Thomas Struth

In this photo Struth has drawn the viewer into the photo with the direct straight road leading the observer through the perspective. However the rubbish at the left and right side of the road cuts of the road into a thinner line drawing the viewer in further. This ‘thinner road’ isn’t directly in the middle of the photo, I think a direct line straight from the middle leading you in can sometimes be too harsh on a photo and make it uncomfortable to look at. However the fact the ‘thinner road is more to the right entices the viewers eyes effortlessly into the photo. He said that a photograph "has a clear language, one that speaks openly not only about its subjects ... but also very much about the attitude of the photographer toward these things. In this regard, a photograph is always objective.” Therefore in Struth’s opinion all photos tell you the photographers view on what they’ve photographed. Baring this in mind you can tell how Struth has decided to show how busy and crowded this environment feels. He has chosen to show all the buildings close and surrounding each other, there is no sky above the buildings in the foreground to show the height of the buildings and to create a crowded atmosphere.

Compare this to the second photo where there is sky in he foreground and it makes the environment feel a whole lot emptier. Also the position on the street that Struth has chosen to take the photo adds to this vacant feel, if he had chosen to take the photo further down the street where the buildings are taller and where he could have had no sky in the foreground than it would have created a busier, more crowded feel. Also the road width is wider than the two corners if the bottom width of the page which creates a feeling of space where there is not a lot going on. The fact that the road is clear of rubbish and clear of cars creates an empty feel also, compared to the road of the previous picture which is made to feel even thinner because of the rubbish either side.

This photo here from Struth's Paradise collection is completely different to the previous city/town environemts. This environment is in the middle of a forest, however although the picture may look completely different to the others and may have a different feel to it the same methods are used in it. There is a very busy, crowded feel to this photo and compare this to the first photo that is also quite crowded and busy and you start to see how Struth uses the tress the same way he uses the buildings. The trees, like the buildings, surround both sides of the picture and eventually further back into the middle of the picture. There is also a narrow stream slightly to the left of the picture leading the viewers eyes into the photo.  Just like in the first photo where Struth uses the narrow road to lead the viewers eyes into the photo. One thing Struth uses int his photo that he does not use in the other photos is 'the line of beauty'. This is where a s shape is created in the photo to attract the viewers attention, it is supposed to signify energy, movement and is supposed to stir the viewers attention. The line of beauty starts at the beginning of the lake and follows it until the end of the lake and then curves up into the tress. The fact that the line if beauty is not int he other pictures means that he is trying to create a different feeling in the other two places.