Henri Cartier-Bresson

Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. The first time I heard about Bresson was during the Decisive Moment project in Photo I. He was, as you'll see in two of my examples, was a master at choosing the exact moment to release the shutter.

This is the most popularly known photo created by Bresson. The way he created that tension between the front foot and the body of water by capturing that exact moment before it touches. The slight motion blur gives it a sense of action while the clarity of the rest of the image allows the eye to focus on the figure. I'm not 100% sure as to how he could have such an amazing composition in such short notice but my only guess would be that he found the spot and waited for a situation to occur.

Once again, Bresson has captured the perfect "Decisive Moment". The figure is perfectly framed between the wall, stairs and sidewalk. The blurred figure along with the clarity of the rest of the image creates the same effect as it did in the last. The viewer's eye is lead down to the figure with the winding lines of the stairs. I would assume that Bresson obtained this amazing composition through the same method I guessed for the previous image but I can not be certain.

This last image does not contain the same quality of "Decisive Moment" as the last two but still contains a very attractive quality. Your eye is drawn into the image through the spiraling effect, causing the photo to become three dimensional. The repetition of the faces adds an extra spiraling effect as well as stopping the image from becoming abstract. The hard vertical lines at the end of the spiral stops the eye and allows it to fall back down the spiral. This almost creates a hypnotizing effect.

Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

"My photographs tell stories of loss, human struggle, and personal exploration within landscapes scarred by technology and over-use…. [I] strive to metaphorically and poetically link laborious actions, idiosyncratic rituals and strangely crude machines into tales about our modern experience."- Robert ParkeHarrison.

I truly admire the work of Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison. The fact that they merge photography with both sculpture and painting is ingenious in my opinion. This couple's photography has a clear and valid statement just waiting to be absorbed by the masses. The following work is from "Architect's Brother"; check out their blog, ParkeHarrison, to see work from "Gray Dawn" and "Counterpoint" as well.

This first image, "Forestbed", depicts a man sleeping on a mattress held up by branches. I feel as though this image is meant to show the relationship between man and nature. The composition is impeccable in the sense that your eye is constantly drawn up towards the sleeping man. My theory on how this image was achieved is as follows: the mattress is attached to the wall behind the man which is painted over on the image to appear as though it is an empty/barren plain and the rest is all prop. The realistic appearance of the paint truly adds to the surreal quality of this image.

"Suspension" is my favorite image in the "Architect's Brother" series. The repetition of the clouds allows the eye to move slowly into the background, causing the viewer to become absorbed with the image's surreal quality. The man is desperately attempting to tie down these clouds, possibly trying to replenish the almost barren plains depicted. I believe this image was achieved through mostly painting the photograph. It looks to me that the man, rope and hills are the only real part of the image. The background along with the clouds and ropes are most likely painted. The paint is, once again, so realistic that it creates this intense surreal quality.

This last image, "Flying Lesson", can be seen in two ways: either the man is teaching these birds how to fly, or the birds are teaching the man. I'm not 100% sure but I see it as the first option. I believe this image was achieved mostly through sculpture. The background may have been painted but not necessarily. Your eye is constantly drawn up through either of the two groups of birds while the bird in the cage acts as a steady anchor that always brings you back. The repetition is also key in keeping the viewer interested.

Marc Bijl

In response to the three week project on "Windows/Mirrors" I have decided to portray the side of "Windows" through what I call, "Visual Pollution". With this, I am trying to expose the ugliest sides of urban culture and hopefully cause my viewers to notice the effects of these run-down houses and garbage covering the streets.

In my search for a photographer with similar work I came across Marc Bijl's blog, New Oceans. I was particularly fond of his work involving Camp Pirotte in Aachen (Germany). He really captured the aftermath of an abandoned building as it slowly becomes ruins. 

"It's always fascinating to see how abandoned buildings change into a ruins."- Marc Bijl

The dim lighting indoors in contrast to the bright sunlight outside of the windows really adds to the effect of abandonment. The repetition in the broken glass windows keeps your eyes constantly moving throughout the composition. The composition would not be as strong without the graffiti under the window and would definitely not be the same without the abandoned bricks on the window sill.

Here's a closer look at the windows from the previous image. Once again, the soft light compared to the harsh sunlight from outside gives the image an abandoned effect. This image gives a sort of comparison between nature and man-made objects by depicting the grass through the broken window. The repetition of the light tannish color in the brick wall and the grass outside gives the image a great sense of unity.

This image is the final close up on the broken window shards. Bijl uses a tilted perspective to add to the sharp effect of the broken glass. The minimal depth of field allows the viewer to focus mainly on the decay of this building. The bright sunlight really illuminates the glass shards and gives them a fierce glow.