Critiquing Photography
Descriptive: Salus.com image of soap products is a descriptive image because it is displaying a product that is for sale.
Explanatory: Joe McNally's image of a man jumping is an explanatory image because it is displaying the height and posture of the mans jump.
Interpretive: My image of a crack in a step is an interpretive image because the meaning behind the image is unknown to the audience which leaves the audience to interpret their own ideas about the image.
Aesthetically Evaluative: My image of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the evening sky is an aesthetically evaluative image because it is displaying the beauty of the different colors in the sky.
Ethically Evaluative: Julieta Salgado's image of an immigration strike is ethically evaluative because it is to spread information related to immigration protests.
Theoretical: My image of myself walking is theoretical because it is playing with the different types of focus a photo can have. The image is hyper-focused on the shoe but the background is extremely blurry. This image makes a commentary on the rulings of what makes a good focused image or a badly focused image.
For my presentation I chose to research and critique images captured by Mary Ellen Mark. She is from Pennsylvania and has published numerous photography books, showcased work in exhibits, and has had photographs featured in magazines. Mary Ellen Mark chooses to take photos of those who are not typically in the spotlight. She tackles difficult topics such as prostitution, homelessness, drug addiction, and mental illness in her work. A lot of her work is in black and white which explores different angles and lightning to capture specific moods. Many of her images are interpretive images since they cause the viewer to ponder a deeper meaning amongst the images. She also has aesthetically evaluative images in which she captures the beauty in everyday life.
Mary Ellen Mark’s work allowed me to better understand and appreciate imagery in black and white. When working with black and white imagery, it seems difficult to capture a specific mood without the use of color and color associations to specific emotions. Mary Ellen Mark’s images successfully capture specific emotions through other forms of composition such as lighting and shadows. Additionally, she chooses topics and subjects that tell stories that people tend to overlook in everyday life. I also felt inspired by her choice in subjects in photography and made me want to be more purposeful in how I choose my subjects.