Herb Ritts Beach

Herb Ritts uses contrast of the dark figures to accentuate the foreground of the image and counter the black in the background. Because the bodies are construed it creates a perception of melting and uneasiness. The black and white create a drama in the contrast of the image.

Herb Ritts Versace Dress

A dramatic iamge creating a lot of movement and contrast due to the harsh contrast between the black and white. The negative space is created with the dress almost framing the figure int the middle. The middle of the iamge is accentuated due to the heavy contrast and the foreground is created with subtle greys contrasting against the off white of the sky

Grace Jones by Robert Mapplethorpe

The face really stands out and almost seems to glow and float on the background since the body is shrouded. Greyscale really creates emotion in this photo. The photo goes beyond normal portraiture because of the eccentricities of the piece.

Rober Mapplethorpe Frank Diaz

One of Robert Mapplethorpe's exhibitions, Frank Diaz has excellent balance and slight asymmetry. The horns create a focal point and imply the evil of the man. Because his back is turned to us the image is a bit unsettling. The bar on top splits the image evenly and leads the eye to the figure.

Kalle Gustafsson

Kalle Gustafsson has so much movement in this photo. Its a piece suspended in time and looks like it could fly off the picture. The color is heavily saturated and suggests it was shot with film. The blues and reds contrast well and enhance the effectiveness of the image. For the amount of movement in the image very little is actually blurred or out of focus. Because the angle is lower the horses are very daunting and intimidating. The photo feels very caught in the moment. Very well done photo.

Flip by Garry Winograd

Flip by Garry Winograd creates a lot of movement. The moment captured in time is captured with good detail. The black man flipping contrasts well with the almost completely white sky. The sky has no texture but the fore ground has good texture. The people on the right balance the photo and add joy to the feeling of the photo. Because the photo is black and white the feeling is preserved without distracting the viewer with and over load of color.

Clearest by David Doublait

Clearest by David Doublait captures stunning shades of blue. This underwater photographer uses the ocean to create his compositions. The circle of fish creates excellent accentuation of the diver. The brightest able is being the  circle of fish keeping the brightest highlight out of the center of the composition. The contrast of the black figure against the light blues accentuate the figure even more while the silhouettes of the ring of fish create even more focus on the diver. 

Young Arab in the Foxtail Lilies by Herbert List

Herbert List's Young Arab in the Foxtail Lilies is a good example of scale created by non distinct foreground and figure. Because the model and the lilies are both in focus scale is thrown off. The eye is drawn down the stem of the lilies to the model. The lilies outline the models body really well accentuating him as the focus of the piece. The contrast of the piece also accentuates his body against a lighter grey background of the mountains. The shades of the skin create good soft texture while the texture of the lilies are harder and more jagged.

Cecil Beaton Portrait

Cecil Beaton captures an amazing photograph with the model looking away. This unconventional style keeps the piece interesting. The head room is good and the feather on top has enough room. Her shoulders have enough room from the edge. The contrast of the whiteness of her skin on the dark background accentuate her as being the focus of the image. The texture of her skin is kept in tact except on her shoulder where is seems a little washed out. This portrait captures the times well all while still being timeless in quality.

Nude 3 by George Platt Lynnes

George Platt Lynes' Nude 3 has great balance and is aesthetically pleasing. The contrast of light and color keeps the photo interesting while the arms of the men give the photo movement. The white skin of the man in from accentuates the man in back and vice versa. This creates elegant balance. The subject is risqué without being sexual. The caress of the image is gentle.

Micheal Kenna landscape

Micheal Kenna's photo has good contrast. The black trees stand out well against the white and grey background. The balance is almost perfect because of the reflection the water creates. The photo feels ominous because of the sky turing darker as it gets close. The horizon is very flat keeping the photo peaceful. The blackness of the trees keeps the photo exciting enough to be interesting.

Lyle Owerko Portrait

Lyle Owerko's portait is more drawn out. It focuses on the figure as well as the face. The use of black and white captures more of the soul and not the colors. The texture is still kept and the contrast  is heavy. The skin of the boy is scarred and the portrait seems to tell and narrative. The eyes are not lost in the image even though they re not ht main focus. It seems like the main focus is the boys body and the neck jewelry. Because it metallic it highlights more dramatically and draws the viewers eyes.

Steve McCurry Portait

Steve McCurry's portraits are always dynamic in color and positioning. The models are typically worn and tell a narrative through the scars and dirt on them. The eyes of this model are fixed and dramatic. The keep the viewer focused on the eyes while the hands and cigarette draw the eye away. The colors are bright and variant. The show great contrast and stay true to the original. The colors are accurate and not washed out. The texture of the skin is also well captured.

