankets in it, and a pair of black basketball shoes. Its using very chill and not very vibrant colors, i think it’s a sign of worthlessness in the image, like nothing exciting is happening. The lighting is good and bright, and the source seems to be from a window.It has sorta depressing light though. There isn't really anything happening in the image but i would assume that the person staying there has been there for a while because he has the pictures and the box signifying that he has built up some things while they was incarcerated there.

It isn't really pleasant to look at because it sparks sadness and really makes you put yourself in the person’s shoes. There is rule of thirds. The angle is from the side of the bed.Deep depth of field. The focal point is the bed for me because that's the first thing i noticed when i first saw the picture.The lines are the bottom of the bed lining and the frame of the bed. The image isn't symmetrical because none of the things come into the same place. I think there are multiple subjects and that they all sort of line the photo, from the pictures to the bed, and to the shoes, then to the box. The edge of the image is right about on the line of the box. There is negative and positive space, there is the blank spots on the wall and everything else in the room.

I believe the themes and the ideas of the image is that there is a juvenile is staying in that bed. I think the image represents lost hope and nothing much left to push on. The artist made this image to put a perspective in your eyes, to really understand, and step into the juveniles shoes. This image reminds me of the old bedsheets that my grandma has at her house, they look like them alot. I do think it challenges political belief because people could argue that this type of punishment is too rough or that its too easy on them.I think the image is noteworthy because i really saw myself in that bed and compared my gracious lifestyle to their challenging ones.

I like this image because it makes you put yourself in the other person’s shoes and really see how great your life is compared to theirs. It shows us to be grateful and to not complain. It also shows us the consequence of those who break rules. I wouldn't want to stay there that long. I think this image is successful because it made me think and use my mind in a positive way.

Anson

10/15/2018 01:18:33 pm

The image is a picture of a factory that looks like some sort of sowing. The image is showing a-lot of pink, white, and green. The lighting is the factory’s lights and it is decently bright.There are possibly Japanese women working on sewing machines making some sort of cloth item on their desks. It seems as women are working in a sewing factory.

The lines are the 2 desks and they direct me to the girl levitating. Yes because every line is perfectly straight and the camera isn't tilted. The subject does not fill the frame because there is more room around the levitating girl. The edge of the image is the ends of the desks. This image does have negative and positive space because there is other points other then the girl.
I would say the theme of the image is unfair wages and strict policies that dominates the Japanese factories. I think there is a story being told in the image, it seems as the workers must be 100 percent perfect and are treated harshly. The artist made this image to maybe protest unfair wages and a corrupt factory system. This image reminds me of the movie “Blade Runner 2049” where there is a scene where there is child labor and unfair and cruel punishments. I could believe that there is political ideologies, such as wages and punishments towards workers. This image is beautiful because the green and pink scenery go very well with everything.
I like this image but i wouldn't particularly add it as my computer wallpaper of have it as a picture or poster. I like it in a way that i wouldn't be astonished by it, but i would (and i do) think it's beautiful. This picture is successful because its not blurry, doesn't have unneeded attention towards somewhere else. The picture has good details and good colors, making a pretty good and aesthetically pleasing picture. There is a good message that i believe goes along with it also.

Reagan

10/15/2018 01:19:03 pm

The Floating Women

Pink blouse, blue and white striped skirt, and black shoes. The drained women, strung up by threads, dangs in the air with her lifeless skin. Surrounding the floating women are pink threads and wired haling the girl up. People that are sewing pink threads to make clothes, are disregarding the women floating. Cabels of all sorts of colors hang for the ceiling.
When first looking at this photo you see everything at a stop. Each neon color and popping white balances each other out. The machines are aligned in a way so that they lead the lookers eyes to the floating woman. Since there are so many people and machines in the picture, the frame is complete filled leaving no room for mistake. The frame crops of the rest of the factor. Wide aperture is being used to focus on the women.
I think the storying being told in this picture is about the girl and the thread. That we make ourselves into something that we want to be and are swallowed into society as one. This photo is more than meets the eye, showing how some women thread themselves into being a pink and black floating doll. I think the way the colors balance each other out make the photo very beautiful. It is a very interesting photo that i would like to get to know more about.
The photo must of been a very hard picture to get perfectly, since this is a self portrait. She would of had to first get a subject to stand where she was going to and focus on them. Then she would have to set a ten second timer. She would then have to attempt to jump and no make a blurry picture. She would also have to have a fast shutter speed.
I personally like this photo. I think it has a deeper meaning to it and is very overwhelming but simple at the same time. The way the cloths shine when the outside light hits it, flatters the cloths very well and illuminate them. I think the authors goal in making this picture was nothing specific. I think it was to make the looker feel peaceful and to tell the readers each a different story.

