Joel Meyerowitz Research Note
Joel Meyerwitz was born in 1938 and didn't start taking photos until 1962. He is a street photographer who is well known for his use of colour. Many photos before his were taken in black and white but he decided to take images in colour as he thought it would capture more of the atmosphere. He changed peoples perspective on colour photography from acceptance to widely appreciated. Joel based his work around Henri Cartier Bresson's images who was one of his early inspirations. Through out his career he has produced many books, many of which have been bestsellers. He was also given exclusive access to Ground Zero after 9/11 whereby he captured the devastation after the attacks, these photos have now travelled to over 200 cities to be displayed.
This image taken by Joel Meyerowitz in 1978 is part of his Empire State series. It is said to have been taken on 34th Street and 9th Avenue which appears to be near to the famous Empire State Building. It is of a 'Young Dancer' who seems to be waiting for someone of something. It is clear to us from the image that she is a dancer from the clothes she is wearing and the way her hair is tied back. I think the reason that this image is so striking is due to the complimentary colours between the green of her dress and the red on the building behind her. This makes her stand out so much more than if she was wearing dark coloured clothing. The lighting of the image is quite soft which could signify that the image was taken at sunset, it isn't bright but there is still some light that we can see however it seems that it may be approaching night. This adds a very quiet and relaxed feel to the image. We can see that there isn't the usual hustle and bustle of the city going on around the girl which again implies the time of day that it might be getting late and is after 'working hours'. I really like this image because it shows you a different side the the 'city that never sleeps' with the Empire State Building it is quite a classic image which represents New York very well.
This photograph was taken in 1975 at Grand Central, 41st St. and Park Ave. I really like this photo as it shows a very casual scene in New York that you would still see today. The general hustle and bustle of workers commuting around Grand Central Station. The decisive moment of this photo was taken so that the people within the image looked relaxed and very casual, none of them have seen the camera so are still going about their daily life. The style of the people reflects the year it was taken, 1975, the fashion around that time is displayed in the photo giving us today a good feel for what it would have been like to be in this situation. I think the way the photo has been composed is really interesting as their isn't any emphasis on just one person. As Joel Meyerowitz said, a good street photograph can be viewed from any part of the image and show a different photo, there are so many details to be taken in and interpreted in a different way.
This photo taken by Stephen Shore was shot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, in 1960. It is a documentary photograph which is reflected by the natural emotions that both ladies are showing in the photo. In my perspective from the clothes they are wearing and the location they are in I think they must be upper class. The older lady who appears to be the mother is dressed very smartly and looks well looked after, similarly the younger girl is wearing a nice dress which was a luxury around the 1960's. The apparent body language of both women shows that they may be in a disagreement. I think this because the way the mother is looking at the girl is like she's warning her about something and seems unimpressed by her reaction. Plus the young girl doesn't have eye contact with her mother and appears to be ignoring what she has to say, or is showing disinterest. I like the fact that this photo is in black and white as it adds to the classic nature of the image. It also adds to the mood being portrayed as the darkness of the photo could be showing the dark situation that they are in.
This photo taken by Stephen Shore was shot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, in 1960. It is a documentary photograph which is reflected by the natural emotions that both ladies are showing in the photo. In my perspective from the clothes they are wearing and the location they are in I think they must be upper class. The older lady who appears to be the mother is dressed very smartly and looks well looked after, similarly the younger girl is wearing a nice dress which was a luxury around the 1960's. The apparent body language of both women shows that they may be in a disagreement. I think this because the way the mother is looking at the girl is like she's warning her about something and seems unimpressed by her reaction. Plus the young girl doesn't have eye contact with her mother and appears to be ignoring what she has to say, or is showing disinterest. I like the fact that this photo is in black and white as it adds to the classic nature of the image. It also adds to the mood being portrayed as the darkness of the photo could be showing the dark situation that they are in.
No comments:
Post a Comment