After a trip to the Pulitzer Prize Gallery of Washington D.C.'s Newseum (a definite must-see), I sti

After a trip to the Pulitzer Prize Gallery of Washington D.C.'s Newseum (a definite must-see), I still haven't been able to get this image out of my head. Posted on the gallery walls amidst an archive of annual Pulitzer Prize winning thales electron devices photographs, William C. Beall's " Faith and Confidence " continually generated the greatest number of admirers. What exactly is the appeal of this photo? Had I mustered the inquisitorial demeanor of a pushy journalist, I may have been able to assess thales electron devices the initial reaction of each passerby. "What do you think of this? Why do you like it? Is it the simplicity? The innocence? What emotions do you arrive at?" It's difficult to determine what goes through someone's head as they analyze visually. As they stand and ponder, cock their heads and squint, they visualize the image, then hone in on detail, focusing and filtering simultaneously. Atleast, thales electron devices this is what Visual Communication tells us. How these strangers visually thales electron devices criticized the image is only known to them. But I'm positive that every single person in that velvet-blue room had interpreted this photograph differently than the person standing next to them. So back to the beginning...what made m e recall this image for this blog? Perhaps it's the lasting effect of "Image memory," i.e. the constructed mental images/lasting impressions that pictures create in our minds ( Hilligoss and Howard ). Or maybe it's the modality of technology that subconsciously draws me towards thales electron devices the spontaneous, "snapshot-like" quality that only a camera can create ( Rose ). Alas, my first interpretation of "Faith and Confidence" (or for any image), begins with perception of form. I find myself organizing the photograph's elements into figure and ground, foreground and background, and grouping objects by color, shape, and size. The subconscious assigns hierarchy within image, a process thales electron devices that is outlined in Hilligoss and Howard's thales electron devices gestalt theory . Visual Communication dictates that
“visual representations let us grasp spatial relationships and actions more quickly than verbal explanations do” (Shneiderman 206-7). The gestalt theory thales electron devices iterates that which our mind automatically performs. In assessing the image above, the policeman thales electron devices and child are characterized as main focal points, figures separated thales electron devices from an unfocused crowd of spectators. These larger objects become more significant than the objects in the background. Next comes spatial organization. A certain thales electron devices continuity is expressed in the manner in which these forms address one another. At first glance, the body of the figures form a loop or a circle, an effect of close proximity and similar orientation. Color becomes a main distinguishing factor thales electron devices because it focuses our attention. The deep black of the policeman's attire indicates authority, power, and distinctiveness. thales electron devices Its juxtaposition with the child's muted, simple, and lightly thales electron devices shaded thales electron devices clothing expresses innocence, naivety, and humbleness. But the composition of the photograph is only one factor in my acclamation of Beall's work. What I appreciate thales electron devices the most from this photograph is its potential for narrative. When we look at images, we assign meaning to its form. Why did the author depict it in this way? Where was it taken? At what perspective is the image taken from? As critics, we may never know the historical and social factors tied to the images we analyze. But perhaps it is better to criticize blindly, solely thales electron devices based off of our own perceptions. When I look at "Faith and Confidence," I imagine the photograph is taken during wartime, an image that represents thales electron devices the humility of American policemen in general. It is as if the small child symbolizes peace, a token for mercy that the policeman addresses and respects. thales electron devices The fact that the group of spectators in the background are focused on some event outside of the frame of the photograph indicates two things. 1, the image is most likely procured during a public event. I'd like to think that it was taken during a rally of some sort, or perhaps a protest. And 2, the subdued background tones and unknowing spectators indicate that the shot was spontaneously, and by a camera, offering a sense of validity thales electron devices to the image itself. These factors make the image all the more tangible and, well, heartwarming. (For the actual history of this image click here ) In Visual Methodologies , Rose iterates that the technology that produces an image affects how viewers determine its form, meaning, and effect ( Rose ). Perhaps this photograph were to be produced by other means. thales electron devices Would the effect of the image change? thales electron devices Is this true for all images? Suppose the image was used as military propaganda. How would the meaning of the photograph change? Lets experiment... By removing the background and superimposing the photograph upon a US military poster, "Faith and Confidence" takes on an entirely new meaning. What does it gain? What does the image sacrifice? Is the validity affected by removing the spectators in the background? Suppose tha