Close Analysis of an Image

Matt Borzomati

October 4, 2011

Visual Literacy

Hammond

Close Analysis of an image

The image I chose to analyze was a photograph of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, before the conclusion of the 2008 World Series. As a diehard Phillies this photo is of significant value to me and will always remind of me of the first World Series won by the Phillies in over 25 years. The reason this photo can be studied is that it is a relic of time and cannot be changed. I remember looking at photos of ebbets field and the polo grounds and seeing how different things were then, in another 50 years someone can look at this photo and say the same thing and they will still know what took place because baseball should always stay the same. From my point of view, many people may not agree, but I can feel the life at the ballpark just looking at it. The players waiting for the pitch to be thrown, the thousands of fans in the crowd all are watching the same thing, and the colors that are seen because of the light towers with a dark sky.

The preferred reading of this photo can be simple, it’s just a baseball field, but it can also be read complex by picking apart each individual aspect of the field and the atmosphere. When I look at this photo I think of the movement that transpired just seconds after it was taken, the players moving after and the crowd either cheering or booing for the outcome of the play. Obviously I see these things because of my passion for the team and the game but also for what baseball stands for in my life. as someone who does not always see eye to eye with my father the one thing that we always had in common is baseball so we use it as a bridge to become closer, not to sound cliché but my father and I are closer because of the game. I believe that someone who is not a fan of baseball can still enjoy this photo because of the completeness that it portrays it is very full and balanced on an artistic level and the lines draw the viewers eyes to where they need to go to fully recognize what they are looking at. Whenever I will look at this image I will remember what happened and how I felt when it did so I can imagine that it could have the same effect on other people and also makes me realize what an image can do.

Looking at this image from a contractual standpoint the viewer’s eyes are brought first to the field itself then draws out to the crowd in a way that works more than it would if there were no fans and it was just a baseball field. The foul poles are used as a frame and helps focus in on everything in between them, the field, the screen, and the play. These things are everything that you need to be paying attention to in the image and the poles indirectly help do that. The levels of the stands give a better idea of the depth of the stadium and lets people know how many people are there and how they saw what we are looking at from their perspective. The light coming off of the screen is the only distraction of the image and can get in the way of someone’s view of the image. However it is also balanced out on the other side of the illuminated liberty bell, which is perfectly framed against the black background of Philadelphia. In my opinion you do not need to be a baseball fan to enjoy this image if you just sit back and look at it in the perspective of movement and what is to come.