Connecting Essay Four

This is an image I found on the internet, which uses the technique of depth of field. The main element here is colour; the photographer has used this to his/her advantage and represent the subject's culture through his clothing. This has also allowed him to create significant contrast between the dark blue and red clothing and the background, which is not as bold as colours. By doing this, the photographer was able to really emphasise the depth of field, allowing the viewer to see the blurred background. This forces them to focus on the subject as the view has been restricted, however, this gives out the theme of journey as it shows another culture and implies the idea of travelling, which has been enforced through the depth of field technique. The photographer has also chosen to use a close-up angle of the subject and having him look straight at the camera; this bonds the viewer with the subject as they pay most attention to him, trying to figure out his personality and understand his culture. Therefore, this engages the viewer with the picture and encourages them to spend more time on the image and its context.

This is my own image from my depth of field shoot with a subject. I have used dark clothing on my subject so that he stands out from the rest of the scene, which is quite bright. This makes him the main focus of the photograph and ensures that the viewer pays attention to him prior to looking at the rest of the image. I use the depth of field technique here but the background is not as blurred - this is because I wanted the viewer to understand the scene and engage with it most than with my subject, this is a reason why I have my subject with his back to the camera; this breaks the bond between him and the viewer.

In summary, both pictures are similar but have some differences. For example, the subject in the first picture is facing the camera, whereas my subject is facing his back to the camera - this creates different aims and creates a different atmosphere for the viewer. Also, the use of colour is not very similar, as the first image uses bold colours such as blue but I have decided to use plain black instead. Having said this, although the use of colour is different, this element was still use for the exact same aim - to allow the subject to stand out, so that they are the first thing the viewer sees when laying eyes on the photographs.