Elliot Erwitt

Elliot Erwitt, a renowned French-born American photographer, is known as a master of street photography, who captures the essence of everyday life with an unparalleled blend of humor and poignancy. His ability to find the extraordinary moments in ordinary situations sets him apart as a true visionary in the field. His influence on street photography and photojournalism is immeasurable, inspiring generations of photographers to look for the extraordinary in the mundane. His wit and observation continue to captivate audiences, making his photographs timeless pieces of art that speak to the human experience. He captured wit, irony, and the human condition with a unique eye, frequently finding humor in everyday situations and delivering poignant glimpses of life through spontaneous moments.

From Elliot Erwitt’s work, I learned that in street photography, the ordinary and everyday situations can be described as very inspiring and humorous in the image. Also, his unique eye and the way he showed humor in everyday situations made me think about how street photography can denote various and versatile perspectives. This helped me to develop my idea well since by his photographs,  I was able to define street photography is a more deep and meaningful genere in photography, and gave  me think of different kinds of aspects and ideas in street photography.

Quotation:

“The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.” -Elliot Erwitt

–> To me, this quote was a sentence that defined the defintion and the purpose of photography. People take and capture a photo to save or remember a certain image of an object or a situation. Every photo has a purpose and meaning, and it can be explained in the pictures by observing. Unlike essays or an simple writing, photo is a concept with neither explanations nor detailed informatikon about the photo. However, people can notice and understand photographs we frequently see in our daily lifes, and that is why photo is more unique and an interesting genre. I think Elliot Erwitt  wanted to describe this aspect in the quote.

Style of work:

• Elliott Erwitt is primarily a street photographer, capturing candid, spontaneous moments in public spaces.
• His photography is characterized by humor, irony, and human empathy, highlighting everyday life with a whimsical touch.
• Erwitt often employs black and white photography to emphasize composition and emotion over color.

Context:

• Erwitt’s work shares similarities with Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, especially in capturing “decisive moments.”

• Unlike Cartier-Bresson’s sometimes formal and serious tone, Erwitt infuses humor and warmth into his street photography.

• Artists of Erwitt’s time embraced street photography to document the rapid social and cultural changes post-World War II, aiming for realism and emotional authenticity.

• The post-war era’s focus on humanistic storytelling made candid street photos a powerful medium to capture everyday realities and social nuances.

• Erwitt’s work reflects influences from film and theatre, particularly in timing and narrative construction, as well as from American cinema and music rhythms, enabling a story-like quality in his photos.

My opinion:

What stands out to me about Erwitt’s style is his unique ability to blend humor with deep human insight, creating emotionally engaging and universally relatable images. I appreciate how Erwitt finds extraordinary moments in ordinary life, reminding us to view the world with curiosity and kindness. He inspires me by demonstrating that photography is not just about technique but also about observation, empathy, and storytelling. His work encourages an artistic perspective that values emotional truth and lightheartedness, showing the power of a simple moment to convey complex human experiences.

Critique – my favourite photo

<Dog Portraiture-New York City 1974, by Elliot Erwitt>

Composition/Structure of this photography:

