Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ben Bertolino
Hammond
COM 232
15 February 2010
Analysis of an Image
The image that I chose is a picture of the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded to the Super Bowl Champion every season. But this is a special picture, because it is not standing alone, but being embraced, worshipped, and cherished by a team that has just won the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl trophy is symbolic of everything that not just an NFL player, but any professional athlete works toward for their entire lives. It also symbolizes the goals for which any person works hardest. This image portrays the scene of reaching the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, and can be seen further through Nick Lacey’s terms for image analysis, such as context, composition, and frame.
First, the image of the Vince Lombardi trophy immediately sets the photo at the finish of the Super Bowl. The hands that support it confirm this fact because they are still dressed in uniform apparel, such as gloves and tape. When I initially saw this image, the raw emotion of the winning moment for the championship team blasted up from the bottom of the frame and through the hands of the players to the trophy. For the image to be held high by the hands in this photo, the emotion of finally accomplishing their goal as both a team and a player hits hard. For an NFL player, coach, or fan, the feeling of your team winning a championship has no equal. Every participant in every sport hopes, prays, and wishes for this moment for as long as he has known the game, so when the Super Bowl is won, the celebration begins. This image demonstrates that moment first-hand.
Next, the composition of this photo tells not only the story of the championship team (in this case, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers), but also the story of everyone in pursuit of his goals in life. On a literal sense, the photo shows the team celebrating its hard-fought victory in the Super Bowl. The celebration is on, and the trophy is being passed around and embraced, demonstrated by the taped hands reaching up and fingerprinting the silver surface that reflects the thousands of joyous people. Also, on a symbolic sense, the good times in life stem from the hard work that we put into what we do. That is also evident in this picture, from the dirty, beat up hands, to the stretch to put just one fingertip on the ultimate symbol of accomplishment. One of my teachers in high school always used to tell my peers and me, “Work hard, and play hard,” and that phrase can be represented perfectly in this image. Through the trying times that test their toughness, the grasp on the trophy is the moment that begins the time of play after a long, grueling session of work. Even if the goals accomplished are not as significant as winning a Super Bowl, the ability to balance hard work with rest, relaxation, and play is a lesson that can lead to a much healthier lifestyle.
Finally, the frame in which the image is placed is a perfect moment captured using the Rule of Thirds. The players, coaches, and fans have all just experienced the first moment of realization that their team is the champion, so the placement of the Super Bowl trophy at the top of the image represents the highest of goals. The many hands at the bottom third of the frame represent the many participants that are constantly reaching toward one same feat. The horizontally centered trophy pops out at the viewer upon first glance, signifying the divine nature of those who are immortalized by the glory of winning the Super Bowl. As if the sun is shining down upon the world, the Vince Lombardi trophy provides a light that shines upon the best of the players and coaches in both the NFL and the entire athletic world. This is further illustrated in the image by the reflection of a mass of people, as well as the bright light that shines on the horizon of that reflection. By looking at that image embedded in the trophy’s shining surface, it is as if the trophy is displaying a glorious object that thousands of people gaze up at with lust and desire. The reflection of such a moment could not be captured without precise framing, for such a mirror image would have to be captured at the perfect moment.
Lacey’s views on image analysis, most notably context, composition, and framing, all allow for an image as profound as this one to be brought to life in many different respects. Whether it is the emotion that has overcome the Super Bowl champions, the divinity of Vince Lombardi and the trophy that was named after him, or the simple hard work of a regular person working a nine-to-five job from an office cubical, this image captures the accomplishment for which every person strives.
Hammond
COM 232
15 February 2010
Analysis of an Image
The image that I chose is a picture of the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is awarded to the Super Bowl Champion every season. But this is a special picture, because it is not standing alone, but being embraced, worshipped, and cherished by a team that has just won the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl trophy is symbolic of everything that not just an NFL player, but any professional athlete works toward for their entire lives. It also symbolizes the goals for which any person works hardest. This image portrays the scene of reaching the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, and can be seen further through Nick Lacey’s terms for image analysis, such as context, composition, and frame.
First, the image of the Vince Lombardi trophy immediately sets the photo at the finish of the Super Bowl. The hands that support it confirm this fact because they are still dressed in uniform apparel, such as gloves and tape. When I initially saw this image, the raw emotion of the winning moment for the championship team blasted up from the bottom of the frame and through the hands of the players to the trophy. For the image to be held high by the hands in this photo, the emotion of finally accomplishing their goal as both a team and a player hits hard. For an NFL player, coach, or fan, the feeling of your team winning a championship has no equal. Every participant in every sport hopes, prays, and wishes for this moment for as long as he has known the game, so when the Super Bowl is won, the celebration begins. This image demonstrates that moment first-hand.
