The Heart Of Sea

                                       

          Photographer : Somenath MukhopadhyayL- India

In this photo, I see myself is very attracted to the green color and its elements.

The beauty of this photo captures my attention by its color and the apple or heart shape that is made by the net.

The subject of this photo is the life which is shown through the water, the green color, and the power of energy with the fisherman.

This fisherman is fishing as well as making a living off of what is captured by the fishing net. This shows the struggle for life. It reminds me with an old novel I have read it long time ago called " The old man and the see” written by Ernest Hemingway. It is clear how much energy, power, strong muscles, patience and will.

Both the fishing boat and the fishing net sit on intersection points which give it an interesting composition; hence the rule of thirds.

The continuity of pulling the thread by the fisherman in this photo gives a nice shape of an apple or a heart and there is a deceiving moment because the fisherman and the viewer are looking at the net waiting for the result of the catch. The fisherman's face, the other man's face, and the viewer are both waiting to see what suppose to come up with the net. Is it a going to be a good hunt? Everyone is waiting for big surprise.

The angle that this photo was taken shows the photographer was most probably on a high elevation such as a cliff or even a helicopter. The angle, composition, and color are all of cleanliness and purity. The symbolism of power and energy is present through this photo by the muscles and powerful waves caused by the pulling the net.

This photo keeps the viewer confused and wondering what the fisherman will catch. It is purely simple with a dose of fascination and that is what keeps the viewer searching for more definitions. Looking at this photo, one could tell that in less than a second, the photo would be totally different with many different meanings and definitions.

Shyness

                                       Photographer : Alin Petrus 

The idea of the picture is very beautiful and very new to me. A touch of shyness is represented in the picture. At the beginning, the little girl grabbed my attention but then the continuity of her arm with the flower connecting to the shadow of the boy moved my eye through out the photo. 

The shapes of their arms each make triangular shapes and geometric forms are represented throughout the photo with the brick background and the shapes of the bodies. There is the rule of thirds represented in this photo through the wall where it has thick and thin lines. The shadow shows the contrast between the light and dark colors in the photo.  

Texture is very clear in this photo through the formation of the wall and how it is not fully complete. Texture is also shown due to the fact that some shadows are formed by the cracks and lines in the wall. More texture in the pants of the little girl as it is similar in form as the red rose she is holding. The girl is obviously standing in front of the wall and creating a shadow and therefore there is a form of layering with this figure.  

Continuity in the lines of the wall gives the picture endless meanings and observations as it does not end abruptly within the boundaries of the photo. The shadow of the little boy shows some characteristics of how the boy behaved when he was offered a flower from afar. By having his arm on his hip shows that he is very confident in himself and is looking at the flower and the girl at the same time. He is confident that he will receive the flower as well as be able to see the girl of his dreams. The girl also seems that she is looking at the flower as well as the boy but she is not as confident as the boy. She shows some shyness as she fiddles with her right arm and does not know where to put it.  

From the shadow figure and the scale of the viewer’s eyes, one could predict that the boy is of the same age or a few years older. The figure of this photo that grabbed my eyes first was the shadow of the little boy. The color of the shadow is very strong as compared to the rest of the colors in the photo. The second place I looked at was the red rose as it was connected to the shadow. However the red rose did not grab my attention first because it had the same tone or shade of colors as the rest of the photo.  

In the mirror of time

                                 Photographer :  Herman Cater

This photo shares the power of memory and brings the past memories to life as we live reality today. The man is looking through a mirror at himself and at his wedding picture of him and his wife when they were younger.  He has a face of sorrow, regret, and a feeling of failure as he is now alone looking at himself and remembering the good times by looking at a small photo.There is nothing else showing through the mirror and therefore he has no other memories that would give him a smile on his face. The only memory gives him a feeling of distress and failure because he is alone and has ended up with nothing in his hands.

The figure in this photo is the man, and more specifically, his troublesome and sad eyes.  The eyes are as if they are looking at you but they are actually looking at the picture on the wall with a feeling of grief.  One could see the picture on the wall and the direction of the eyes and feel deceived because it is unclear whether the man is looking at the viewer or the picture. 

This picture also has some symbolism connecting the past with the present by showing the man today as an older less fortunate man and the same man when he was younger with his wife on his wedding day.  It symbolizes the connection between the past and the present and how we can escape neither the past nor the present no matter how hard one may be.  