• Subject of the image: The image cleverly juxtaposes two very different dogs—a tiny Chihuahua on one side and the enormous legs and paws of a Great Dane on the other side. The Chihuahua looks bewildered as it glances at the camera, while the Great Dane’s powerful legs and paws dominate the opposite edge of the frame.
• Colors: the image is black and white. Elliot Erwitt is well known for using black and white techniques in his photographs. Using black and white colors makes a difference in the mood, atmosphere, and tone of the photograph. Moreover, it also emphasizes the contrast of the photo. For instance, in this photograph, the color of the Great Dane’s leg on the left side is white, and the color of the two legs on the right are black. This denotes the contrast and separates the subjects well.
• Tone: This image shows mid-key tone. The image is neither very bright nor very dark but rather falls in the middle range of the tonal spectrum. It also create balanced images with moderate contrast and a natural, neutral exposure, featuring a good range of greys without extreme blacks or whites. It fits somewhere between the bright, airy look of high-key photography and the dark, dramatic look of low-key photography.
• Composition: The composition of this image is calm and well-organized. The photo showcases a clear juxtaposition by featuring three different kinds of legs. The photo does not show any motions or actions. The subject, the three animals or people, in the photo looks like they are standing still on the ground in a line. The composition of the photograph makes the photo look simple but intriguing.
• Angle of the viewpoint: The photograph only shows the lower part of the animal and a person’s body, except for the dog. In the photo, the dog is the only creature that shows all of its body and its face.  By this, I can deem that the photographer, Elliot Erwitt, had lowered his body and captured the dog. Furthermore, the photographer wanted to capture a low-angle photo because he wanted to take the image from the dog’s eye view. Angle, especially, is vital in this photograph because it indicates the meaning and the key subject of the photo, the small dog on the left side.
• Framing: The key subject, two dogs and a human’s shoes, is in the middle section of the photo, drawing viewers’ eyes naturally to these focal points and following the rules of thirds well. Also, by limiting the frame to only lower legs and paws, Erwitt creates surprise and forces viewers to interpret the scene unconventionally, making the image iconic and unique.
• Foreground: The main focus is on the lower legs, feet, and paws—specifically the tiny Chihuahua and the massive legs and paws of the Great Dane.
• Background: In this photo, the background does not take up much space compared to the foreground or midground. The background is also out of focus, making the focus to the key subjects in the photo.

FEEL What do you feel about the image –  Mood 

• The photo gives the impression of whimsy contrast between two different dogs, highlighting size and personality differences
• The attitude and focus center on the juxtaposition of two dogs, creating humor and unexpected visual contrast.
• Elliot Erwitt gives a sense of humor and friendliness since he shows everyday moments with affection and visual wit.
• The scene portrays an urban moment where animals and humans intersect in a funny and memorable way.
• This photograph makes me feel stable and inspiring because of the techniques like juxtaposition and lining that Elliot Erwitt used. However, I think the theme and the subject of the photo made me feel stable as well. The photo shows coexsitence of human and animal which makes the photo more inspiring to me since I like animals a lot.

The general concept I want to focus on is the general people who are riding or using vehicles like bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and carriages. Also, I want to capture the natural appearance and image of people in the hutong. I want to emphasize fashion, such as the colors of people’s clothing or jewelry, and the design or patterns of the clothing.

My Mood Board:

Main concept 1: The decisive movement

This photo showcases one of the 20 concepts, the decisive movement. To capture decisive movement, the image should be captured with perfect timing and at the precise moment of movement. In this photo, my friend, Amber, is going down the stairs. By her leg locations, movements are shown in the image. The primary purpose of this photo was to capture her movement while walking; the photo is well connected to this purpose and shows decisive movement.

Other photographic techniques:

–Perspective and angles:  The photo is taken from a high angle. The high-angle technique makes the subject appear smaller and the background appear larger.

–Composition – rule of thirds/centre: In the photo, Amber is in the middle of the image, which shows the rule of thirds directly in the image.

–Contrast in colors: The bright yellow umbrella and the dark brown jacket indicate contrast of colors well. Especially, the yellow umbrella is emphasized more in this image, which shows a bright and positive tone to the picture.

Main concept 2: capture eye contact

This photo shows the concept “capture the eye contact”. In the image, my friend is looking directly at the camera lens. In this photo, people can observe her facial expressions and emotions well, which well defines street photography. In the photo, she is neither smiling nor frowning, which makes the photo more interesting.

Other photographic techniques:

–Get really close – 1 arm’s length: In the photo, I captured her face very closely. The proximity between the camera and herself allowed her facial expression to reveal details. By this close-up technique, the theme or the topic of the photography is well described.

–Focus: In the photo, the focus is out, which makes the photo blurry. Loss of focus evoked feelings of motion, making an image feel more alive and dynamic.

Main concept 3: Layers

This photo shows the concept of “Layers”.  The main subject, Amber, is positioned behind several structures, including the football net and the stairs. By the layer technique, patterns and repetition are also shown in the photo. By capturing the layers, the photo appears fuller and denser, which does not make the photo concise and simple.

Other photographic techniques:

–focus on the background: In the photo, the subject only occupies a small space of the photo, and the rest of the space is the background of the photo.

–Patterns and repetition: As I mentioned above, the patterns and the repetition of the rectangular shape are well shown in the image.

