Connecting Essay 5

This is an image I had found online. it shows an urban, vandalised and damaged area. The dirty and broken windows create dark shapes that significantly contrast with the light building bricks. The windows also form rows which creates a pattern throughout the image. The black stairs and railings of the building are also contrasting and create vertical and diagonal lines. The black graffiti contrasts against the metal shutters so that the lines and shapes are visible. There is a lot of evidence apparent which suggests this is an urban area, for example the graffiti, the dirt on the buildings, the smashed windows, and the worn away and damaged shop signs. Despite this, the small market stall we can see in the bottom left corner shows that this is not an abandoned area. I like how the image has been taken as a landscape as the building fits nicely into this format. 

This is an image I had taken of a vandalised building. The dark graffiti contrasts against the white walls, so that we can see it clearly. I decided to edit the image to make it black and white in order for the graffiti to be more contrasting, but also because I thought that the lack of colour added to the urban feel of the image. A lot of lines are visible in the photograph in the form of windows, metal railings, and stairs. The outline of the top of the building is very clear due to the contrast between it and the plain white sky so that shape is shown. I really like the angle I had taken the image from as it allows depth to be shown and makes the urban building seem more intimidating. The different tones in the wall allow a rough texture to be shown, and the tones in the metal suggest that it is dirty, which works with the vandalism to create a urban or abandoned feel. Reflection is visible in the window on the left, as the lines where the light has passed through the staircase are reflected. 

Both of these images show vandalised buildings. The dirt and graffiti in both pictures help establish these locations as urban areas. The images are also both taken as landscapes. This format works well in both cases as the building fit well into the frame. Both pictures include metal staircases which I think adds to the image and reinforces the urban feel as these are commonly found in towns or urban buildings.

A difference between these two images is that one is in colour and the other is black and white. The image I had found uses colour to show the worn away buildings and signs, which reinforces the idea of this building being abandoned. On the other hand the black and white effect makes the image more contrasting in order to show to graffiti more clearly and establish this as an urban or abandoned area. The dull effect also adds to the negative feel of abandonment. Another difference these two images have is the angles they have been taken from. The top image has been taken from quite far back and is taken from the front. This works well as we are able to see 3 floors of this building. On the other hand, my photograph was taken from very close up, so in order to get the top of the building in I angled the camera so that it faced upwards. This result of this was that depth was shown which makes the building look more intimidating, which I quite like about the image.