Proximity is evident through the use of two eras in one photo.  The man today is related to the man in the wedding picture however they are not related in how they feel at the moment.  The man in the picture was not alone but the man today is alone and has a very depressed look.  The man in the picture is in a tuxedo and dressed nicely with a woman next to him who is also dressed nicely, but the man today is dressed in rags and not in a good shape.

The colors used in this picture depict the deep gloominess this man is in at the moment.  One could see that in the man of today, however, in the man of yesterday, the one in the wedding picture, one could see a brighter white than the rest of the picture. In the Middle Eastern culture, the darker colors, especially black and gray are used for sad and depressing moments. 

The framing used in the original photo and the wedding photo are different. The wedding photo has a real frame with some style to it to match the occasion. That shows that probably, at the time, the couples were well off and were happy and comfortable with each other and with their lives. This is of the past. However, the present photo of the man looking at himself through the mirror shows the opposite lifestyle. The mirror looks like it is a makeshift mirror and not of the kind that would show the whole picture very clearly. It is important to realize that difference between the present man and the one from the past. The mirror is a (frame) and a window into the past and the frame to the photo in the present.

Footballers

Photographer: Prateek Dubey This photo caught my attention because it contains two figures. The first one is for the viewers, the boys in the photo is the figure. But, the second figure is not for the viewers, but for the boys (in the photo).Their figure is the ball. This photo has a lot of magnificent views and beautiful moments. The happiness among the boys, the fun, and determination to continue to playing till the end. All these elements have been reflected in the photo. There is an enthusiasm mixed with the smiles is pushing everyone to catch the ball, in spite of the muddy area.  Sometimes I see a serious moment with irresponsible moments among the youth.   There is a clear similarity among the boys; their movements, their hand and leg shapes, their facial expressions, their wet clothes, their hair, and their muscles. Everything in the picture is moving and has a continuity, except the ball, it is  the only one that is static and quiet, it is looking and waiting for them to come and get it. It seems the boys are not the only ones who are playing in this photo, even the birds (hawks) in the sky are playing in the air. It is very obvious that the sky was raining and had stopped, so, it is the time for hawks to look for something to prey on. I like the  two minarets in the back of the photo.  They look the same. Also, the color of the building looks wet and muddy. This photo brought me back to my childhood years in Iraq when I used to playing outside with my friends. We usually were playing till the sun was setting and the moon was starting to shine. One could only look at these beautiful scenes and revive old memories and relive the best moments of one’s life. It can be difficult to return those beautiful moments, but its gorgeous memory is still living in our imagination.

The Holy Quran

It is evident through these photos that they were taken as a non-violent reaction after a priest from a Christian church in Florida announced that he planned to burn the Holy Qur'an. There are several differences between these two photos: The first difference is the location of these two photos. The first photo is in Malaysia and the second in Afghanistan. The second difference is the different angels that these two photos were taken from.
On the other hand, both photos are presenting an image of the same content or idea and each react to the announcement in their own special ways.
The first photo a child is raising a banner that states that only a coward burns the Holy Qur'an. Through these statements and banners, we see an action through the use of the word "coward." Although the banner is covering the mouth of the young girl, as we all know, a photo speaks for its self. There is no need for the little girl to say anything. The banner and situation have already spoken and spoken very loudly.
One could see the continuity in this photo where the ladies are lined up in a straight line, one behind the other. Their clothing is also very similar which includes the head covering, Hijab, and the Islamic clothing worn by the women in the picture. Through the concept of colors, one could see that the colors of the umbrella, the Hijab of the young girl and the font color on the banner are all orange. The banners are all black.

The second photo has a much deeper meaning. A specific reaction is not clear in this photo, however, their shock and facial expression is a reaction. It is as if the young girls want to show the priest and to the rest of the world that the Qur'an is in their hearts and minds. Their way of reacting to this incident is very peaceful and calm but very moving and effective.
There is a similarity in the colors of this photo and it is like as if a rainbow is made between the colors of the clothes, the Hijabs, the rug they are sitting on, and even the wall that is behind them. The wall seems as though it was build from mud and has some nice designs which correlate with the design of the rug. The print that is used in the Holy Qur'an the girls are holding seems that it was written in ancient times rather than recently. This print goes very well with the setting of the room they are sitting in.
Through the traditions and culture of the Middle Eastern and Islamic world, one usually sees the men are the ones who take care of the political and personal defense roles in society. The women are usually taking the roles that do not require much effort or they do the house chores. In both pictures, the ladies are using their non-violent and peaceful means to show how much they care and want to defend their religion and worship.