Welcome
Your
first assignment is to meet two photographers from the middle part of
the last century. The first is Victor Jorgenson. He is featured below.
Victor was a photographer for U.S. Navy.
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The photograph
below is titled "Kissing the War Goodbye" It was taken on Victory over
Japan Day (V-J Day) on August 14th, 1945 in Times Square, New York
City. It depicts a sailor kissing a women wearing a white dress or
uniform. Click on it to see it bigger.
The second photographer is Life Magazine's Alfred Eisenstaedt. He is featured below.
Eisenstaedt took a photograph titled "V-J Day in Times Square" . It too was also taken on
V-J Day in Times Square at about the same moment. Click on it to see it larger.
After looking at both photos closely, think about this: although both of these photos were taken at the same event and at almost the same exact time, they are both different visually and may even have a different emotional impact on the viewer.
Write a paragraph response explaining which one you prefer. Which is a stronger photo in your opinion and WHY? Really think about it and offer reasons to support your opinion.
This assignment is due Tuesday, February 9th. Write your response in a Word doc first, then copy it. Then click on "comment" below and paste it in the text area. You must put your name on the end of your response and choose "anonymous". Then click publish to send me your response. When I receive it I will publish it on the blog for everyone to see.
To me, the photograph with the sailor and nurse kissing holds more emotion. The reason why that is is because first off he kissed in a spur of excitement disregarding the fact she was a stranger. He no longer needed to fight to live anymore and he was free from the constrictions and danger of war. He kissed a stranger in excitement o this, and his surroundings added to the emotions and mood of the scene. Around the kissing two, their surroundings were sided with tall buildings and other smiling soldiers and strangers that are in joy of the finished war. The joy and huge smiles on two particular sailors to the left is pure evidence of the happiness in the war being over. The building all the way in the back is something still clearly recognizable today. And that piece of structure to the overall happiness of the photograph because they are in the middle of a bustling city full of hopes and dreams and the commotion regular there and combined with the commotion of the news of the war ending must have made the real life scene so overwhelming and happy. -h.w
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible that the photographers Victor Jorgensen and Alfred Eisenstaedt were able to capture almost the exact same moment at almost the exact same time with their pictures “Kissing the War Goodbye” and “V-J Day in Times Square”. Despite the fact that there was only a small difference in the angle from which the pictures were taken and the time at which they were taken, this difference accounts for the varying impact between the two pictures. I prefer Eisenstaedt’s “V-J Day in Times Square” over Jorgensen’s photo because it is more interesting and better captures the emotion of that specific time. “V-J Day in Times Square” is the more interesting photo because of the angle it was taken from. Due to the fact that the picture was taken looking down Times Square, a vanishing point exists behind the man’s head. This not only makes the photo more interesting to look at, but also draws the viewers’ eyes into the focus of the picture - the man and woman. Eisenstaedt’s photo also more noticeably captures the emotion of the surrounding people. From his photo one can more clearly see the elation on people’s faces, and the sheer volume of those celebrating the end of the war.
ReplyDelete-Gregory Bodik
Although both “Kissing the War Goodbye” by Victor Jorgensen and “V-J Day in Times Square” by Alfred Eisenstaedt are very similar photos of the same object, the difference in the angle from which they were shot accounts for the different mood and message conveyed in each one, as well as the impact they have on the viewer. In my opinion, “V-J Day in Times Square” is a stronger photo because it not only captures the sailor and the nurse, but also the area around them. By giving more of a perspective of Times Square, “V-J Day in Times Square” is better able to capture the ambiance of that moment. I prefer “V-J Day in Times Square” because of the larger frame it depicts. Another interesting aspect of the photo is that the sailor and nurse look as if they are paused in one moment, whereas the people around them seem to be moving towards the photographer. Although both pictures were able to capture the excitement of post-war celebration, “V-J Day in Times Square” is able to do so by showing more people and more emotion, emphasizing the volume and importance of the events that took place that day.
