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.