Andrea Gonzalez

10/15/2018 01:19:12 pm

Critical Analysis #4

In this image, a woman is depicted levitating and looking over another woman who is working in a factory that produces clothing and garments. The two women are not alone as there are also many other people vigorously working on creating materials. Bright, happy, and pastel colors are used everywhere in this picture. Shadow areas are not dark, in fact the darkest parts of the picture are the heads full of dark brown hair that belong to all the women. Machines are everywhere, and everyone is using them to do their everyday work.
This is an image full of things to look at. Because of this, negative space is scarce and the image looks cluttered. The woman is the main focus, or focal point, of the image. She is framed by all of the machines and people around her. A shallow depth of field is being used as the first two rows of women are the only ones in focus.
When looking at this photograph, your eye will immediately be lead to the subject of the image. This is because the two desks in front act as leading lines, and it is only natural to have your eye follow them to the subject of the image. Not only do these leading lines tell you to look at the main woman, but they also lead you to look at the middleground and the background. The subject of the image does not fill the frame and is practically being swallowed by all of the other things to look at. This image is also very symmetrical, as practically everything you see on one side of the image is replicated on the other side.
To me, the theme in this image is about how technology is revolutionizing the world and how some people are struggling to keep up. The woman in the front is trying to look at the lady next to her, and she is trying to understand how to use these machines. Although I have come up with a very elaborate explanation for this image, it is also possible that the photographer just wanted to show that she can make herself appear as if she is levitating with photoshop. I believe that this image is beautiful because of all the light colors being used. Many people may be reminded of their childhoods with these light and fun colors.
I do like this image. This is because this image reminds me of a time when stress was not an issue. Not only do I think that the colors make this image successful, I believe that when a picture can tell many different stories, it is a good one. The image is also interesting. All of the people and machines give a great amount of things to look at and focus on. This photograph is one that should be observed by everyone that has the chance to see it.

Hannah Barrow

10/15/2018 01:20:39 pm

In this image, there are many rows of tables with women that have sewing machines and are sewing pink fabrics. In the center of the image is a girl wearing the same shirt as the rest of the women seeming to be levitating in the air looking at one of the women sitting down working. The floor is green and the shirts the ladies are wearing are white with a pink logo. The tables are white almost yellow. The lighting looks very artificial, not natural light from outside. The tables are specially made for sewing machines. There are wires and cords in the air connected to all of the machines powering them. The building they are in looks very much like a factory. The desks are numbered and are all crammed close together.

This image is not pleasant to look at. It is kind of freaky to look at. The rule of thirds is not being used. The subject is in the center of the image. The point of view is from the ground but it looks a little taller than a person's view. The depth of field is shallow, the background is blurry. Lines that draw your eye could be the desks because they are in a a row and lead to the subject. The image is balanced. There isn’t extra space in the image but if you are just focusing on the subject then there is a lot of extra space because the people in the image working take up most of the space in the image. The frame looks like it is cutting off most of the room and the people in that part of the room.

I don’t know what the idea is behind this image. I think there is a story either. I don’t see a purpose to the image beside looking cool like the subject is levitating. I don’t know why the artist made this image of what her intent was. This image really just kind of freaks me out how she is levitating over all of the people working in this factory.

I don’t like this image. I don’t like how the green color looks with any of the other colors in the image. I can't say if this artist was successful or not because I don’t know what they were trying to do. They were successful in making it look like there is a person levitating but that is all. The extra people in the image don't seem to have a purpose in the images story if even there is one.

Hannah Growney

10/15/2018 01:23:12 pm

This image depicts a woman floating above other women who are sewing. It is a self portrait of a woman jumping. There are many women sitting all around her with pink fabrics, and threads on their tables. The women are dressed in what seems to be a uniform. It consists of a white button up shirt, and a black and white striped skirt.

This image is using mainly white, pink, green, and black. The lighting is sunlight and probably incandescent. When first looking at this image my eyes were immediately drawn to the woman seemingly levitating. The more you look at this image the more it seems that the woman is not levitating, but just jumping. It is a very balanced image because there are women sewing on either side of the jumping subject.