Main concept 4: Perspective and angles

In this photo, it clearly shows the technique “Perspective and angles”. I captured the photo below the stairs, and Amber was standing above the stairs. This denotes a low-angle technique, which makes the subject appear larger than taking a general angle. It makes the subject appear ltaller, and more imposing, creating a sense of power, dominance, and strength.

• What is Street Photography?

Street photography is a genre of photography that captures emotions, humanity, and the soul by employing unique and specific photographic techniques.  It focuses on everyday life and people without any posing or planning. These photos capture stories and emotions from everyday scenes, such as parks, markets, or streets. Moreover, it explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings. By capturing the general and common circumstances or situations of life, it makes people empathize with the photography more and feel familiarity or affinity. Unlike abstract photography, street photography has a specific topic iand showcase  the main idea of the photo more directly.

My triptych is an abstract photograph that captures the texture of the dogs’ fur. By making the photo monochrome, black and white, it showed great contrast in colors and highlighted the texture and shape of the fur more directly. I chose the texture of the animal fur as the theme of my photograph because I wanted to show people a magnified version of the dog’s fur and tell how every dog has a different texture of fur, which shows diversity and identity in dog breeds.

This first photo of my photograph is a close-up shot of a stray dog in 798.  The contrast in the colors, black in the middle and white on the sides, helped the photo to emphasize the texture of the fur because having a dark color in the middle highlighted the color white, which is the part where the texture of the fur is well shown. The silky and smooth texture of the fur is the main point in the photo that I wanted other people to notice while looking at this photograph. Silky and smooth texture gives an impression of softness, luxury, and elegance. It evokes a sensation of gentle, velvety touch that is delicate and refined, often associated with comfort. Such textures are commonly linked to feelings of warmth, sophistication, and high quality.

The second photo of my photography is a close-up shot of a poodle in 798. If we think of the dog breed “poodle,” the common thoughts about the poodle are cute, small, gentle, kind, fluffy, soft, and so on. I think the texture of this photo is also linked to the general thoughts about the poodle. The curvy, curly, and rough texture of the poodle’s fur gives an impression of warmth, playfulness, and delicate beauty, perfectly capturing the gentle and affectionate nature commonly associated with the breed.

The third photo of my photography is a close-up shot of another stray dog in 798. The close-up photo of the dog’s fur reveals a dense, tightly packed texture characterized by intricate curls and waves. The fur appears soft and fluffy, with a rich, layered structure that emphasizes depth and volume. The curls create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, which makes the mood and the atmosphere of the photo dark.

Overall, my three photographs all have a connection to the concept of animal texture and monochrome. The three photographs that I took all have different textures of the fur, which give different meanings, impressions, and feelings about the photograph. Hearing the word only texture of the animal might not seem attractive at first, but seeing a detailed and specific photograph about the texture of the animal’s fur can give a new persepctive and  insightful views about it.

< “ANIMAL” Abstract Photography – 798 >

• High contrast in color ( black in the middle & white on the sides)
• Texture of the animal’s (dog) fur – silky
• line element
• close-up shot
• Tone: the dark atmosphere in the photo  helps define the mood and contrast

• High contrast in color ( grey-black-white)
• texture of the dog’s fur – curly&rough 
• line elements-curvy lines
• repetition of the fur
• close-up shot
• dark tone

• Contrast in color
• texture of the dog’s fur – rough & dense
• line element-diagonal lines
• close-up shot
• clear concept-animal fur

• Contrast in color
• close-up shot of the animal’s face
• clear concept-dog
• focused well in one section (face)
• texture of the fur –curly

• Contrast in color (emphasize the animal fur and the animal itself)
• texture
• line element on the ground
• patterns (rectangular) & repetition
• Focus – the focus is toward the dog & less focus was used for the background (the ground)

• Contrast in color ( black & white)
• texture of the fur – smooth, & the whisker
• close-up shot
• line elements ( whiskers, furs)
• clear concept

• Contrast in color ( black & white)
• focus and depth of field
• texture of the fur & whisker
• close-up shot
• line element
• shape

• mostly dark shades used
• Light (natural sunlight reflected on the lion sculpture)
• good focus
• line element
• close-up shot – emphasize the lion’s mane
• rough texture