Next, the composition of this photo tells not only the story of the championship team (in this case, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers), but also the story of everyone in pursuit of his goals in life. On a literal sense, the photo shows the team celebrating its hard-fought victory in the Super Bowl. The celebration is on, and the trophy is being passed around and embraced, demonstrated by the taped hands reaching up and fingerprinting the silver surface that reflects the thousands of joyous people. Also, on a symbolic sense, the good times in life stem from the hard work that we put into what we do. That is also evident in this picture, from the dirty, beat up hands, to the stretch to put just one fingertip on the ultimate symbol of accomplishment. One of my teachers in high school always used to tell my peers and me, “Work hard, and play hard,” and that phrase can be represented perfectly in this image. Through the trying times that test their toughness, the grasp on the trophy is the moment that begins the time of play after a long, grueling session of work. Even if the goals accomplished are not as significant as winning a Super Bowl, the ability to balance hard work with rest, relaxation, and play is a lesson that can lead to a much healthier lifestyle.
Finally, the frame in which the image is placed is a perfect moment captured using the Rule of Thirds. The players, coaches, and fans have all just experienced the first moment of realization that their team is the champion, so the placement of the Super Bowl trophy at the top of the image represents the highest of goals. The many hands at the bottom third of the frame represent the many participants that are constantly reaching toward one same feat. The horizontally centered trophy pops out at the viewer upon first glance, signifying the divine nature of those who are immortalized by the glory of winning the Super Bowl. As if the sun is shining down upon the world, the Vince Lombardi trophy provides a light that shines upon the best of the players and coaches in both the NFL and the entire athletic world. This is further illustrated in the image by the reflection of a mass of people, as well as the bright light that shines on the horizon of that reflection. By looking at that image embedded in the trophy’s shining surface, it is as if the trophy is displaying a glorious object that thousands of people gaze up at with lust and desire. The reflection of such a moment could not be captured without precise framing, for such a mirror image would have to be captured at the perfect moment.
Lacey’s views on image analysis, most notably context, composition, and framing, all allow for an image as profound as this one to be brought to life in many different respects. Whether it is the emotion that has overcome the Super Bowl champions, the divinity of Vince Lombardi and the trophy that was named after him, or the simple hard work of a regular person working a nine-to-five job from an office cubical, this image captures the accomplishment for which every person strives.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Image analyzes
Melissa Lebor
Com 232
2/14/10
Image analyzes
For my image analyses I have chosen a still picture from the movie dirty dancing. This picture features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray. The first time this movie was ever aired was in 1987. Dirty dancing was the first production for Vestron pictures and due to this was a low budget film of only 5 million dollars. Dirty dancing became a massive box office hit making over 214 million dollars worldwide. This movie is worth studying because it is timeless and will always be relevant. After so many years people can still relate to the classic love story that takes place.
To analyze this picture, I will use Lacey’s concepts from his book, Image & Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies. I will describe this picture using three techniques; these are composition, context and code. When looking at this picture people are instantly drawn in. When examining the composition a number of things need to be considered. We need to ask does this picture draw people in. The answer to this is yes. This picture has been taken close up only showing the top halves of the characters bodies. This instantly makes the viewer look and pay attention. This picture is bold and colorful taken in a dark setting; making the people in the picture stand out. The camera is showing the viewer exactly what it wants you to see. This is the portrayal of love. Considering the scale of the objects in this picture, we can see that the characters are dominant and take up most of the image. In this picture non-verbal communication is extremely important. This picture shows two people emotionally connected and in love. If a person were to view this picture without seeing the movie they would know the connection these two people share. It is obvious through there body language.
