The Photographers Eye Essay -- Photography

In Szarkowskis essay The Photographers Eye, he discusses how picture taking has taught us to see from the unexpected reward point, as well as how snatch upys ability to contend and reject our schematized notions of reality is still fresh (Szarkowski. 1966. Page 11). When thinking more than or less vantage point myself, two very different ideas of this characteristic of photography came to mind, which I will discuss and compare in this essay. Firstly, perhaps the more obvious, was the concept of where a photograph is taken from, for example looking at a subject or scene from a typeset that allows the photographer a favourable view. A very literal approach. Therefore I decided to think more about how Szarkowski said photography teaches us to see from the unexpected vantage point, and on a visit to the V&A Museum I found Fred Zinnemanns photograph Empire put up build from the Subway (1950) which I think begins to address this idea the photograph certainly shows an unexpected p osition for the artist to have photographed the subject from. With the backup of the image being Empire State Building, this surely suggests that Zinnemann mean this to be the main subject and focus point for the viewer, making the position that the artist chose to photograph from very interesting. The empire state building itself is actually set in the background of the image, allowing the viewer to take in the mayhap unconventional framing of it, notably the blacked out railings of the subway that are so prominent. Whether Zinnemann intended this or not, I think the vantage point in this image allows for the viewer to relate to the scene more, as it is from a purview that they could see everyday, when at the same time I feel it likewise directs the v... ...Brooklyn Family going for a Sunday Outing. photograph (Tate Modern Collection)Zinnemann, F., 1950. Empire State Building from the Subway image online. open at http//www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Empire-State-Building-from-the -Subway--c/AD8E090F77375033 Accessed January 2012.Calle, S., 1981. The Hotel, Room 47 image online. Available at http//www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=26559&searchid=10437&tabview=image Accessed January 2012.Arbus, D., 1970. Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx image online. Available at http//masters-of-photography.com/A/arbus/arbus_jewish_giant_full.html Accessed January 2012.Arbus, D., 1966. A Young Brooklyn Family going for a Sunday Outing image online. Available at http//www.studio-international.co.uk/studio-images/arbus/82364761_b.asp Accessed January 2012.