Spring 2013, Kara's Photo 188 Blog

Monday, April 29, 2013

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Critique of Alfred Stieglitz's Winter-Fifth Avenue (1893)

Winter-Fifth Avenue (1893)

Alfred Stieglitz

I like this image, because the artistic elements of it are beautifully balanced and created by the photographer. The one-point perspective's extending lines frame the approaching horse-drawn carriage. I like the repetition of the vertical lines of in the windows and the sides of the buildings. The repeating squares in the windows and the rectangular squares of the railing are very soothing. I love the texture in this image, because the soft, fluffy snow contrasts with the muddy ruts of a mixture of snow and dirt. The grainy wetness of the ground beautifully contrasts with the hard bricks of the building and metal railing. The variety of colors, from the whitest snow, muddy grey ground, and the dark clothing and possessions of the meandering people is enchanting.

What really impresses me about this photograph, is the theatricality of it. It's as if a moment is frozen in time, but it about to be unfrozen. It's as if the carriage is careening towards the viewer as the driver straightens his arm, and the figure on the rich is about to empty his shovel of snow. I can literally feel the flying now hit my face. :) This timelessness and approaching action is what I want to create in my own photographs. I want to catch a moment in time, which is both static and frozen, as well as kinetic and ever moving. I want my images to seem alive, as if they are happening in a movie.