The context of this picture shows two people living life to the fullest. If someone didn’t know what this movie was about, they might assume that this was a married couple in bed. These two people are intertwined and obviously in love. We can tell this by the look in Patrick Swayze’s eyes. The rule of thirds definitely applies to this picture; the first place that the viewer’s eyes go to is the characters faces. This gets the viewers attention and holds it. Looking at this picture, nobody would know when it was taken. This picture is timeless with the message never being changed.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Image Analysis
Jared Murawski
February 15, 2010
Visual Lit
Analysis of an Image
This picture I am analyzing is one taken in 1960 during a New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game. The two men pictured are Chuck Bednarik (Eagles, top) and Frank Gifford (Giants, bottom). It is a photo that most football fans have seen but not all truly have analyzed or know the story behind it. The history behind the picture only adds to the intrigue of the photo, which I will describe later. After reading Nick Lacey’s piece on image analysis, I will try and describe this photo using the process he himself uses including composition, context and code.
First, the composition of the photo needs to be taken into account. The picture, taken in black and white, portrays an image and a game that has been changed greatly over the years. Not even taking into account the men in the photo, the grainy and colorless composition conveys an image of grit, ferocity and rage. The players are dirty and taped up passing on the idea of pain and pure violence. The position of Bednarik over the seemingly lifeless body of Gifford portrays pure dominance. Bednarik is shown as a towering figure filled with absolute aggression while Gifford lies on the ground in a purely helpless state. The Eagles linebackers monstrous figure is the initial form spotted when looking at the photo and rightfully so as he takes up about 4/5 of the photo. There is truly only one way to convey the mood of this photo and it is in that of dominance and pain.
The framing of the photo, which amazingly has to be purely by chance due to the speed of the game, is perfectly conveying the struggle and battle between these two men. It is an action shot and allows for the rule of thirds to actively be displayed in the photo. The referee’s body to the left side lines up with left vertical line while Bednarik’s towering body lines up with the right vertical line and his eyes align with the upper horizontal line. Gifford’s entire body is practically the bottom horizontal line as he lays unresponsive.
The context of the photo only furthers the grittiness of the shot. It portrays a fierce game that wasn’t governed by so many rules and safety regulations and was full of men who played numerous positions and played the game because it was their job. For those who don’t know the story behind this picture. It portrays the aftermath of one of the NFL’s most fierce and memorable tackles. Bednarik laid out Gifford on his blindside on a passing play on a clean hit and knocked him completely unconscious. Bednarik claims himself that his words for Gifford after the hit were “Stay the fuck down!” but Gifford couldn’t attest to this. While the photo shows the pure dominance and devastation of the hit, the story furthers the lore. The hit caused Gifford, mainly a running back, severe head damage and took him out of the game (as he retired) for eighteen full months. He would eventually return to the game and still prosper but most believe he never returned to the form he played at prior to the hit.
In understanding the history behind the actual hit, it is amazing to think that a photographer could capture this brutal moment in which one man physically and mentally dominated another man to the point of semi-retirement. The pure rage shown in the photo can bring a viewer back to the age of a different game. And while one looking at this photo can almost feel the hit lay upon Gifford himself, I’m sure when Gifford looks at the photo he still feels it.
Jillian Ramirez Paper #2
Jillian Ramirez
February 4, 2010
COM 232 Tom Hammond
MWF 10 – 11:10
Close Analysis of an Image
To analyze this picture, I will be using Nick Lacey’s concepts from his book, Image & Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies. I am going to start with content of the picture. Now if I had not seen this movie, I would think that the preferred reading of the image would be that the two people are in love and have not seen each other in a while. Also, clearly the setting is in a much earlier time period. The woman’s face looks a bit more sad then the man. Another way to look at it would be if they were saying good-bye to each other, which is truly what is going in the picture. Every person can have a different interpretation in reading this photo because every person is different and thinks differently, especially if someone has or has not seen the movie. The message or idea I see being conveyed is that the two people, Rick and Ilsa, are coming or going. Others might interpret it as they are meeting for the first time like love at first sight. Or, if they were a couple the husband could be going off to war and they are saying good-bye to each other.
The composition of the image is mainly their faces. The tone is a bit hard to tell since the image is in back and white, but the sharpness is easy to tell what they want you to look at because their facial expressions are up close. The camera is showing you exactly what it wants you to look at and what message it wants to deliver. When considering the scale of the objects in the image, you can tell right away they that two people know each other because two people who just met would not be standing that close to each other. Along with the scale, non-verbal communication plays a lot in their frame with facial expressions and especially gaze. You can just tell by they way they are looking in each others eyes, something big has happened in their past for them to look at each other this way. Also their cloths and appearance conform they are coming or going because a trench coat and hat is not something you wear around the house everyday. Their formal features give away most of the pictures meaning, especially with the rule of third. Your eyes are drawn straight to wear their lips should meet showing the tension in the faces. This picture is perfect according to the rule of thirds I think.
