February 11
Imogen Cunningham, Magnolia Blossom, 1925
Zach Pierceall - Art 125-01
I like the picture we were supposed to critique. One of the
reasons I like the picture is because of the variety of tones it has
from the black in the middle all of the way out to the edges of the
petals. One of the problems there is with the picture is that your eye
doesn’t wander around because the flower is in the middle of the
picture. One good thing that helps take your attention away from the
flower being in the middle of the picture is that the right end of it
goes off of the page and you can see shadows on the bottom left corner
of the picture.
A good thing about the picture is that there is great detail in the
middle of the flower and that there is a flaw in that part of the flower.
One of the other great things that help the picture is that there is
shade on the petals of the flower. Because of the shadows on the petals
you can tell that the petals are not just flat and that the shadow shows
that it is layered in some areas. And another good thing seen because
of the shadows are that the image is obviously three-dimensional. And
finally because of the shadows you are able to tell which direction
the light was coming from.
This picture is a great example of good photography. The areas in the
photograph were used greatly and were not wasted. And those are some
of the reasons I think that the picture is good.
Chris Hoult - Art 125-01
Looking at this picture of a magnolia blossom by Imogene Cunningham
I would have to say the first thing that grabs my attention is the middle
ground of the picture. I have never taken the time to look this closely
at a magnolia blossom and was not aware of all the different lines and
patterns on the inside. There is so much texture and it is so detailed
that it looks like you could almost feel the roughness or softness of
the blossom. Her composition on this photo is great. Most people would
have taken the picture from above not thinking to pull down a petal
and shoot from the side. It gets you so much closer and involved from
this angle.
The bright whites of the petals and the shadows in the foreground create
a good range of tones. I love the way the background petals have a lighter
density than the foreground. I find myself wondering where she had her
light source. Did she use available light or was it a light source placed
behind the blossom? With the back ground lighter it seems the light
is coming from behind as those petals appear lighter and softer than
the others.
Ms. Cunningham has good depth of field in this photo. The whole picture
is in focus and the image is sharp and clear. You can see details and
lines and the picture draws you inside to take a closer look. I really
like this photo and would like to experiment with a macro lens at some
point. You get a whole different perspective when you get this close
to a subject.
Rich Tague - Art 125-02
The first thing I notice when viewing the photograph of “magnolia
blossom” by Cunningham is the natural balance of the pedals. The
pedal in the background appears to be a “back drop” for
the pistil. The upper right position of the main light gives the flower
a sense of dimension and depth. The shadows that are created on the
pistil are stunning. The shallow depth of field and use of lighting
shows great detail in the pistil, a sense of dimension by showing the
clarity of the stamen against the “backdrop” pedal in the
background and a little of the veins on the pedals. The blown out section
to the right of the pistil is a little distracting, however is it balanced
by the deep shadow on the left lower portion of the photograph. The
natural lines of the pedals, along with the clarity of the pistil and
stamen, seem to draw your eye toward the center of the photograph, which
continually emphasizes the use of the macro lens. The shallow depth
of field gives a sense of “softness” in the flower. Possibly
one f-stop smaller would give better clarity in the veins of the pedals;
however it may also take away from the overall “softness”
of the photograph. There is a calming effect the photograph has, possibly
due to the slightly out of focus pedals created by the small aperture
used. I really like the use of lighting, because it doesn’t create
“hard” shadows, which helps in the calming effect as stated
above. The use of the macro lens really emphasizes the natural beauty
of the flower. It has a very “untouched” feel to it. Overall,
I really like the photograph, especially the clarity and depth created
on the pistil.
Emily Richardson - Art 125-02
The first thing that grabs my attention about this photograph is that
it’s basically in the middle of the frame. That breaks the rule
of threes, but Alida says, “Rules are meant to be broken.”
I think that breaking that rule really works well with this photo. There’s
enough visual weight made with the petals to balance out the dark spot
in the middle of the photograph.
I’ve
also noticed that there really isn’t a darkest dark or a lightest
white. I think that not having such harsh tones, really improves this
photo. When you think of flowers like this magnolia blossom, you think
soft and delicate. If she had had really dark or really light tones,
it would cause the photo to have a rough feel to it.
Although the petals have a nice soft textured look to them, the middle
of the flower has some rough textures to it. There are so many patterns
and details that make this photo interesting.
I never would have thought to take this photograph in the angle that
Imogen Cunningham did. Bending one petal down and taking the photo makes
you feel as if you were in the flower.
I like that this the object doesn’t look flat. You can tell that
the petals are rounded and coming from different directions. The shadows
show that there is some overlapping and layering happening in this photograph.
