Top Ten Works Collage

Artist of The Week: Jacob Riis

This photo is greatly representative of the poverty filling the tenements of New York, Jacob Riis successfully began a movement to expose and change the poverty within the United States by photography using its ability to show people the details of things that are uncomfortable to be aware of. This photograph was taken in a dark room using fill flash, the cramped living quarters and unsanitary conditions that fill the picture are all reflective of this photograph's powerful nature and the way in which it sparked change. 

This photograph by Jacob Riis is on homeless news boys, it's incredibly powerful because it shows that even young children such as these have to work. Even while doing so, they are unable to sustain themselves. The photograph is taken in a very powerful way because it shows the scratched and dirty walls in the background and shows these kids in the corner, sending a more powerful message than a different background such a city streets, also, by showing the kids sleeping huddled together, it asks questions like what happened to their families and how did they end up together. Another moving work captured by Jacob Riis.

Weekly Vocabulary

1. Flash Lamp - Also known as a flash tube, this is used white light for a short period of time, they are electrically powered arcs used for photographing with flash.

2. Arc Lamp - Uses an electric arc as a light source or flash.

3. Yablochov candle - Electro carbon arc lamp invented in 1876.

4. Triptych - An artwork composed of three pieces that are perceived or appreciated together.

Weekly Vocabulary

1. Fill Flash - Used to "fill" areas with light using a flash, normally on dark backgrounds and difficult places, useful for equaling the light level of the subject of a photograph and its background with flash.

2. Documentary Photographer - A photography who captures a series of events with a camera in order to make a chronography of significant events within life.

3. Magnesium Flare -  A chemical flare which is a magnesium ribbon used in the past for photography as a form of fill flash, especially famous for its use with Jacob Riis.

Top Ten 2014 Events

Amazing Prius

Modified Japanese Prius credit to StanceNation

Artist of the Week: Margaret Bourke-White

This picture is very interesting because it depicts the separation of men and women in the audience and the absence of many women, showing only a few sitting within stalls. Perhaps this indicates some form of gender discrimination although the women seem to be smiling. The focal point of the image seems to be the "ladies" sign, perhaps indicating that the photo focuses on capturing the separation. The women see very homely and smiling where as the men looking upon the camera seem more serious, even one man near the back seems to be standing up and yelling. Lastly, the tone and position of the picture accent it nicely, the flash that portrays each woman creates a nice white and black balance, the angle from the ground up captures the audience nicely.               

This picture really appealed to me for multiple reasons. First, the ghost like edges of the fur coat of this young person created a nice touch to the photograph although i wasn't sure if that was done through editing, a natural landscape or camera settings. I also like the person portrayed the facial expression is one of seriousness, almost a kind of humility and wisdom, the tiny face within the fur is very cute. The focal point of this image seems to be the person's nose or face as a whole.