ReplyDeleteMark Bodik
"Kissing the War Goodbye" by Victor Jorgensen and "V-J Day in Times Square" by Alfred Eisenstaedt are two incredible photos. These photos were taken at almost the same exact time, yet they both hold such a different emotion behind it. In my opinion, "V-J Day in Times Square" catches my eye more. The two different angles of these photos are completely different, and "V-J Day in Times Square" is more centered and shows an amazing shot of NYC, which supports my reason of liking. The background of "Kissing the War Goodbye" just shows buildings, which makes the city look more gloomy. Although I do prefer one photo over the other, both of these photographers took the moment they saw with their eye, and made it picture perfect. On an important day like this day, it is amazing to have these photos for the later generations to see.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin Lynch
"Kissing the war goodbye" and "VJ Day in Times square" are two photos taken of the exact same moment but each of the pictures seems to be drastically different. I feel that "V-J Day in Times Square" is a better picture because it captures more of the environment.It not only shows the nurse and the soldier kissing but you can also see the excitement on everyone else faces in the crowd as well. Although, "Kissing the war goodbye" is a much nicer title for the photograph.
ReplyDeleteAllison Fried
Photographers Victor Jorgensen and Alfred Eisenstaedt managed to capture an incredible moment in their photographs. “Kissing the War Goodbye” by Jorgensen and “V-J Day in Times Square” by Eisenstaedt are similar in many respects and feature the same subject, a sailor kissing a nurse. However, a difference in perspective and the resulting differences in the backgrounds of either photograph set apart the two pieces. “V-J Day in Times Square” is, in my opinion the better of the two images. There are two reasons why I prefer it; the first is because the hand of the sailor isn’t covering the nurse’s face. In “V-J Day in Times Square,” face of the nurse is more visible and the viewer can almost see the shock on her face. Additionally, the entirety of the sailor and nurse can be seen unlike “Kissing the War Goodbye,” where they are only seen from the knee up. This creates a better visual effect. The second reason I like Eisenstaedt’s photograph better is because it encapsulates more of the victorious moment than Jorgensen’s does. A larger number of people can be seen in the background, which feels less closed. The people seen in “V-J Day in Times Square”are generally rejoicing and this contributes to the mood of joy that the photographer wanted to convey.
ReplyDelete-Sahil Sangwan
I think that it is so amazing how the two photographers, Alfred Eisenstaedt and Victor Jorgenson managed to capture the same moment in time, over the matter of a 5 second event. However, I like Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo better, because it shows more the celebration and festivities going on in the background. Victor Jorgenson's photo focuses more on the kiss of the nurse and soldier, instead of everything else going on. This day, V-J day, was so happy and victorious for all Americans, especially all the nurses, soldiers, and any one directly involved in the war. Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo displays this excitement for everyone by showing more of the background, especially all of the smiling faces behind the nurse and soldier. It has more of an emotional affect on the person looking at the photo, which is something I believe the photographer was trying to do.
ReplyDelete-Lucia Buscemi
Both well known photographers, Alfred Eisentaedt and Victor Jorgenson were able to take essentially the same picture, at the same time, with the same people, with the only thing differing was the angle at which it was shot. As remarkable as that may be, I do not believe that one has a more emotional impact over the other. As I stated earlier, they are pretty much the same picture, and that is why I do not feel as much more towards one in particular. With the only thing differing being the angle at which it was taken, I essentially look at these two photos as being the same thing.
ReplyDelete-Jake Cassidy
In my opinion, the photo titled, "V-J Day in Times Square" is more emotionally compelling and overall better than the photo titled, "Kissing the War Goodbye" because of many reasons. First of all, it has a much stronger focal point, and you can tell what the focal point is right away, where in the other photo it's harder to tell. Another reason is because the photo titled, "V-J Day in Times Square" has one point perspective. This also makes it more appealing to the eye. Lastly, in the photo, "V-J Day in Times Square" the people are smaller and therefore less distracting than the people in the photo, "Kissing the War Goodbye" as the people in that photo are more noticeable and take away from the focal point. Overall, the photo "V-J Day in Times Square" is much better, more appealing, and therefore more iconic than the photo "Kissing the War Goodbye".