Just looking at this image I find it very pleasing to look at, mostly because of the colors. The pink goes very will with the pink of the fabric and yarn. There is no rule of thirds being used because the main subject, the woman, is in the center frame. This image was taken with a larger aperture, because you can’t see most of the things in the background. I believe that the lines in the image draw your eyes almost directly to the woman.

I believe that this is a successful image. I believe that this took another person to create this image. I think this because it would be easier to just jump once or twice and have another person hit the shutter button. The alternative to having another person there would be to set a timer, or have a button to push, however getting the timing correct on either of those would be challenging. Having another person to do this for you could eliminate the time it takes to create a good image such as this.

I think this image says a lot about the artist. To me this shows that the artist lakes to rebel and stand out. She is in the factory uniform like everyone else, but isn’t working. She is the only one without a desk, or any other form of work. I think this also says that she likes to do her own thing.

Sarah Guerra

10/15/2018 01:23:43 pm

This image depicts a woman floating in a factory of somesort. The woman seems to be overlooking what the others are working. Everyone in the factory seems to be very focused. The people are so focused they don’t even realize there is a woman floating. Overall this picture seems very odd.

The colors and lighting used in the photo give the idea of being upbeat and not negative. The photo includes a factory with people making something and a woman floating in the center. What pops out to me is the two workers wearing a turquoise and grey shirt while all the others are wearing white shirts. Another thing that catches my eye is the machine objects that are over the workers heads. The photo seems to be very busy.

I don’t have an opinion on whether the picture is pleasing or not. this is because I find the colors leasing and happy while the place pictured seems to be hectic and busy. The rule of thirds seems to be used because the woman is directly in the center of the photo. The focal point of the image is the woman floating. Negative space is also being used in the center bottom of the photo.

I feel there is a story being told but I do not know what. I think the story might have something to do with the fact that the woman is in charge. This is because she seems to literally and actually be overlooking and commenting on the factory worker’s job. The image is definitely noteworthy.

I honestly don’t have a complete opinion or care for the photo. I have this opinion because I don’t really know what is trying to be told by this photo or the concept. I would say this photo is successful in the fact that it catches my attention and I am interested in what the photo is portraying. I want to know exactly what the woman is doing. I also why she is in there factory.

Paolo Hernandez

10/15/2018 01:25:17 pm

This image is about a women jumping up in the air to take a picture. This image is in Japan. There are a lot of bright colors being used in this image. For example, there is green, orange and blue. There are a lot of people working in some sort of factory in Japan. There are people working and making clothing.

It is pleasing to look at because there is a lot of action going on in this image. There is a large depth of field because the photographer takes this image so that you can see the whole factory. This image is balanced and it is directed towards the middle where the women is jumping. This image does fill the frame because it shows all you need to see in the factory. It shows most of the factory and the people working in it.

The theme is people working in a large factory to make clothing. There is no story being told in this image because it just shows regular people working in a factory. The image is done in order to show what it looks like when people work in factories. This image reminds me of the industrial revolution when people would always be working in factories. This image is interesting to look at because there is a lot to look at.

I like this image because it reminds of when people work in factories. It also reminds me of movies where people are working in factories. This photograph is successful because it shows a full representation of what a factory would look like. I like this image because of how there are many different ways to view this image. It is interesting to look at all of the people and see what they are doing and making.

This image is a great example of how people work in factories. It shows how people work. It also shows how people in Japan make clothing. In this image they are making pink clothing. They are also making cloths and rugs. This is an interesting picture to look at.

Paul Borrego

10/16/2018 06:18:20 pm

This is an image of a woman floating in a sewing factory. The colors in it are cool with some turquoise and have a lot of pink.The lighting is like a studio set up but only because the factory they are working in has white lights. The picture includes a woman who looks like a supervisor looking over a workers shoulder at their work. What they are working on is women’s clothing because the brand Wacoal makes that style of clothing.
It is pleasing to look at with the light blue and pink looking nice together. The focal point is the woman who is floating. The rule of thirds doesn’t apply because the lady, the focal point, is in the middle. This photograph has a shallow depth of field with the workers in the back being mostly blurry. The subject doesn’t fill the frame with the factory and workers taking up much of the sides.
The picture must have been taken on a tripod with a timer because it is a self portrait. This must have taken a long time because timing a jumping picture is hard enough when someone taking the photo. But this is on another level with jumping on a time, while acting natural, and while they are doing a pose. Based on the blurry background the photo was taken with a wide aperture.
I don’t think that the image has any overlying themes with this photo. I think the point of this image was to have a good looking picture with something interesting on it. That interesting thing being her levitating in a normal scene. The image reminds me of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It reminds me of them because both float and do so in the same position.
I like the photograph because of how natural the floating lady looks. The levitating woman looks like she belongs in the picture and doesn’t look fake. The background also looks nice and is appeasing. The photo succeeded at making the illusion of levitating. It does this without making it feel fake.

