I’ve been looking around for a great photo to start off with as I write about great photographs and why they’re important to me. I am a believer that we all like specific photographs for a certain reason that’s personal, but that’s not always explored. I mentioned in an earlier post that I took a class that focused on the rhetoric of photos (basically, what the photos communicate to you in a visual way). I think it’s important to analyze different photographs and how they communicate because I think it makes you a better photographer. You understand better what end results you’re looking for, which makes you think a little more before the shot is taken.
So let’s start with this photo taken by Piotr Kulczycki of worldinmylens.com. He has taken many fabulous travel photos, but I stopped when I came to this photo, which is usually a clue to me that there are many things I like about this photo of a bicyclist on the streets of Copenhagen.
I love the angle of the photo. You seem to connect with the setting and the street because of the angle. I look down and I see the cobblestone street. I look up and I see the sky heavy with rain.
You’re also drawn into the photo by the lines the photographer has used. The concrete slabs on the road along with the buildings and the overhead cables all use perspective to pull you down the street with the bicyclist. You feel as though you’re headed somewhere and you must reach your destination before the storm gets any worse.
I also love the colors in the photograph. The saturated hues are perhaps more exaggerated than real life, but they evoke the richness of the experience. To me, travel is a series of experiences, and as I look at this photograph I feel as though I were in a familiar place even though I’ve never been to Copenhagen.
What do you like or dislike about this photo? How does it make you feel?