Artists and Environment

This image comes from an exhibit titled, "Infinite Balance: Artists and the Environment."  This picture seems to be capturing both the ripple and reflection aesthetics associated with looking upon a body of water.  What I like most about this picture is how surreal it is, as there is no reflection of a photographer, so it seems that the image is almost doctored or fake.  However, the natural cloud formations and differentiation between light and  dark observed in the reflection of the water make it seem like a regular surface of water.  The Ripples also add an interesting context to the image, as it seems that something recently disturbed the water's normal state of tranquility.  This makes the observer question whether or not it is raining, or if something was dropped into the water possibly by the person observing the surface.  This fits the theme of the exhibition very well, as it looks to analyze artists interpretations and understandings of our natural environment.  Photography is a powerful art form available to observe and reflect upon our natural world.

Gaddafi dead?

Photography in the news has played a consistently important role in developing current events and illustrating what is happening beyond our borders.  Today, a picture began circulating on the internet, depicting what appears to be Muammar Gaddafi passed away.  Although there has not been official confirmation of his death, many are already celebrating the tyrant's assumed death and the new found freedom Libya may obtain with his regime finally at an end.  Many famous faked photographs, however, have played a roll in recent history, most notably the doctored image of Osama Bin Laden that also was used to try and make it seem like he had been killed.  The power of photo editing is evident by the ability of some doctored images to be mistaken for fact.  If this picture is real, however, it represents excellent use of photography as a means of breaking news coverage of important current events.  

Fire & Water

I find this picture to be particularly catchy, simply because it seems to be out of place.  It is, for obvious reasons, unusual to observe something burning on top of a body of water, particularly in an isolated, serene environment such as the one depicted in this image.  I like the use of the leaf on fire as a prop, as it makes you take a second look at the image to try and comprehend the strange scene you are observing.  By placing the fire in the middle of the frame yet slightly below the middle horizontally, I feel it emphasizes the thing itself while still retaining the significance of the horizon of trees and the mountain peak behind them.  This image, although unusual, is very peaceful to me, and overall I like the intentional peculiarity created by a seemingly paradoxical situation.  

Architecture

This photo amazes me.  What most impresses me about this particular image is how both vantage point and framing play a role in magnifying the building.  By taking the picture from a far distance and cutting out both the horizon and the street, there is no context for the size of this building.  However, the windows create an increasing cascade that allows the viewer to consciously decide that each window above another is one story higher.  This perspective makes the structure appear monstrous in size, even though this could simply be a model.  The ambiguity of this image makes it a very interesting shot.