In the photo of the leaves in a nature setting, titled “Dying Leaves” (Robert Ullmann), there are many features that assemble the idea of life and death. The picture as a whole consists of a variety of different leaves in different stages of life. A few leaves are green, possibly still growing, another is yellow in the middle of life, and lastly the focus point is on the dying brown leaf in the center. How might these basic aspects lead to an understanding of the living and the dying? Why did the artist chose to include death in the title, when there is still a lot of life in the leaves? When viewing the colors, symbols, emotional appeal, and shot of the scene, the viewer can explore why the photographer would chose the title “Dying Leaves” even when there is much green in the photo.

In the visual text, the prominent colors are brown, green, and yellow.  Colors are often used by the artist or author to connect certain feelings to the main idea. The overall picture contains cool colors, naturally giving a sense of calm and serenity. The green in one of the leaves not only attracts the viewer's eye, but symbolizes birth and growth to still come from the early stages of life. The slight yellow found in parts of this leaf is softer than the green. This yellow is an equivalent to wrinkle lines of the human face. People experience events that shape a person into who they will become later in life. These shades found in the leaf are the unique experiences each person grows from. The brown found in the other leaf is the darkest aspect of the picture. The shades of brown used in the picture convey the gradual aging of a living organism, which leads to death. By using these specific colors to connect certain connotations to the leaves, this then supports the point that each color pertains to a certain feeling or stage in life. 

Symbols are another very prominent in this visual text. A symbol is a thing that can represent something else and are often used by an artist or author to link aspects of life to unique objects. Green leaves can symbolize hope, renewal, and revival. The green yellowish leaf represents young prosperous ideas. In terms of humanity, this leaf represents of what is still to come. The symbolic meaning of a dying leaf can represent sadness and decay, most likely found at the end of a life cycle. This can mean an array of things, the old and dying or perhaps the failed dreams one experiences throughout life. I think that by titling this photo “Dying Leaves”, the author is making a point about how even though there will always be death and pain in the world or in a photo, that there will also be life and renewal. He demonstrates this by including the green components.

Emotions are the basis of many hidden messages in a visual text. Robert Ullmann, the artist of the photograph, uses emotions to sway the viewer towards a deeper meaning. By including the dying leaf, it can be used to express the contrasting view of the green leaves. These contrasting ideas form the main idea of life and death together as one. The sadness that the dying leaf brings to the visual text, helps complete the prospering green leaf. As a viewer, you can experience what it may feel like as the living leaf, full of youth and strength. Along with the emotional connection the viewer feels towards the green leaf, this may also fuel a connection toward the dying leaf. The symbolic relationship between the leaves brings to light the new found sympathy towards the meaning of life.

Another aspect found in the picture is the type of shot used to capture the message of the text. The shot of the scene is necessary for perception of the work. The shot used in this visual text is a close shot. A close shot is when the author or artist which tightly frames a person or an object. This style is typically found in photography, filmmaking, and comics. This close shot method is used to help the reader solely focus on the two leaves featured. The photographer used this method to keep attention on the main message, which is observing two different leaves at different points of life. The background contains other leaves which are not the center of attention but aid in the coloring of the picture. These particular techniques used portray a sense of simplicity to the viewer. However, one leaf is looked upon as old, rotting, and dead while the other is thought to be alive and still prospering. We know this too be true because the foreground is the ever changing leaves. Different techniques of capturing still life are used as evidence for the main idea.

In conclusion, by viewing the colors, the shot used, and the symbolic meaning of each object in the photo, the viewer can conclude that the message portrayed by the author is that even with a title focused on death, the photo also allows for the viewer to have a sense of rebirth from the dead and dying. All these elements have been used as structure for the artist in capturing his picture. From birth to death, a person will grow with original thoughts, but we are all connected by the fact we will all die. Much like these leaves, they all may be different, but they all grow from the same stem. 
