Alexis Muttillo

Professor Smith

English 101

12 October 2016

Essay 2: Visual Motif

While watching television or a movie, many people assume that the main story is coming from what the characters are voicing to the audience. However, if you look away (even if it was just for one quick second), do you feel like you missed something important? This is because many times within visual works the author or director uses the images in the scenes to depict a deeper meaning behind certain elements of the work. Depending on the use of background colors, character positioning, and the shot used, the viewer is able to connect to the work in a different way. Although posters, pictures, and magazines aren’t constantly in motion, they are still able to tell stories and interact with the audience through the same elements used above.

Initially looking at this shot, the viewer is able to determine the long shot technique was used because the audience is able to see the complete characters from head to toe. Along with that, the spectator’s gaze is used to evoke that the viewer is looking directly at the text as an outside person, and not a character interacting within the scene itself. By having this point of view created by the camera angle, the audience is able to feel as if they are observing the situation directly creating a sense of involvement and reality. With this view, the viewer is able to look directly at the characters to better grasp the concept the photographer is trying to attain with certain elements being used. Within the picture, there are a young boy and a young girl. The young boy is dressed completely in black from head to toe, and along with that he is carrying a handful of black balloons. When thinking of the color black, the emotions of sadness, depression, and even loneliness come directly to mind. However, looking at the child’s clothes is not the only thing that draws the viewer to a conclusion of these emotions. The body language of the boy is very limp and his head is dropped to the ground which gives the viewer a sense of him lacking in confidence and self-esteem. Standing directly across from him is the young girl. The dress which the little girl is wearing is the color pink, which comes across as a warm and welcoming color that radiates a sense of joy. Also, she has balloons in her hands just like the boy, but hers are colored with pink and purple which stand out in contrast to the boy’s black balloons. Along with the clothes she is currently wearing, her stance gives off a sense of power and courage which is completely the opposite of the other boy in the picture. The major contrast with these colors show that the photographer is trying to establish a direct separation between the two main characters within the shot.

Looking beyond the two kids standing on the dock, the viewer is able to see the ocean with a beautiful sky appearing as well. The viewer is able to tell the sky is cloudy, however, the sun is beginning to break through which may represent a deeper meaning. Scanning back to the children, the little girl is handing the boy one of her pink balloons although he already has a few of his own. By reading into this, one is lead to believe the girl is offering up one of her balloons which is made to represent joy and happiness which the boy does not seem to have at the moment. Therefore, looking back into the sky, the sun breaking through may be representing a new beginning for the boy who is trying to push through a tough time he is going through at the moment. Another way to look at this would be when the dock ends and the ocean begins. The dock could represent the hard times the boy is going through, but at the end of the difficulty, there is always something better which can be represented by the ocean.

Through the camera angle, light source, colors, and the shot technique that are used, the photographer is able to tell a story that contains a deeper meaning than what appears on the surface. Although the viewer is unable to directly obtain the image that the photographer has in their head, certain things within the images are able to better influence the viewer to a closer message that photographer is trying to get across. The use of color is able to influence mood and help the viewer determine character’s emotions and feelings. Lighting also plays a major role in this by determining whether the scene is bright or dim which could affect how the viewer interprets the theme of the image. Shot technique and camera angle work together well to determine how much information the audience receives and also the view that they have of the scene that is occurring. All in all, photographers are able to use multiple techniques in order to create a certain story within the audience’s head even though just a small portion is being viewed.

Works Cited

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