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. Your response must be at least 5 sentences long.
This assignment is due Wednesday February 8th. 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.
I personally prefer the Eisenstaedt picture because it was taken from a farther distance, so you can see more people's reactions and there perspective on it. As you can see, there is around 5-6 visible reactions in Eisenstaedt's and only 3 visible reactions in the other one. I like this because you can see everyone's reactions and facial expressions. I can also tell that there is better quality in the "V-J day" than the "Kissing in the War Goodbye"; it looks a lot clearer and less fuzzy. I also like the "V-J day" better, because it is more focused on the center, just like the "Kissing in the War Goodbye" and it is certainly the main focus of the picture, but i think that the Victor one is more eye catching. Overall, I believe that the "V-J day" is a lot more momentous due to the facial expressions and the unclouded appearance.
ReplyDelete~Kelly Marsh
I prefer the second picture taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The image quality looks more clear and professional. It seems to be more satisfying to look at, as opposed to the other picture which seems more grainy.I like how you can see more of the scenery around the pair. I think it shows the kiss in a less intimate way, but it does show the kiss in a more artistic way. You can see the emotions of the surrounding people. This gives an overall feeling of the mood in that moment. It really represents the true meaning of that day, different from a picture that only shows a kiss between strangers. A random kiss may not have much meaning to many people, but the whole scene shows more feelings to the audience. -Faith Sullivan
ReplyDeleteChelsea Pan- In my opinion, the photo taken by Victor Jorgensen is more powerful than Alfred Eisenstaedt’s. In Jorgensen’s photo, the viewer feels as if they were there when it happened because of how close the image was shot. The camera is also facing the sailor which adds to the feeling of being in-the-moment. In addition, the store signs act as leading lines. They emphasize the focal point of the picture. Overall, Jorgensen’s picture is striking and does a fantastic job of capturing the moment.
ReplyDeleteI personally prefer the Eisenstaedt version of the picture for many reasons. I prefer this version because it is taken with main focus in the center and the buildings on the sides create a frame-like feature. It also shows more people around the focus and the continuation of the road which shows more of the scenery then the other photo. This picture focuses more on the happiness of everyone as well as the main focus while the other picture is mainly focusing on the couple. In total, I believe that the photo "V-J day" is a superior picture.
ReplyDelete-Arielle Rohan
I prefer the photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt titled, “V-J Day in Times Square”. I feel this is the stronger photo because you can see their full bodies in it. When the girl tilts her leg up it shows more emotion. You can only see her legs in this photo and not the other. I feel you can see how the man is holding her tighter in Eisenstaedt’s photo than in the other. This shows he really loved and missed her. Also you can see the people around them smiling and being happy to be home. ~ Alexarose Marcellino
ReplyDeleteI prefer Alfred Eisenstaedt's photograph during "V-J Day in Times Square" over Victor Jorgenson's. I think this because Eisenstaedt's picture is clearer and more focused on the man and women and their surroundings, compared to Jorgenson's which is blurry. In this photo we can see the focal point of the picture in the center with people around them, creating the mood. The setting shows the emotions of the busy people around the man and woman and how they are feeling in this city. We can see more of the reactions and happiness of the people on this historical day from Eisenstaedt's view, rather than Jorgenson's photo.
ReplyDelete- Preeti Kota
I prefer Victor Jorgnson's photo "Kissing The War Goodbye" rather than Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo. I think that the first picture is more powerful because you are closer to the focal-point which makes you feel like you are there and in the moment. When you look at the first photo you view the people at eye level and the picture was taken from slightly below. The store buildings also act as leading lines to the two people. Because you are facing the sailor it also makes you feel like you are right there. -Gerrit Bittmann
ReplyDeleteI prefer the photo by Eisenstaedt. This photo shows the setting behind the "eye candy," as it shows more detail in the background. In this photo, the people in the background serve as something extra to look at. It is also very interesting to see the expressions, and reaction, of the people in the background. Also, the picture being out of focus in the background makes the "eye candy" of the photo even more focus. Overall, the photo expresses a different, and more complex, tone than the photo by Victor Jorgenson.
ReplyDelete~ Will Shangold
I prefer Victor Jorgnson's photo "Kissing The War Goodbye" rather than Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo. I Victor Jorgnson's photo is stronger then Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo because the reaction of the crowd in Jorgnson's photo gives it more of a sense of realness. Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo has a different view point which does not give it the same emotion captured in Jorgnson's. Victor Jorgnson's photo also is taken closer then Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo wjich highlights the "eye candy" more. This is why I think Victor Jorgnson's photo "Kissing The War Goodbye" is a stronger picture then Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo - Christopher Babich
ReplyDeleteI prefer the picture taken by Victor Jorgensen, titled "Kissing the War Goodbye". This picture has better quality than "V-J Day in Times Square". I like how you can see the woman in the background's reaction. Her pointing provides a leading line to the eye candy which is the two people kissing. Jorgensen also used rule of thirds, as the two people were not directly in the center. This is why "Kissing the War Goodbye" is more powerful to me than "V-J Day in Times Square".
ReplyDelete-Zack Pollak
Personally, I prefer the picture taken by Victor Jorgenson titled "Kissing the War Goodbye". The focal point, or “eye candy”, in this photo is much larger. There aren't as many people surrounding the couple and your eye is more drawn to them. Victor Jorgenson also did not take this photo with the couple perfectly placed in the center; he seems to have used the rule of thirds. In the background, the buildings fill the entire photograph. The background also appears to be blurred more, which I like because the background is not as important and is not the focal point that your eyes should be drawn to. A busy background, like in the second picture, seems to take away from the focal point, which I think this photo does a nice job of avoiding. Overall, the photo with better artistic motives is "Kissing the War Goodbye", taken by Victor Jorgenson.
ReplyDelete-Grace Farrell
I prefer the photograph titled "Kissing the War Goodbye". The eye candy is focused on more in this one and you can see the action of the kiss more up close. Although the other picture has more visible people in the background, in this one you can see the facial expressions of the people surrounding the kiss. Also, in "Kissing the War Goodbye", the buildings provide leading lines that direct your gaze to the kiss in the center of the photograph. Finally, in "Kissing the War Goodbye", you can see the sailor's face more, which lets you interpret his emotions more easily. Overall, many aspects of "Kissing the War Goodbye" appeal to me more than the other photograph, like photography techniques, and also just clarity and visibility of faces.
ReplyDelete- Rama Lapidus
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I believe the second photo graph by Eisenstaedt is better. I feel it's stronger because it has a better focused point. Since theirs people behind them in this photograph there are two things to look at and I like seeing the people's reaction to this. It looks more happy because the people are smiling behind them. This gives a more focused "eye candy" because its blurry and then when u see the main part it's more standing out. Overall I like this one more. Anna Culhane
ReplyDeleteI personally liked the 2nd photo by Eisenstaedt because it shows more emotion. In addition the second photo has a nice focal point. You can also see the people's reaction in the background. However the photo does not show rule of thirds. Despite this I still like this photo better. Matt Pisano
ReplyDeleteI prefer the Eisenstaedt photograph on "V-J Day in Times Square" over Victor Jorgenson's. I believe this photo captures the whole story and drama of the scene. I like how this photo was more zoomed out with many people around them and the cool city buildings in the background. Eisenstaedt's photo is also clearer and a sharper image than Jorgenson's. I feel more in the moment in his photo which is what I like most about it. Although I Like Eisenstaedt's photo better I think that they are both really great pictures and I love how they were both quick snapshots and weren't planned. -Julianna Mirabile
ReplyDelete