Formal Critiques
Harry Callahan - Critiques written by Jessie Parker
Description:This picture is of people walking on the sidewalk either in groups or individually. The back of the sidewalk is in the dark and covers up a lot of people while the front of the sidewalk is light casting shadows of the figures onto the sidewalk. They're all walking in one direction and most are women with children while there is one man in the center.
Reflection: This picture gives me a sense of eeriness because of the dark background and the people all walking in the same direction uniformly. Since we don't know who these people are or where they are going, it makes me curious. It also looks like a fantasy since the street is the same color as the dark background, it looks like the sidewalk is floating in space. Formal Elements: This picture has rhythm because of the spacing of positive and negative space. It also has pattern because of the lines on the sidewalk are all evenly spaced out. It also uses shadow with the background and on the sidewalk. |
Formal Self Critique - photo and text by Jessica Parker
Description: This picture is of a girl standing on a grass field. It is two images layered on top of each other where one is looking straight at the camera and the other is looking the other way slightly, both are serious. One of the eyes on each picture is laid right on top of each other looking like they are the same eye, which helps combine the two images.
Reflection: This picture was inspired by my photographers work mainly because of the use of multiple exposure he always did in his pictures. I also made it more like his work because when he did portraits he mainly did it of women with a serious look on their face. I lowered the exposure and increased the contrast because in his pictures, he always did high contrast between light and dark. Formal Analysis: In this picture, I used Rule of Thirds with the horizon of the field not perfectly in the center. I also used lines because of the horizontal line going through the subjects head, leading your eye. I also used symmetric balance because either side of the subject is almost perfectly the same. |
Assignment for Formal Critiques
1. After completing the inspiration Blog of images, short critiques and your personal photos inspired by your photographer; look back over all of the information you gathered. Select 5 images that you love the most and write 5 Formal Critiques of the images. Elaborate on the concepts you touch on before. Use supporting details to explain how the elements are being used the the image. Reference biographical context to reflect of the images deeper meaning.
2. Then also select 5 of your own images to write formal self critiques. Follow the same format: Describe, Reflect and Formal Elements. The only difference is in the reflection section I want you to talk about how you photo was inspired by your photographer's work. Discuss ideas, techniques, style and techniques learned from your photographer.
Follow the format that we learned and used on the Inspiration Blog, but add more supporting details.
1. Description - 3-7 complete sentences
"The first step in visual analysis is description. Describing an image is a useful technique for looking closely at an image and absorbing its details. Descriptions should remain objective, discussing what can be seen without drawing conclusions about a photograph's meaning."
2. Reflection - 3-7 complete sentences
"This section should focus on the emotions and interpretations that an image evokes for the viewer. Different viewers will react to the same image in different ways, so there are no wrong responses. Knowing the historical context for an image can be very important for constructing reflective responses."
3. Formal Elements - 3-7 complete sentences
"After looking carefully at an image and considering its emotional and interpretive properties, formal analysis is the next step. Each lesson in this curriculum includes links to descriptions of the elements and principles of art, which can be used as a guide in your formal analysis. The "elements of art" are the building blocks for achieving the "principles of art." A very good place to start formal analysis is by deciding which elements are most strongly represented. "
Need Help?
Learn more about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design....Then Click on the green links to the left.
2. Then also select 5 of your own images to write formal self critiques. Follow the same format: Describe, Reflect and Formal Elements. The only difference is in the reflection section I want you to talk about how you photo was inspired by your photographer's work. Discuss ideas, techniques, style and techniques learned from your photographer.
Follow the format that we learned and used on the Inspiration Blog, but add more supporting details.
1. Description - 3-7 complete sentences
"The first step in visual analysis is description. Describing an image is a useful technique for looking closely at an image and absorbing its details. Descriptions should remain objective, discussing what can be seen without drawing conclusions about a photograph's meaning."
2. Reflection - 3-7 complete sentences
"This section should focus on the emotions and interpretations that an image evokes for the viewer. Different viewers will react to the same image in different ways, so there are no wrong responses. Knowing the historical context for an image can be very important for constructing reflective responses."
3. Formal Elements - 3-7 complete sentences
"After looking carefully at an image and considering its emotional and interpretive properties, formal analysis is the next step. Each lesson in this curriculum includes links to descriptions of the elements and principles of art, which can be used as a guide in your formal analysis. The "elements of art" are the building blocks for achieving the "principles of art." A very good place to start formal analysis is by deciding which elements are most strongly represented. "
Need Help?
Learn more about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design....Then Click on the green links to the left.