Ex 2: Sense of Place, Michael

Robert Adams

                                                       1 moma.org

How would you describe the sense of place conveyed in the photograph?

I convey a sense of place by my emotional response to this photo. When I was younger, my family and I drove cross country on a move from Idaho to Florida. Some days we would drive late into the night, and I remember the car headlights on the road and the mountains all around. The image makes you feel like it was captured out int he middle of nowhere; on that lonely road through the country.

What choices did the photographer make about color, composition, and quality of light in order to create a sense of place?

I noticed that Robert Adams photographed mostly in black and white, but I love black and white photography. I like how the light in this photo bounces off the asphalt and makes your eyes gander off into the background.

Is human presence evident in the photograph? How does the presence or absence of people impact your impression of the place?

There isn’t human presence in this photography; however, you know that there is a human involved in the photograph, and I don’t mean the photographer. It depends one one’s interpretation of this photo, but I imagine that the light in this photo is coming from a vehicle. The presence of a human would come from the thought of that vehicle being there. 

Art Wolfe

                                             2 wgte.org

How would you describe the sense of place conveyed in the photograph?

In this photo, I found a sense of place because of the sunset/sunrise and their altitude. One might think there could be an attraction behind the man next to the tripod as well, because it looks like an interview or a news report.

What choices did the photographer make about color, composition, and quality of light in order to create a sense of place?

I enjoy back lit subjects, and that’s one of the reasons I selected this photo. The light from the sun is radiating warm colors throughout the sky and the terrain. The Subjects in the photo are in the middle of the photograph and are darkened due to the backlighting.

Is human presence evident in the photograph? How does the presence or absence of people impact your impression of the place?

There is human presence in this photograph and they are the subjects of this photo. The backlighting makes the figures in this photograph dark and your eyes gaze off into the background or the source of light in the photo. 

Eliot Porter

                                                      3 getty.edu

How would you describe the sense of place conveyed in the photograph?

I feel a sense of place by how Eliot Porter uses the rule of thirds in this photograph. There are a few trees in the foreground that make you feel as if you are standing in front of them. The farther you look into the image you can notice different types of trees in the middle and background. When I first noticed the background I thought it was fog, but then I noticed that it was water. You can also notice it’s fall/autumn because of the warmer colors in the tree leaves.

What choices did the photographer make about color, composition, and quality of light in order to create a sense of place? I like how Porter captured the bright orange of the tree leaves which make your eyes move to the top of the image, and then you start to notice the blue water and the forest floor. The lower half of the image is darker, but it gives you the feel of being in the image and under the canopy of trees.

Is human presence evident in the photograph? How does the presence or absence of people impact your impression of the place?

This image lacks human presence, but there isn’t any need for it. The objects in this photograph are appropriately aligned and it makes your eyes wander.