The way the frame is set up is just so perfect because although there are not a lot of formal features, with the compositional features, the frame allows the picture to be strong and draw attention to what is most important. In understanding this part, I realize it is just not one part that is important but many things that add up to allow the picture to be perfect like the Academy ratio framing of the still, the close-up distance shot and the depth of field just to name a few. With out the right content in the frame, ideas and perceptions could be different when showing this image.
After seeing how much work is put into each frame I appreciate and understand the meaning of how an actual frame or still is put together to be just the right balance.
Robert Hubbard
Visual Literacy
Monday, February 10, 2010
Close Analysis of an Image
The image that I have chosen is one of great importance to our nation. It is titled Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima and it was taken by Joe Rosenthal after the battle on Iwo Jima. The picture was developed in Guam and the photo's producer exclaimed upon seeing it, "Here's one for all time!" The photo was immediately radiophotoed back to Washington and hit the press within 18 hours of being taken, which is a very speedy turnaround in those days.
This image came to the headlines again when the photo was turned into a statue in Arlington, Virginia outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery. This is known as the Marine Corp War Memorial. It honors the all the marines who have died serving their country since 1775.
Again the picture was made famous when Clint Eastwood directed Flags of our Fathers, a movie about the story behind the famous picture of Iwo Jima. The movie goes into the story of how the flag was raised twice because a General wanted the first flag for his shelf at home. The famous photo was of the second flag raising. There was also controversy surrounding the picture when it arrived in the states. Many people believed the picture was staged and there was dispute about one of the six men in the picture. The movie was nominated for a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards.
It is unusual for one picture to get this much attention, but that just speaks to the quality of the photograph. The picture itself is a masterpiece. When the eye takes in the picture the first focal point is the flag. It is the american flag on a white sky background which is exactly what a patriotic photograph is aiming for. The sky is blank and empty drawing no attention away from the action but rather serves as an accent on the flag. The clouds have a white glow surrounding the flag and follow the shape of the flag on the pole. After the eye sees the flag, you move along the diagonal line of the flag pole leading to the action of the image. The men raising the flag. The rest of the image is bleak and uneventful giving more emphasis to the subject of the photo. The background is a white sky and a grey sea creating a slight horizon line. The foreground is black debris looking uniform and not drawing much attention.
The main focal point of the image is the one man planting the base of the flag. Images and film are all about lines. A good picture or frame in a movie will have lines pointing to the subject. These lines serve to move the viewers eyes to the desired focal point. The lines in this picture are exceptional. Every object in the picture points to the base of the flag. The flag pole points directly to the base. The sea runs along the base of the picture and leads directly to the base. The top of the ground leads to the base from both sides. Even the set up of the soldiers creates a line leading to the base of the flag because each soldier is standing slightly taller than the one before.
The photo also exceptionally follows the rule of thirds. The flag is on the left third line and top third line and leads to the men raising the flag on the right third line and bottom third line. The whole rest of the image is below the bottom third line giving the sense that the viewer is gazing up upon the flag.
This picture has all the technical qualities that a good picture must have but there is also something about the picture that makes it great at first glance. The intangibles of the picture are what have carried it though many generations. It is a picture that inspires triumph and patriotism but where does this come from?
It comes from the image itself. This picture was not posed but it has every quality that a studio picture would have. The symbolism is very strong. It is a picture of american soldiers raising a flag over wreckage: triumph out of misery. It is a perpetual action of a flag being raised. The flag pole is frozen in time at a forty-five degree angle. This is the perfect angle to create a sense of action. The mind sees the angle and knows that the flag is being raised. Any less and the troops seem to be struggling; any more and it would seem to be falling.
Another feature that shows the action is the placement of the soldiers. Each one stands in a different position as if the photo were a time-lapse of a single troop raising a flag. The four troops appearing to be in for different frames give the picture movement and the viewer senses the movement on a still image.
This image has all the qualities of a great picture and all the intangible qualities to make it last through time. It is one of the great American symbols of war and patriotism. This image will be around for as long as the American flag is flown.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Analysis of an image
Danielle Salm
Professor Hammond
Visual Literacy
February 14, 2010
The picture that I have picked is out of a scene from the movie A Walk to Remember. It is a story about two completely different people whose lives cross paths and they end up saving each other and finding out that they have a lot more in common then they had originally thought. I picked this picture because yet simple, there is a lot going on. People who haven’t seen the movie could see what is happening as something completely different than what it really is. I am pretty sure that this is a still from the movie but I am not completely sure because it looks like it has been touched up. There are many messages that can be shown by the ways they are sitting, their facial expressions, the lighting, angles, setting, etc. Through the use of Nick Lacey’s ideas of content, composition, and codes, the overall theme of a picture can be explained without the use of any words.