ReplyDelete-Charlotte O'Dell
I think the photo "V-J day in times square" is a better picture because it makes the sailor and nurse the focal point in the center of the picture, and the city and other people as the background. It is a more dramatic picture which shows more emotion. It captures main idea of the picture rather than in the photo "Kissing the war goodbye" where you see ordinary buildings and some people in the background. -callan
ReplyDeleteThe photos, “Kissing the War Goodbye” and “V-J Day in Times Square”, both are outstanding photos and have a strong meaning behind them. These photos have an enthralling effect that draws the eye of one viewing the photo. In my opinion, the photo titled “V-J Day in Times Square” has a stronger, visual meaning. The second photo is an image of a sailor kissing a stranger celebrating the victory on V-J day, releasing his excitement of no longer fighting the treacherous war. I believe the second photo is stronger because looking closely in the photo, you can see the big city in the background and in my opinion background has a great impact on a photo. You can also see the shocked faces behind them as they kiss. This exact moment that was captured by a small lense, and catches the feelings of the people during this exact moment. ~Lili Ayer
ReplyDeleteThe photos, “Kissing the War Goodbye” and “V-J Day in Times Square”, both are outstanding photos and have a strong meaning behind them. These photos have an enthralling effect that draws the eye of one viewing the photo. In my opinion, the photo titled “V-J Day in Times Square” has a stronger, visual meaning. The second photo is an image of a sailor kissing a stranger celebrating the victory on V-J day, releasing his excitement of no longer fighting the treacherous war. I believe the second photo is stronger because looking closely in the photo, you can see the big city in the background and in my opinion background has a great impact on a photo. You can also see the shocked faces behind them as they kiss. This exact moment that was captured by a small lense, and catches the feelings of the people during this exact moment. ~Lili Ayer
ReplyDeleteThe Photograph titled “kissing the war Goodbye” and the photograph titled “V-J day in Times Square are photos of a sailor kissing a woman wearing a white dress or uniform, but the photos were taken at almost same exact moment but at different angles. In my Opinion I liked the “V-J day in Times Square” because it shows more of the background and what other things were going on while this was happening. Also it shows the excitement and expression on people’s faces that brings emotion like happiness and love to the photo.-tori
ReplyDeleteI think that the second photo, “V-J day in Times Square”, is the more powerful photo. The reason I think this is because this photo, unlike “Kissing The war Goodbye”, seems to encompass more of Times Square and the other people around the two main individuals, while the first photo seems to be focusing almost exclusively on the two people kissing and others reactions. “V-J Day” includes the larger landscape, as if to say that the main focus isn't really what the picture is about. Rather, the focus is symbolic of the larger world, showing that these two people are not the only people rejoicing about the end of the war. Others have returned home, and are rejoicing in Times Square, and Times Square itself seems to be happy, reveling in the end of WWII. “V-J Day in Times Square” has a feel of triumph, joy, and optimism, which makes it undoubtedly the more appealing photo. ~ River Rodriguez
ReplyDelete"Kissing the war goodbye" and "VJ Day in Times square" are two photographs taken of precisely the same time yet at various points. Both pictures had a motivation behind catching a moment that got their attention. "VJ Day in Times Square" isn’t taken on an angle and is centered "Kissing the war farewell" is taken on an angle up close. Both catch comparable pieces of time and represent love and enthusiasm however I lean toward "V-J Day in Times Square". I like that it indicates a greater amount of its surroundings of where it takes places and the general population out of sight.