• Contrast in color
• texture of the fur – curvy
• close-up shot
• Low-key tone: dark tone, deep shadow

• Contrast in color
• texture of fur- curvy and wiry (puddle)
• close-up shot, negative space on the left & right
• mid-key tone, balanced distribution of shadows

Title: Animal World

The message of my photographs and compositions is to convey the beauty and importance of respecting animal rights.  I want my audience to appreciate the beauty of animals and feel a sense of urgency about this topic of photography. For inspiration, I will try to find eminent photographers who mostly take animal and nature photos. I will focus on the contrast of colors using black and white, and the texture of the animal. I want to see and find photographs that indicate the beauty of animals, but also the hidden dark side of reality, such as animal rights abuse. Also, I will focus on the contrast of colors, using white and black.

Which ”element(s)” is/are best represented in each of the pictures below?

1. 1. The first photo represents the element of lines. I tried to capture a photograph similar to drawing 1. This composition shows contrast of colors well by using black and white colors, and shows the element of line. Overall, taking this photo worked well since we only needed to find 2 colors and lines. However, the purpose of this photo was to show vertical lines, but it turned out more like a diagonal line, which is the part I did not work well.

2. This photo represents the elements of lines. This composition has a similarity with the first composition in that it represents line, but there are differences in the type of line. This photo shows a horizontal line, not a vertical line. The photo I took was well taken compared to the list of drawings that was given, since it shows definite lines and contrasts as well.

3. This photo represents the element of shapes and pattern/repetition. I tried to capture this photograph similar to drawing 9.  The rectangles in the photos and the lines generated shapes and patterns. Moreover, there are diagonal lines in the photo, which are one of the key elements in the photo. Having three elements in one photograph makes the photo more full and interesting.

4. This photo represents the element of shape and patterns/repetition as well. One thing that differs from the previous photograph is its varied shapes. The previous one was a rectangle, and this photo has circular shapes in the photo. The image I took matches the drawing 8 well since I involved all the elements in the drawing.

5. This photo represents elements of line and texture. If we magnify the photo or examine it closely, the lines are formed by repeating vertical lines. In addition, we can notice that the photo also involves texture. Since this photo is a magnified version of the carpet, it makes it easier to observe rough and irregular textures as well. I think this photo matched well with the drawing generally, but I think it is a little difficult to define the elements if people do not magnify the photo that I took.

6. This photo represents the element of shape.  The sun in the center indicates a circle, which shows the shape element. The sun plays a prominent role, since it is in the middle and is the only shape in this photo. Also, the photo emphasizes the shape of the sun, making the composition more powerful. Overall, this photo matched well, except that the shape of the sun was slightly different because of the light spreading.

7. This composition represents the element of line.  I tried to capture a photograph that looked like drawing 9. The lines in the composition look like somewhere between a vertical and a horizontal line. These lines make the photo tend to cast a feeling of restfulness, permanency, and stabilty because of the horizontal line. The photo I took matched the drawing well because I was able to take the photo providing 2 types of lines.

• No contrast in image

 Because the color used in the photo are similar, it does not make the subject stand out and create a powerful visual impact.

• Bad lighting in photography

The photo has too exaggerated light spreading, which has made the photo messy and hazy.

• There is not any contrast in image, which does not make the photo enhance visual recognition and improve visual awareness

• Bad lining up

The ornamnents on the table is lined up and ordered in a mismatch order

• Does not show clear concept

 cannot define whether the photo is trying to highlight the blue sofas or the artworks hanging on the wall. The photo must have a more definite concept and topic.

• Communication of interest

The photo does not provoke any feelings, thoughts, and actions which does not contain communication of interest.

• Perspective & depth

These two factors (perspective & depth) were not showed in the photos

• Bad composition

• Squinted its eyes

The boy in the image squinted his eyes. This gives negative impact to the photos since squinting its eyes decreases the level of completion.

• Bad composition

The photo has bad composition. It would be better if the green leaves on the side have been taken in another angle.

• Blocked the lens

In the photo, the finger in th right side blocked the lens. Blocking the lends distracts the photo and make it difficult to concentrate to the photo well.

• Loss of focus

The photo shows loss of focus. People can lose focus while looking this photo because the photo is shaking which makes the photo blurry