Being
apart of the 21st century means we are all accustomed to the great
technology we have today and also we tend to keep up with the latest trends. One
of the biggest trends today is Facebook. In 2004, Facebook was launched out a
Harvard dorm by sophomore, Mark Zuckerberg and three fellow friends. Today it
has more than one million users worldwide.
The picture shown above isn’t
exactly an advertisement for Facebook or even in their favor. Facebook’s name
is spelled out on a table in their traditional text that is used for their
logos. The name it’s self is made out of a white powdery substance that is to
be interpreted as crack. What confirms our conclusion that the female in the
upper portion of the picture is inhaling the last o through a paper roll. The viewer
automatically assumes facebook as being addicting… which it is.
From a critical standpoint of how
this shot works, the rule of thirds is applied. The site name isn’t directly in
the middle of the picture. It’s on an angle that shoots from the bottom left
hand corner to the top right, where the “Facebook user” is snorting it. This
keeps the viewer’s eye moving throughout the photo.
Another lightly applied technique
is what is in focus. Here the user is in focus while everything else is
blurred. For example, the object in the top left by her elbow. We have no idea
what it is nor do we really care. We’re still stuck on the fact of how
brilliant this shot is. Keeping the user in focus gives the sense of what she
is possibly feeling. We could interoperate it as everything around her is fading
away and losing herself in the drug.
The color scheme adds to this
overall picture as well. The
picture has the same saturation throughout its colors which gives off this
relax feeling to the viewer. Other than the brown of the table, the white of
the “coke”, and the black of her hair, a mustard yellow and a robin egg blue
are used. Colors are said to evoke emotion and these two colors that stand out stir
up their own feelings.
According to color-wheel-pro (dot)
com, pure yellow is an attention getter and usually produces a warming,
cheerfulness feeling and stimulates mental activity. Yellow is also described
as a spontaneous color but once a yellow becomes dulled it takes on a whole new
meaning. A dulled yellow, such as mustard yellow, is said to imply caution,
decay, sickness and jealousy. All feels that can relate when viewing Facebook
user pages.
Blue is a much more simple color.
It is often used to suggest calmness and serenity. At the same time it could be
seen as sadness. Since the drug is being ingested into the user’s system the
blue could even be viewed as being least appetizing. Blue isn’t a common color
among food and as humans, we tend to avoid blue coloring in food because it is
often a sign of poison or spoiled food.
Having a strong composition isn’t
the only key to having a successful photo. Starting out with a strong message
is the first step. Tints, shades, hues, and saturation are another. Effects can
help enhance feelings and meanings of what the photographer is trying to get through
to the viewer. And picking a controversial
topic that relates to millions of people helps more people appreciate the work
put into it.
