Photography

I absolutely adore this photograph of Arnold and his partner shot by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazine. There is so much emotion conveyed in this photograph between both subjects that it shines through to the audience and allows us to feel the same and happy when looking at this shot. It's clear that this emotion is raw and true as we can see them both looking relaxed and content with each other. The colour contrast and lighting works really well in this as they both stand out from the background and allows them to remain centre of attention. 

Composition additionally works really well as even though they're not placed directly in the middle of the frame, they still remain the main subjects of the photograph due to the rule of the thirds. It's also clear that the background is of a beach, adding to the calm and loving environment we see.

This is personally one of my favourite shots from Annie Leibovitz of Meryl Streep for Rolling Stone magazine. The colour palette incorporated into this photograph is very simple: white and nude colours with an element of pink for the lips. The fact that Leibovitz placed Meryl in white clothing as well as white face paint suggests elements of angelic personality, innocence and purity; as these are common representations of the colour white. It seems like there is a strong and meaningful message behind this photograph as it can be interpreted in many different ways. Firstly, it can be taken that this photo is a metaphor for Meryl's acting career and can symbolise the different personalities she has to portray in the films she makes and also shows how versatile she can be as an actress. She is 'peeling off' her face as if she's ready for a new one - a new role. On the other hand, it could mean that she is trying to break free from her image and show that she is a normal human being. The white symbolises how the public view her; but she wants to take that identity off and show the world what's underneath. 

Interestingly, her eyes and lips are left uncovered from the white face paint suggesting that, even though she plays different characters and people may misinterpret her as a person, she still sees things the same as everyone else and has the ability to voice her own opinions. The lighting here is very clean and crisp and the dark background contrasts against her - making sure she is the sole subject of the photograph. 

The first photograph I have chosen to analyse is this shot by Annie Leibovitz for the 1997 edition of Vanity Fair. The element that stood out to me and that I noticed upon first looking at this photo, was the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is holding a swan. Swans can be seen as romantic birds; and in this situation could mean that he has a strong love for the environment and wildlife. The colour contrast between Leo and the swan is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye as Leo's black top makes the white swan stand out more than it would on its own, both complimenting each other. Also the fact that the background is quite simple; leaving all attention to Leo and the swan rather than the gradients of the grass surrounding him. 

Rule of thirds has been cleverly used in this photograph, drawing attention immediately to Leo's face. There also seems to be a light shining on his face, coming in from the right hand side of the frame. This could be to illuminate his features, as well as also making sure the swan doesn't stand out too much in contrast to his black attire.