Jack Waters

10/17/2018 09:48:51 am

This is an image of a woman levitating and looking over the shoulder of a female factory worker. She has and angel like pose with the way she has her hand out. She looks like she is about to touch one of the workers. There is lots of pink which could be symbolic for the fact that all of the workers are female. The image is very bright due to the large windows. The brightness adds to the heavenly feel
The image is pleasing to look at due to the nice colors and brightness of the image. The woman is framed by the two desks to the side causing you to look at the woman. The image is almost entirely symmetrical besides the floating woman in front. The negative space is the floor and walls in the very back. There is a shallow depth of field; this was probably used to allow more in due to the high shutter speed need to freeze motion.
I do not think she is making a comment on factory conditions. I say this because the factory does not look bad as far as factory conditions go. Also the company shown does not appear to have any history of poor treatment of workers, in fact a quick google search shows that they are showing people that their working conditions are not bad as they are inviting people to view the factories it also looks like she is rising above working there as she is wearing a factory uniform but she is rising up above her coworkers. The use of colors and lighting makes the image quite pleasing to look at.
I like the image. The colors and lighting make it look nice. I do not know if it is successful because i don't know what the artist was trying to accomplish. However, if the artist just set out to make a nice look photograph then they definitely accomplished their goal. It is a nice looking and interesting photograph.
I feel like this mage would be difficult to create. The artist has to use a high shutter speed to freeze motion, along with balancing iso, and aperture so it is not under or over exposed. The artist also has to time her jump with whatever is being used to take the image along with jumping and making it look like she is floating.The eye level POV tells us that the artist wants us to be able to put ourselves in the scene. I think that the artist wants to show us that anyone can be whatever they want and rise above their current situation.

Joey ZHou

10/25/2018 12:48:38 pm

This is the image of a lady levitating in a clothes factory. She is looking at a worker doing the job. There are desks, windows and a lot of people in this huge factory. The color of this image is white and it looks bright. The levitating woman dressed up like one of the workers. A man in grey shirt in the back is walking around inspecting everyone’s work. I can tell from the logo of these worker’s shirt that the company they are working for is called “wacoal”.

The target is in the middle of he picture. It isn’t pleasing to look at because the character is partially white which makes the viewer hard to distinguish the target and the background. This picture is taken parallel to the target with shallow depth of field. There are no lines that can direct your eyes because the target is right int the middle. And finally, this is a symmetrical picture.

This picture is all about floating I guess. Maybe she learned some magic in order to float. This picture reminds me of the music video of “Mine” by Buzzi. He is walking in the air in that video. This picture is interesting because she is floating.

I like this creative picture. And I bet she put a lot of efforts on it because you have to make certain pose when you jump. This could take a long time till she gets a perfect picture. This picture is really successful because I like this.

David Scott

11/9/2018 08:14:19 pm

This photo is of a woman flying around what looks to be a sweatshop. There seems to be girls working on clothing around her. She seems to be supervising or looking down upon them maybe like a higher power. Everyone in the picture besides the floating girl seems to wearing a uniform.
The photo is well lit.

All of the workers are wearing a sterilized white that seems to imply a strict life with not much deviation. The clothes that are being created seem to pop compared to the rest of the photo. On a the back of girls shirt you can see in bold pink letters it says Wacoal. This implies that these people are working for a bigger company. It turns out Wacoal is a clothing brand in japan and they have had their fair share of sweatshop controversy.

The image is pleasing to the eye. I like how certain things pop out compared to the white sterile environment. The lighting is very nice and mellow on the eyes. I like how the light pink meshes with the white. This seems like the point of view by just a journalist.

The rule of thirds is not being used in this image. The subject is in the middle of the frame. There are no leading lines. This photo seems to have a theme of contrast between the mystical floating girl and the very vanilla and structured life of the workers surrounding her. I think this photo opens up a discussion about slave labor in the east.

I do like this photo. It has a subtle political message. But even besides the message that I believe it portrays, the photo just attracts my eyes towards it. There is just something about how nice the colors work together. I do believe that this photo is successful

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Period 7 -- Critical Analysis #4

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