A format for looking at and talking
about photographs

Subject: The main thing depicted in a
photograph. The subject may be people,
objects, shapes, places, events, etc.

Framing: What the photographer has placed
within the boundaries of the photograph.

Dominance: The most influential or important
element in the image. In a work of art, the
dominant point is where your eye is drawn
first.

Contrast: Opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or
colors in a work of art to intensify each other’s properties and
produce a more dynamic expression.

Balance: Arrangement or adjustment of parts in
a symmetrical way.


What is the main subject of this photograph?
What is going on in this photograph?


What evidence is there for that?
What do you think interested the photographer
about this subject?



When do you think this picture was taken?
What do you think happened just after the
photograph was taken?
What happened right before the photograph
was taken?

Light



Doers the light seem natural or artificial?
Harsh or soft?
From what direction is the light coming?

Focus



What parts of the image are clearly in focus?
Are some parts of focus?
Note: The range between the nearest and farthest
things that appear in focus define the photographer’s
depth of field.

Color

What colors do you see, if any?

Texture

Do you see visual textures within the photograph?

Framing


How would the picture change if you moved the
camera to the right or left, or up or down?
What has the photographer left out of the picture?

Vantage point



Where do you think the photographer was standing
when he/she took this picture?
How far was the photographer from what you see in
the picture?
How could you change the vantage point to make
the picture look different?

Dominance
Close your eyes. When you open them and look at
the photograph what is the first thing you notice?
 Why is your attention drawn there?
 Are there other centers of interest?
 How are the centers of interest created?


Contrast

Is there strong visual contrast – lights and darks,
varying texture, etc.?

Balance


Is the visual weight on one side of the photograph
about the same as the other?
How about from top to bottom? Diagonally?

Historical and Cultural Context
Where do you think the photograph was made?
 Who do you think the people in the are?
 What does it look like they are doing?
 Do the answers to these questions tell you anything
about when, where, and what was going on when
the photograph was made?
 What was happening in history during the time this
photograph was taken?



How was the photograph seen or used?
How is the photograph seen today?




What biographical information do you know
about the photographer?
Does this information tell you anything about
why the photographer may have created the
photograph?
What do you think the photographer was
trying to express through the image?
What do you see that makes you say that?
Thomas Hoepker is a German born photographer and member of Magnum Photos. On
September 11, 2001, Hoepker was in New York when the World Trade Center was
attacked. Hoepker captured hundreds of photos of the destruction, but one stands out.
The photograph shows a collection of Americans relaxing and enjoying a conversation
while the Twin Towers burn in the background. Hoepker did not publish the image for
five years because he was concerned with the message. In 2006, the picture caused
controversy in the American media. The New York Times published an article
claiming the picture showed America’s failure to learn from the tragic day, or to
change and reform as a nation.