Tibet by Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry's tibet is a sweeping and dramatic land scape photo. The mountains draw the eye back to the boy who is in the fore ground. Because the mountains have the highlights the foreground balances it out with shadow. There really is no focus of the image. It is a little chaotic but the colors are good and the textures are captured accurately. There is good contrast in the mountains creating dramatic darks and lights.

George Platt Lynes Portrait

George Platt Lynes was a commercial photographer who captured excellent and dramatic portraits using unconventional stylizations and methods of portraiture. The elbow on the left is a little close to the edge but is also heavily shadowed and it goes unnoticed. The highlights work well but the bright spot behind the model draws the eye to his face. The arm covers most of the model and it creates movement. The hand and the fabric in the foreground balance the image due to the brightness of the top.

Two Men Dancing by Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethrope's Two Men Dancing creates a good amount of contrast between figure and ground. The head room is good and the image has a a gracious around of space between the figures and the edge of the photo. The movement is created with the limbs of the men and the lighting creates soft highlights making the texture of the skin realistic. The only shiny things in the piece is the crowns which only accentuate the massage of the image and does not take away from the main focus of the photograph.

Robert Douisneau

Robert Douisneau captures good ground and figure in this piece. The texture is good and nothing is washed out. The white of the ground balances well with the black figure of the boy and dog. There is good scale in this photo due to the capturing of the building in the ground. The people walking create movement and the lines of the buildings all point down toward the figure. The boy spread out creates movement too and adds drama to the picture.

Saints and Sinners by Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethrope's saints and sinners is an aesthetically pleasing work. The detail is incredible all while capturing movement of the water creating drama. The water exaggerates the features of the model's face while the nose and mouth are accentuated above the water. It almost seems like an allegory of the fragility of life because if he slips under just an inch he looses the ability to breath.

The Cellist by Robert Doisneau

Robert Doisneau's the Cellist is a rather stunning photo. Texture is captured well and the sky even has texture. The rock is captured accurately and the focus is put on the cellist playing at the edge of a cliff. The main focus is just off center keeping the photo from being boring. The cellist figure is balanced out with the mountain int he background. The sky also balances the ground well because the texture of both is vivid.

Dali Atomicus by Phillippe Halsman

Phillippe Halsman's Dali Atomicus is really great capturing of a moment in time. The non sensical aesthetic follows Salvadore Dali's nature and art work. The chair on the left side is a bit too black with no texture. the water has great texture and the animals are distinct. The shadows do not match and further match the non sensical style of Dali's work.

Le Grand Saut by Elliot Erwitt

Elliot Erwitt's Le Grand Saut captures a moment in time really well. The black figures really stand out against the grey sky. The leaping of the central figure captures movement well. The Eiffel tower balances the background opposite to the dark grey sky. The black building however feels cut off and probably would do better to be cropped out. The couple embracing each other can be perceived as being further away because they are smaller. The blacks stand out stunningly even with the use of black and white.

Werner Bischof

Another Werner Bischof is a very powerful image that carries a lot of wight with simplicity. The almost black silhouette of the man seems extremely lonely. The destructed buildings are highly detailed. The whole of the image is still except for the figure in the middle.

Rettrospectiva by Werner Bischof

Werner Bishof's Rettrospectiva is a busy and powerful photo that captures the chaos of press in one still image. The sky s a bit to bright but contrasts with the darks at the bottom of the photo. Because no one is looking at the photo it creates a measure of mystery. The amount of people create a good layering affect. They seem to be piling in and it creates good movement without disrupting the content and theme of the image.

garry Winograd

Garry Winogrand's photo is a clear image of the relationship between animals and humans. The elephant trunk has a lot of texture and stands out on the background. Even the skin has texture on the human.

Nicholas Samaras

Nicholas Samaras is an underwater photographer, capturing images of strange almost alien like sea creatures. These creatures are especially colorful and bright starkly contrasting against pure black background. These mostly never before seen animals are captured with crisp detail and allows us to see into this strange world. 

Oil Fields #2 by Edward Burtynsky

Oil Fields #2 by Edward Burtynsky is a bit of a political statement. The horizon disappears in the smog and it seems endless. Color is a good choice for the photo because the minute details would disappear in black and white. Color highlights the small details as they flow together into the horizon.  The piece is a statement of american oil and our dependency hence it was shot in California.

Benoit Kurti

Benoit Kurti's photo is powerful in its content. The black and white is highly effective because of the stark contrast between the hands and the background. The texture is well captured and the hands are obviously well worn. The fingers trail off and defocus while the finger tips are crisp and well captured. The content is balanced and a bit plain because it is dead center focally.

Yosemite by Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams' photos of Yosemite are iconic in their own right. Most of all his works are black and white. The contrast is powerful in this image. The sky is not washed out and the whites of the water and the snow stand out against the mid tones. This particular photo has crisp outlines and is an effective black and white photo. The long exposure only blurs the water and keeps the still objects in focus and crisp. Distance is a little lacking and the mountain could feel close or far away.