ReplyDelete-Meghan Licari
Both photographers Victor Jorgenson and Alfred Eisenstaedt were able to depict the wonderful setting of the sailor kissing the nurse, as well as the celebration in Times Square. In my opinion, the photo title “V-J Day in Times Square” is a stronger photograph because it captures more of the celebratory theme, and it overall contains more in the picture. Not to mention that “V-J Day in Times Square” has all of the sailor and nurse in frame, while the other, “Kissing the War Goodbye” does not. Both photos are great, but “V-J Day in Times Square” captures my interest more simply because it has more in the picture, even though they are just taken from different angles. Matthew Broadbent
ReplyDeletealthough the picture "Kissing the World Goodbye" captures lots of emotions and feelings, i think that the picture "V-J day in times square" does a better job at that. it shows many characteristic that the picture "kissing the world goodbye" does not. "v-j day in times square" shows the city. it has many more details. it shows the other people around expressing their love. it also shows the way other people like to celebrate for the victory of the U.S. Overall, the picture "V-J day in times square" does a better job at capturing the true meaning of the picture. -nicole dangelo
ReplyDeleteIn both “Kissing the War Goodbye” and “V-J Day in Times Square” the photographers capture the same moment in different ways. I think that “V-J Day in Times Square” is better because the picture is taken from farther away than in “Kissing the War Goodbye” so you can see the other people’s reactions and it is clearer where they are. I also think it captures more emotion than the other because you are able to see the people in the background’s expressions to the way the sailor is kissing the nurse. The sailor and the nurse in “V-J Day in Times Square” are the center of the picture and you can tell they are in times square. In “Kissing the War Goodbye” the sailor and nurse blend into the other people in the background. -Ava Dellasalle
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to think that two of the time’s most incredible photographers were there at the exact same moment to capture this iconic event in Times Square. Although both Victor Jorgenson’s “Kissing the War Goodbye”, and Alfred Eisenstaedt’s “V-J Day in Times Square” are exceptional photos and happen to be taken at the same place and time, they are different in that they show different emotions, and provoke different feelings from the person looking at them. I personally prefer Eisenstaedt’s photograph because it captures the mood of the situation better. At that time, everyone was ecstatic and overjoyed for their victory, and Eisenstaedt’s picture captures more people with happiness showing on their faces, which adds to the general “excited” mood of the picture. This is also a better picture because the simplicity of the man and the woman kissing in the center, is surrounded by the complexity and detail of the buildings in the background, which makes the focal point stand out. The buildings in the back give the eyes more to look at, but also put the focus on the main subject of the photo which is the two strangers kissing. All in all, both photographers have taken advantage of an amazing “found opportunity” and have produced exceptional photos, but in my opinion, “V-J Day in Times Square” is overall a better picture.
ReplyDelete-Komal Grewal
Victor Jorgenson and Alfred Eisenstaedt capture the same picture at the same time. In my opinion I like Alfred Eisenstaedt photo better, because even though it focuses on the kiss, it also focuses on the people celebrating n the background. Victor Jorgenson's photo only really focuses on the soldier kissing the nurse and not the people celebrating in the background. Alfred's photo was a emotional, happy, exciting day because all of he nurses, soldiers and citizens ran out in the street and celebrated, so that made it a victorious day for the Americans.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Licari
I believe that the photograph taken by Eisenstaedt was better. I believe this because this picture was taken with a very nice background of the bridge in addition to it being further away and with better lighting. Both pictures are well taken but this picture shows more of the beauty of the city rather than the picture "kissing the war goodbye." They both show great emotion and "kissing the war goodbye" may even have more emotion than "V-J day in Times Square" because it is more up close. However it does not catch the scenery the way that "V-J day in Times Square" does.
ReplyDelete-Jake Gazura
I think that the photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt was better. I think this because his picture captures a lot of people's emotions in the background. Also Alfred Eisenstaedt Took that picture with a really nice background of Times Square. This picture was also better in my opinion because he really focus's on the solider and nurse kissing expressing the joyful emotions everyone was feeling at that moment. However, both pictures are still extremely well takened but I just think that the second photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was a better picture overall.
ReplyDelete-Chris varvaro
Although it is the same picture, I like the picture by Alfred Eisenstaedt better. I think that hiss photo captured the mood and feeling off being in Times Square on that day. It shows everyone in the background cheering for the US's victory over Japan. I also think that that photo was better because he focuses more on the soldier and random girl kiss. I think that both photos captured a special moment of history and of that time, I think that Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo was better.
ReplyDelete- Marcus Velez
Although both pictures are the same, I like the second one, the one taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, more. I feel that it better captures the immensity of the city which stresses how incredible it was that the exact moment in time was captured by two noteworthy photographers. Also, I feel that the buildings in the background on the left and right of the "eye candy" frame the focal point of the image well. Also, I feel that the Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph introduces more of a "whisper" element (the cheering people in the background), which Victor Jorgenson's does not. Overall, though both pictures are amazing and beautifully taken, in my opinion, Alfred Eisenstaedt's was better.
ReplyDelete- Jay Sangwan
i think that the photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt is better. The are both the same picture but i think that the angle by him was better. It shows more in the picture with everyone behind them and watching the man kiss the girl. The buildings around them make you look at them in the picture because they are right in the middle and it catches your eye. You also see all the reactions with the people around them. They are both great pictures but i think that Alfred Eisenstaedt is better.
ReplyDeleteDylan Pallonetti