Overall, the different elements work together to make a nice photo.
Sasha Roberts - Art 125-02
This selection is, by far, my favorite photograph that we have critiqued
so far as I am a big fan of macro photography. I am also a admirer of
Imogen Cunningham‘s body of work and am especially partial to
her botanical photographs. The wide range of tones in this photograph
catches my eye right away while the great detail of the flower’s
pistol holds my attention. The backlighting in this photograph helps
create a feeling of gentleness, as if you could reach out and touch
the petals of the blossom. The choice of lighting also helps to create
greater contrast between the petals and the background, in turn creating
a more intense atmosphere. The form of the subject is also made very
evident by the unique lighting that was used. There are also dramatic
shadows within the composition that help reveal the delicate textures
of the flower’s petals which would otherwise go unnoticed.
Although I usually prefer asymmetrical compositions, the artist does
an amazing job of creating an interest by positioning the subject in
the center where we are forced to appreciate details we would often
overlook. The blossom’s pistol is the focal point in this particular
photograph. The clarity of the flower’s pistol, however, is not
extended to the petals--but for good reason! The artist initially uses
a shallow depth of field to continue to preserve the delicate ambiance
of the photograph. The lines formed by the flower’s petals create
movement within the work that draw the eye inward. The position of the
subject creates an inviting atmosphere as the bottom petal seems to
be pulling the viewer’s eyes inward as well. Each choice the artist
made within this photograph from lighting to placement seems very intentional
and is well executed.
Garrett Sayles - Art 125-02
When I first view this photograph, the first thing that draws my eyes'
attention are the parts of the center of the blossom, which I believe
is its reproductive organ, the pistol. Not only is it centered in the
photograph, it is about the darkest tone in the picture, giving it a
great amount of visual weight. The only darker tone in the photograph
is the small space in the bottom right corner, with the larger corner
in the lower left also being a similarly dark tone. The corner tones
are nondescript, however, and do not draw my eyes to them as much. The
pistol, however, also has another defining feature: it has a very visual
texture. The lower portion of the pistol is clearly divided into different
parts; very segmented. The top of the pistol is very curly, almost giving
it the illusion of curly hair or fur. The textures of the magnolia petals,
on the other hand, are very subdued; I can see the texture of the petals
only upon close inspection. Another visible texture is in the upper
right corner, which I believe is a leaf of the blossom. The veins are
clearly visible, but due to the depth of field, it is not as in focus
as the pistol.
The pistol takes the focus of this photograph. Not only is it centered,
it is also the sharpest part of the image; it almost stands out of the
petals it resides in, as if trying to escape. The photograph seems to
convey, to me at least, a sense of delicacy; the petals, surrounding
the pistol, are protecting the delicate innards of the blossom. Also,
while centering generally sets the tone for a very formal, not as visually
interesting photograph, the centering of the pistol does not detract
from the photograph, nor does it make it as uninteresting as centered
subjects can be.
To conclude, I believe this photograph is successful in being visually
interesting while at the same time looking formal due to its centered
focal point. The shape the petals take seems to be inviting one to look
at the pistol inside the blossom, which is very focused and carries
a lot of visual weight.
Kassandra Swearingen - Art 126-01
Magnolia Blossom by Imogen Cunningham is an interesting close-up of
a plant form. The softness of the petals really comes through by the
delicate balance of light and shadows, giving some of the petals an
almost transparent effect. The center part of the flower seems to be
the main focus which is emphasized by the petals enclosing the group
of pistils. The flower is shown to be an organic shape in the curvature
of the lines and the lumpy texture seen on the petals. The lines, depth
of field, and the mix of shadows and light give the flower a three-dimensional
form; I can obviously tell that the plant is three-dimensional and if
you turn the image around, I can still tell that the flower is three-dimensional.
The tonal values give the image a variety of values and textures that
further emphasize a three-dimensional form.
When I first saw the image, my eye focused on the upper right petal
that has the most light on it and was then brought down to the pistils.
I believe it is a good thing that Cunningham didn’t but the pistils
in the dead center because then it would have been more scientific rather
than art. The play of light and shadows and the close-up frame give
the flower an interesting quality to it. I feel like the flower is transcendental
and people should be in awe of the it’s largeness. The only uninteresting
thing is that fact that there is no true abstractness to the image;
you turn the image around and you can still tell it is a flower, there
is no trying to figure out what the image is, it’s just given.
I think it would be interesting to see what the flower would have looked
like if the picture was taken from below.
