A social and cultural theme I want to explore is family. My model will be my dad. The photograph could highlight the evolving role of fathers in society. Traditionally, fathers were often portrayed as distant and less caring. However, a close-up of a dad could challenge these stereotypes and emphasize the nurturing and caring side of fatherhood, signaling a shift in societal expectations. Moreover, the image could express a dad who appears stressed, exhausted, or overwhelmed. This could reflect the challenges many fathers face, where they have balance their work responsibilities with their family life.

All Photos:

Yellow Selection:

Green Selections:

Red Selection:

I heard lots of Hutong from my parents, they always say Hutong is where they grew up and Hutong culture is the root of the Beijing spirit. There are many stories to tell and abundant memories to cherish…… From the photos I picked,  there is a sense of the Beijing Hutong culture, the truth is the people; who are warm-hearted, passionate, loving, inclusive, and diversified. They enjoy their routine lives to keep the core values of the traditional culture, and also to embrace the changes to progress to the future. It was fun talking to the hutong Ye-Yes, they were very nice, extroverted, and allowed us to take photos. Hutong might disappear in a year’s time, but the Hutong culture and values will be preserved and transferred to the new generations.

I selected these photos as my final set because they visually look balanced and connected. The close-up of the faces made the audience focus on the people and elicited a stronger feeling. These photos are connected in different ways; the ages of the old man and lady, and the background- the trees in both photos of the old man. After I picked these photos I realized a funny detail: the background of the old lady shows the sign of “no smoking,” however, the Ye-ye in the last picture is smoking. The close-up and black-and-white techniques made these photos more focused and created a timeless atmosphere. The faces of the elderly further establish the emotion of calm and the sense of story. This is because people commonly believe that the elderly have more experience and stories, and they are often quiet and calm. Moreover, the wrinkles on their faces and their expressions made the image very strong. My vision was to show the Chinese culture and daily life in hutongs. In my opinion, these old- Beijing grandpas and grandmas are the best way to show the hutong culture. Connecting to the photographer I picked Vivian Maier, I used similar techniques and elements in the composition. For example, close-ups, black and white, and big aperture. These photos are similar to the photos I picked from Vivian Maier; where she used a big aperture to focus on people’s faces, and how she took many photos of old people. Although it’s not the same as his style, I think it’s a combination of mine and his style. To conclude, these are my three most successful and strong photos for this set, which can communicate my vision and connect with the photographer I picked.

I eliminated photos from the green selection because they don’t have a good composition and don’t match my intention. For example, I eliminated the photo on the right (second row), because although the faces in the front created a focus on the center, the composition is a bit too much. I deleted the bottom row middle and right photos because the angle is “normal,” and there are no unique perspectives, so it doesn’t create a strong emotion. Also, some photos have high exposure, which makes the image unclear or too white. I removed photos that created different emotions. For example, I deleted the photos that contained too many elements, which might distract the audience.

We tried the techniques of close-up, triangle composition, low angle, high angle, and shutter speed. I think it was hard to capture a clear photo when people were moving. It was also challenging when I asked different people if I could take photos of them. The black and white made the photos look better and more textured. I think the close-up shots had the best composition and result.

The message conveyed through my triptych will be to show the Chinese culture and the daily life in hutongs. I will reveal this message by capturing different people living in hutongs and using a black-and-white color scheme. I want to focus on shooting the elderly because I think their faces show different stories and experiences. I will use the style of Vivian Maier, which focuses on close-up shots of people in daily life, monochrome, and different compositions. My aim is to elicit a sense of calm in the audience. The use of a black-and-white color scheme can evoke a timeless atmosphere and lessen the distraction of colors, letting the audience focus on the main subject. On the photography trip, I will also try to use Maier’s way of capturing moments of strangers; where she stayed in one spot, tested the aperture and shutter speed, and waited for people to pass by.

Vivian Dorothy Maier was born on February 1, 1926, she was an American street photographer whose work was discovered and recognized after her death (April 21, 2009). She took more than 150,000 photographs during her lifetime, primarily of the people and architecture of Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, although she also traveled and photographed worldwide (Wikipedia).

Elements in her photos:

– Black and white

– Close-up shots

– Focus on people

– Low point of view (sometimes)

– Composition- people in the center

– Waited for people to pass by

I picked Vivian Maier as my inspiration photographer because she took photos that contained elements I wanted to capture. I like how he presents close-up shots of different people in her photos, and her unique composition makes her photos unique. The black and white in her photos helps the audience to focus on the people’s faces. For the ones that captured older people, the black and white color scheme can emphasize the wrinkles and emotions on their faces. I also like how her compositions are unique and have a different vision than normal; some photos are taken from a lower point of view.

A famous quote from Vivian Maier: “We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel – you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place.” This quote doesn’t have a straight connection to her photography style, but it shows her personality and her views of humanity. It could be seen as a call for empathy, compassion, and fairness, urging individuals to recognize that everyone deserves a chance to pursue their dreams and contribute to society.

Vivian Maier was inspired by many factors. She was passionate about documenting the world around her through homemade films, recordings, and collections, assembling one of the most fascinating windows into American life in the second half of the twentieth century. She began taking photos with an old box camera,  in 1952, she was possibly inspired by a show of contemporary French photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Maier was particularly interested in the work of early 20th-century photographers, such as Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, and Dorothea Lange, who used their cameras to document social and political issues.  She was known for her street photography, which was heavily influenced by the work of photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa.

This is my favorite photo from Vivian Maier because I like the effect of the low angle. Maier focuses on the person walking by, and the background is filled mostly with buildings. She captured the emotion of the stranger and the random movement of him. The capture of the old man smoking and smiling elicits a calm, relaxed, and happy mood. The use of black and white created a timeless atmosphere and reduced the distraction of colors.