This photograph was taken by Edward Weston in 1930. I chose to discuss this photograph because it caught my eye right away. I thought it was such an interesting photo due to the composition and lighting. I like how you can barely make out the pepper from whatever it is resting on. I like how there is almost this dark opaque shadow over the whole photo The photo is in black and white but it feels more than just that. It feels as if there is a layer of fog over it creating a somewhat blurry, yet clear photograph. I like how the pepper, the subject, takes up the entire frame because it makes the photograph more intense and powerful. The light is coming from the upper right of the photograph and shines directly on the pepper. This lighting creates shadows and highlights each part of the pepper showing depth and texture. The harshness of the shadows makes the pepper look way more than just a simple vegetable. The pepper is in the center of the photo and it takes up most of the frame. The pepper disappears from the photo blending into the dark background in the top left corner which makes the shape and size of the pepper a mystery to the viewer. The fact that you can see a little bit of the surface that the pepper is resting on at the bottom of the frame helps ground the photo and gives us some context to understanding the image. The way in which the lighting and composition is in this photo brings the vegetable to life and really helps it interact with the viewer creating an exceptional image.
Weston, Edward. “Pepper No. 35.” The Met, 1930, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/286226.
I like your observations of the context, the upper frame and shadows, and the surface at the bottom of the frame. Good observations of direct lighting.