Lunar

StumbleUpon has become a college student's best friend.  No matter how much work you have due the next day, or how big of a test you have to study for, you can always find some time to stumble away and get lost in the viral world.  One of my favorite aspects of StumbleUpon is the fascinating and unique things I find, which includes works of art.  I have 'stumbled upon' a man making a spray-paint masterpiece in under one minute, seen pictures from little known artists who I most likely would have never heard of if it weren't for this great resource.
This particular image titled "Lunar" is one such image I happened to 'stumble upon' while on the internet, and it truly is breathtaking.  Just at first glance, the image is catchy as a result of its unique aesthetics and the fact that an individual appears to be floating in the air.  It's clear this image was staged and the photographer was trying to get a certain look, and I feel they really pulled it off.  The mist and dark undertones of the image really add a night-like quality, reflected by the title of the photograph.  The person is also small compared to the rocks around her, and appears to be out of place.  In some ways I feel like this person is representing the moon in this image, as the night sky, besides the stars, is a blanket with one large object sticking out: the moon.
Overall, I enjoyed this picture because of its detail and its superficial elements.  These are images that I would like to shoot in the future; technically sound, interesting and unique, and vague in theme.

The Impact of Photography on Social Change

The above image does not appear to have any formal qualities that make it stand out, nor is the image associated with a well known photographic artist.  The name behind the photographer serves to render the image, making a seemingly plain picture appear to be more than what meets the eye. For the purpose of promoting a populist, grassroots ideal, the anonymity and ubiquitous nature of the image actually enhances the pictures effect.  The Occupy Wall Street movement coins its followers as 'the 99%' signifying that they represent the vast majority who are fed up with the inequality our society deals with on a daily basis.  This picture addresses a specific issue for the youth involved: student debt.  By making the image totally anonymous, yet including specific numbers and harsh words such as 'destroyed' the picture allows the observer to relate to the message behind it, and put themselves in that person's situation.  For the purpose of enacting social change, grassroots support is pivotal, and utilizing images such as this to interest others in following the movement helps them grow.  This is not the first time a picture has been used to speak out against injustice, and it most certainly will not be the last.

The Most Important Picture Ever

It is difficult to ever assert that something is the best, particularly in subjective disciplines such as art, music, and photography.  What is 'the best' and what constitutes the qualities that make something so above the others?  Many refer to this famous photograph taken by the Hubble telescope as the most important image taken in human history.  The Hubble Telescope was pointed towards an area of deep space that, to the naked eyes, had no light sources and no noticeable figures in the night sky.  The camera was exposed for 1 million seconds, producing an image known as Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF).  The results were startling, as thousands of galaxies were observed on the screen, revealing parts of space that we did not know existed.  What makes this image so significant is the fact that it demonstrates the vastness of our universe in a way no one thought possible.  It is difficult to comprehend how small we are on Earth relative to the rest of the universe, so being able to observe thousands of galaxies that fit into a tiny piece of our dark sky really puts things in perspective.  Although it is difficult to proclaim this photograph the greatest image ever taken, it certainly is a powerful photograph with lasting implications for time to come.

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.