Good Example Of Book Review On Photography

Pictorialism is a movement that often copies paintings. The scenes are idyllic and there might be animals involved, but not necessarily. The most important thing is that the photograph provokes the questions in the viewer’s mind.
Thomas Keith: Greyfriars Cemetery, Edinburgh, Ivy Wall. 1852-56.
This photo is a good example of this movement because it depicts human nature. There is a man in the graveyard and in the back of the photo is a hospital. It shows that a life is fragile and represents nothing but a fleeting moment. It resembles a painting. The spiritual nature is obvious. The photograph is black and white. There is a contrast between the hospital in the background and the graveyard as the main object. The lights serves to create mystery. The scale and proportion create rest and calm. The tomb is in the focus which is the main theme. The perspective creates the depth of field. There is some mystery because of the location and the lonely man, but the main feeling is of piece and rest. The form of the photograph is such that there are several objects, but one main object, the tomb and its connection with the other objects. The whole are is serene and there are no other visitors, so it can be assumed that it might be early morning. The lines are straight up and the rhythm shows rest. The element that creates unrest is the man, who is on his crouching, but it has its purpose to provoke feelings.
Photosecession was established after pictorialism, when some of the Pictorialists became the Photo Secessionists. After capturing idyllic moments and pastoral scenes, they moved on to photographing skyscrapers, bridges and other elements of the twentieth century.

Edward Steichen: Sunday Papers: West 86th street, New York. 1922

This photograph is a good example of photosecession because its approach is modern and it depicts the power of humanity that conquered nature. There is a man in his apartment ina an urban area. The building is the main object. The lack of space between the object creates a feeling of unrest. The man seems to be a unified with the building. He is in focus and it accentuates the human side of the photograph. Light isolates the two objects so that they are not unified. The lines are straight and the rhythm suggests peace. There is not much light and the atmosphere is gloomy. There is the depth of field. The proportions are genuine.
Surrealism is a movement that represented liberation of the soul. Dream and reality were supposed to be mixed as well as the conscious and the unconscious. The association is free.

Edward Weston: Hot Coffe, Mojave Desert, 1937.

This is the Mojave Desert in the USA. In this photograph there is the juxtaposition of very different objects. There is much free association related to this photo. The photographer achieved the goal of making the viewer looking for answers. Content is expressed through the principles of design. The one sole object is enough to intrigue the audience. The coffee mug is the surrealistic element. It doesn’t belong to scenery of the desert, but the heat is the mutual element. That is the connection between the conscious and the unconscious. There is a lot of empty space in the background and there is a feeling of tranquility. As for movement, it feels as if time stopped. The coffee mug is in focus. There is some tension because of the unlike objects, but there is no mystery, only a dream-like vision. The scale and proportion create unrest because the size of the mug seems to be enormous. There colors are black and white and they enhance the visual elements. Bright light defines form and that is why the reality prevails in spite of the unlike objects.

Works cited

Szarkowski, John. The Photographer’s Eye. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2007. Print.