To the people that have never seen the movie, or know the story line there are many observations that they could make about the picture. First of all, one could think that the picture portrays the generic couple in love sitting in the park leisurely. By the look on her face, it could be read as a silly girl who is living in a fantasy land of what she would like her life to be like or what she thinks it might actually be. When looking at him one could think that he is bored or angry. It is logical to think that he is thinking of someone else or that he could be doing something better with his time. He could even look as if he was there not by choice but because it was mandatory. To the untrained eye, it is easy to make assumptions about what this picture is trying to say. In taking Lacey’s ideas anyone who has seen the movie or hasn’t seen it can develop an understanding of the preferred reading of the picture.
Mandy Moore, who plays the character Jamie, has a sense of calm. She seems happy. She is closing her eyes and taking in the moment. Her arms are loosely rested on her lap in a way that ensures she feels security and warmth. Her clothes also show that she is very comfortable because she doesn’t feel the need to impress him; she is content in her own skin. She also portrays a feeling of hopelessness because she is leaning on him. If he were not there she would fall and that says a lot about her character in the movie. She begins to need him and he is what helps her stay alive. He brought life to her.
Shane West plays the part of Landon in this movie. He portrays a sense of conflict through his eyes. His eyebrows are tightened and his face is stiff showing a sense of frustration. He is sitting up with his arm stiffly planted on the ground to ensure he can keep her up. He knows that if he breaks his stance he could lose the delicate girl. He also has is knee up to ensure that she is safe and molded into him. His arm is up holding her head, once again showing that he needs to protect her. He is also comfortably dressed which shows that he can completely be himself around her.
The standard TV scene takes place in the forest where Landon brought Jamie so that she could see star that could only be seen right before daybreak. The background is dark, which creates the feeling of trouble and dark days. The low key lighting creates a somber mood which goes along with the gloomy days that are to come. Then there is a light gleaming over one side of the both of them. I feel as if the light can be symbolic for death because of the dark setting and the whole idea of the light at the end of the tunnel. It could also symbolize the love that these two individuals share. It can be used to show the importance of the two people in the picture and the bond that they have created. The high key lighting on their faces is supposed to create a feeling of optimism so the picture is trying to show that in all of the darkness and sadness, something good will come of it.
The angle of this picture is neutral to show that these two individuals are equal. No one has more power or is powerless in comparison to one another. At first I thought that this picture was a close-up because of the intimacy between the characters and the emotion gleaming out of the picture but if that was the point that was trying to be shown it would have just been a picture of their faces and shoulders. Since more of their bodies are in the picture it is characterized as a medium close-up which shows growing tension. This tension is obviously shown through Shane’s character and in knowing that fact about the distance of the shot one can see that the picture isn’t in fact trying to show their love but the problems ahead of them. The composition of the picture is dynamic to create the feeling of conflict. There is a selective focus in the picture in which the characters are deeply in focus showing the mise en scène while the background is blurred out to indicate the importance of the characters. The shot is from a side angle to accentuate how they are intertwined in each other as opposed to a head on shot. The characters are also placed more to the right side of the picture which was probably done following the rule of thirds. To get an idea of where they are the forest needs to be incorporated. If the characters were in the middle of the picture, people wouldn’t be able to read where they are and come up with all of the translations of the photo.
Through each of Nick Lacey’s image analysis concepts, anybody can learn how to “read” a picture that has no words. His ideas create the words that we are missing, and they tell us a story of the images we analyze. While walking myself through the steps I found that each of his interpretations of expressions, placement, lighting, and so on were pretty much on point with the message that the movie creates. These concepts also help me to understand how much effort is put into specific ads for movies, products, or events to reveal the appropriate emotion for the intended crowds. What is interesting is how much one picture can say without having to sit through a 2 hour movie. These formal and compositional features are extremely important in gaining the interest of people and giving them a sense what they are to expect.
