Marz-Portrait

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=__**Links:**__= [] [|http://www.karsh.org/#/the_man/a_life_in_images] []

Picture 1: "Uttarakhand, India" by Steve McCurry
In the first photo, McCurry makes phenomenal use of available light-- seen in the beams of light that are flooding into the depicted room through windows-- and outside light in general-- seen in how the entire room appears to be lit up by a different light source. These natural sources of light help to create a sort of desperateness in the picture--as we feel that these are the only sources of light the woman shown has available to her. McCurry also makes use of compositional techniques, such as framing-- from how the beams of light frame the woman in the photo-- leading lines-- from how the lines of the beams of light lead us towards the woman in the photo-- and rule of thirds-- from how the woman in the photo falls on the lower left third of the photograph.

McCurry turns his piece into a true work of art by combining light and imagery to tell a story. Through this one picture, we are able to see that the woman in the photo is desperate and has a hard time in life. Such a story could not be told without the proper techniques and procedures, thus turning this photo into a work of art. Personally, I could learn from his use of light-- as such simplistic use of light coming through a window as seen in this picture truly does go a long way to creating a beautiful image.

Picture 2: "With Jerry Fielder" by Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh-- in his photograph-- demonstrates a fair use of artificial light-- seen by the indoor scene that is clearly filled with man-made light. Such light helps to portray simplicity, and aids in highlighting the overall pleasant scene. Karsh displays several compositional techniques in his piece, such as rule of thirds-- from how the faces of his subjects fall on both the upper right third of the image and the lower left third of the image-- and-- in a sense, leading lines-- from how the lines on the men's suits and the outlines of the men's heads and shoulders lead us into the center of the photo, and help to show how close together the two subjects are.

Karsh creates a work of art in his picture by displaying an event through expressions rather than through fascinating lighting or unique compositional techniques. Solely through the expressions on the two men's faces, we are able to tell that they are friends, and that the two are enjoying their time together. Such expressions are not common sight in all photos, and transform this piece into a work of art. From Karsh's picture, I can learn that expressions are a powerful part of a photo, and should be taken into account when creating such an image.

Picture 3: "Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, Married to the Queen" by Cecil Beaton
In the final photo-- which depicts Prince Phillip, the former duke of Edinburgh-- Cecil Beaton displays a great use of dramatic lighting by illuminating his subject solely from the right side. The dramatic lighting gives the subject an aura of power and respect, and makes for a more powerful photo. Beaton also makes use of several compositional techniques in his photo, such as rule of thirds-- from how the side of his subject's head falls on the upper right third of the image-- and, in a sense, fill the frame-- from how the subject takes up the majority of the picture.

Beaton makes this particular photo become a work of art by making his subject appear as though he is greater than he actually is. The subject taking up the frame gives off the aura that the depicted man is great and powerful, and the dramatic lighting helps to inspire a sort of fear for this character. With one simple image, Beaton manages to tell his subject's life story-- which makes it a work of art in itself. His artwork inspires me to use both light and my picture's frame in a cautious way, for those elements are all that is necessary to create a truly impactful picture.