A Game to Win

Situation
Your school photographer captured an awesome crowd photograph just as your girls basketball team won the state championship. All aspects of an excellent photograph — emotion, color, use of line and rule of thirds — are present. On closer examination, one sees several students with their middle fingers extended.



     I believe that the picture should not be Photoshoped in any way. The students who are flipping off the winning team add to the intensity of the image. It shows the rivalry between the teams and the reality of the situation shows the emotion. People know that this is something that would happen, and if it takes some very close examination, people who are just reading the article, not looking for every little thing to criticize, probably will not even notice the students. Photography is about catching the reality of situations, and I feel that removing the fingers of these students would show a biased view towards the winning team as well. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events. This event happened, and this is how each side has reacted.

Falling into Culture

As ironic as this picture is, you may not realize it.  This picture is taken in Thailand, the only Asian country that has never been colonized by European powers. Their style of clothing is that of which many Americans wore in the 1970’s.  America is a former European settlement, thus the ironicy of the picture.  As they wish to stand out from the classy, modern style of the rest of Bangkok, they clad themselves with bright and wild clothing of the American 70’s.

Bangkok is a highly populated city with 7 million citizens inside the limits.  Here, this couple is riding in a motorized sǎamláw, which is a common form of transport in Thailand, probably out shopping, or even on their way to a gig.  These two musicians play together and are very close, even live together, but they stand to not be a couple.  Maybe it is just easier to live together because of all the time they spend together anyways.  Performing, practicing, writing new music, etc.  It would also be cheaper for them so that more money could go towards instruments or whatever they need to pay for.

                As for the specifics of this picture, the colours are very vivid and bright. The image is not over exposed, nor under exposed, creating a magical balance of light and dark. Three figures possess three equal portions of the picture, although the focus is on two of these figures, which take up two thirds of the image. All of the details of the motorized cart are in sharp focus, but the background shows the motion of life and the movement of the cart and it's customers. There is no illusion of looking though coloured glasses; all the pigments are vivid and balanced. With all of these hues, it draws your view into the floral prints and steel bars.