Professor Hammond
Visual Literacy
February 14, 2010
The picture that I have picked is out of a scene from the movie A Walk to Remember. It is a story about two completely different people whose lives cross paths and they end up saving each other and finding out that they have a lot more in common then they had originally thought. I picked this picture because yet simple, there is a lot going on. People who haven’t seen the movie could see what is happening as something completely different than what it really is. I am pretty sure that this is a still from the movie but I am not completely sure because it looks like it has been touched up. There are many messages that can be shown by the ways they are sitting, their facial expressions, the lighting, angles, setting, etc. Through the use of Nick Lacey’s ideas of content, composition, and codes, the overall theme of a picture can be explained without the use of any words.
To the people that have never seen the movie, or know the story line there are many observations that they could make about the picture. First of all, one could think that the picture portrays the generic couple in love sitting in the park leisurely. By the look on her face, it could be read as a silly girl who is living in a fantasy land of what she would like her life to be like or what she thinks it might actually be. When looking at him one could think that he is bored or angry. It is logical to think that he is thinking of someone else or that he could be doing something better with his time. He could even look as if he was there not by choice but because it was mandatory. To the untrained eye, it is easy to make assumptions about what this picture is trying to say. In taking Lacey’s ideas anyone who has seen the movie or hasn’t seen it can develop an understanding of the preferred reading of the picture.
Mandy Moore, who plays the character Jamie, has a sense of calm. She seems happy. She is closing her eyes and taking in the moment. Her arms are loosely rested on her lap in a way that ensures she feels security and warmth. Her clothes also show that she is very comfortable because she doesn’t feel the need to impress him; she is content in her own skin. She also portrays a feeling of hopelessness because she is leaning on him. If he were not there she would fall and that says a lot about her character in the movie. She begins to need him and he is what helps her stay alive. He brought life to her.
Shane West plays the part of Landon in this movie. He portrays a sense of conflict through his eyes. His eyebrows are tightened and his face is stiff showing a sense of frustration. He is sitting up with his arm stiffly planted on the ground to ensure he can keep her up. He knows that if he breaks his stance he could lose the delicate girl. He also has is knee up to ensure that she is safe and molded into him. His arm is up holding her head, once again showing that he needs to protect her. He is also comfortably dressed which shows that he can completely be himself around her.
The standard TV scene takes place in the forest where Landon brought Jamie so that she could see star that could only be seen right before daybreak. The background is dark, which creates the feeling of trouble and dark days. The low key lighting creates a somber mood which goes along with the gloomy days that are to come. Then there is a light gleaming over one side of the both of them. I feel as if the light can be symbolic for death because of the dark setting and the whole idea of the light at the end of the tunnel. It could also symbolize the love that these two individuals share. It can be used to show the importance of the two people in the picture and the bond that they have created. The high key lighting on their faces is supposed to create a feeling of optimism so the picture is trying to show that in all of the darkness and sadness, something good will come of it.
The angle of this picture is neutral to show that these two individuals are equal. No one has more power or is powerless in comparison to one another. At first I thought that this picture was a close-up because of the intimacy between the characters and the emotion gleaming out of the picture but if that was the point that was trying to be shown it would have just been a picture of their faces and shoulders. Since more of their bodies are in the picture it is characterized as a medium close-up which shows growing tension. This tension is obviously shown through Shane’s character and in knowing that fact about the distance of the shot one can see that the picture isn’t in fact trying to show their love but the problems ahead of them. The composition of the picture is dynamic to create the feeling of conflict. There is a selective focus in the picture in which the characters are deeply in focus showing the mise en scène while the background is blurred out to indicate the importance of the characters. The shot is from a side angle to accentuate how they are intertwined in each other as opposed to a head on shot. The characters are also placed more to the right side of the picture which was probably done following the rule of thirds. To get an idea of where they are the forest needs to be incorporated. If the characters were in the middle of the picture, people wouldn’t be able to read where they are and come up with all of the translations of the photo.
Through each of Nick Lacey’s image analysis concepts, anybody can learn how to “read” a picture that has no words. His ideas create the words that we are missing, and they tell us a story of the images we analyze. While walking myself through the steps I found that each of his interpretations of expressions, placement, lighting, and so on were pretty much on point with the message that the movie creates. These concepts also help me to understand how much effort is put into specific ads for movies, products, or events to reveal the appropriate emotion for the intended crowds. What is interesting is how much one picture can say without having to sit through a 2 hour movie. These formal and compositional features are extremely important in gaining the interest of people and giving them a sense what they are to expect.
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