1 Lani Chung Mr.

Leo Lubow B'More: The Photographic Portfolio 23 January 2014 Photograph Critique Photograph #1: Initially, the first impression that is received of this photo is a sense of comfort despite apparent discomfort. Although the depicted woman seems to be painfully contorted, her facial expression shows no indication of agony or displeasure due to her warped position. In fact, her face exudes a sense of calmness and peace. The extraordinary flexibility of the woman in the photograph and the ease that comes with it may suggest that she is involved in activities that require her to be flexible. Perhaps she is a professional gymnast or a contortionist whose body is trained to bend in the shape that is depicted in the photo. If this is the case, then the photograph may be considered an environmental portrait. Although it may not be completely obvious that this is so since the background that the woman is in does not give viewers a sense of who she is, her action in the photograph says it all. The use of black and white in this portrait helps to give a sense of simplicity to the photograph, which in turn reinforces the impression of how simple it is for the woman to contort her body. But despite the simplicity of the black and white colors, the wide tonal ranges of black and white help to bring beauty to the overall photograph. The composition of the photograph similar to the usage of coloradds to its simplicity and allows viewers to direct all of their attention to the subject. The way in which the womans face is caught in the crosshairs of the rule of thirds grid, and how the arms and legs of the woman act as leading lines towards her head help to direct attention on the subjects face. By commanding all the attention to the womans face, the photograph allows viewers to immediately realize the comfort experienced by the woman, which highlights the intended feelings and message of the piece. Overall, the photograph is successful in capturing the essence of who the woman is in a very classic and simple manner.