Learning to Look

Photograph Title: Cinderella Poster

Photographer: Annie Lebovitz

Digital, Film, or Other: Digital

Date Taken: 2014

1. Value:

There is a range of tones from light to dark and the darkest value is at the bottom of the poster as well as the right and left corners. The lightest value is around her arms and face.

2. Space:

The background acts as the negative space and Cinderella is the positive space.

3. Shape:

There's geometric shape in the stairs and organic shapes in her dress and in the clouds.

4. Line:

There are thick lines in the stairs and thin, curvy lines in her dress.

5. Color:

There are many different shades of blue in her dress, heels, and the sky. I also see grey in the clouds that are in the sky.

6. Texture:

There's texture in her dress. The way the light hits her dress shows how the top and under layers of her dress is rough and ruffled and how the middle layer of her dress is silky and smooth.

1. Focus:

The parts of the image that are clearly in focus are the glass slipper, Cinderella’s face, and the center of her dress. The parts of the image that are out of focus are the stairs and the sky.

2. Light and Shadow:

The light seems to be harsh, artificial light. The lighting is coming from the front of her body, more so from the direction she is facing. The shadows are on the right side, which creates a strong contrast that highlights her face. I believe the photographer used butterfly or side lighting.

3. Angle:

The photograph was taken from a lower vantage point. Taking this picture from a lower angle makes the photograph more dramatic, which highlights her beauty.

l think this photograph emphasizes beauty. Not just looks, but inner beauty as well. Not just for Cinderella, but for everyone. I think this because in the movie, Cinderella is supposed to be a poor girl who everyone makes fun of, but when she dresses up and goes to the ball, everyone doesn’t know who she is and wants to find out. Cinderella is a beautiful girl with the purest heart, which I think the photograph captures. I get a sense of pureness and kindness when I look at the photo. I would describe the photo as pure, genuine, and dramatic.

I would like to emulate Annie Lebovitz’s use of lighting, color, value, and space. I would like to emulate each of these elements because I believe these 4 elements are what makes the photograph so dramatic and beautiful.

LEARNING TO EMULATE

Four style elements that I incorporated into my own photography include color, lighting, value, and space. I incorporated color by having my model (my cousin Jasmine) wear a color that really sticks out, in this case it was red. As for the lighting, I angled the light to focus on her face and the left side of the photograph and made the lighting softer by putting a bed sheet over it. To emulate value, I made the edges the darkest parts of the photograph and made my model's face and shoulders the lightest value. To create space, I made it so that my model would be the positive space and the stairs/background would be my negative space.Obstacles I faced in completing the project included positioning the lighting correctly and having the pictures come out extremely yellow and blurry. I overcame these obstacles by switching from my Canon camera to using my phone. Using my phone gave me more stability and also helped my lighting look way less yellow and looked the way I wanted. Examining a famous photographer pushed and evolved my own photography by giving me the inspiration and determination to make my photo look professional. I think my photography has grown over the past few years because my skills have improved so much over these past couple years. I know how to apply so many different aspects to make my photos upgrade from just being snapshots to being true photographs.