Tuesday, September 16, 2008

the offering


I was in Paris earlier this year for a few weeks and they were celebrating the anniversary of the student riots at La Sorbonne. Around the area of the university they had some large displays of photos taken during the riots. I took a picture sof one of the photo displays that, while I would characterize myself the farthest thing from a 'hippie,' I think is very intense and I wanted to share it with the class....

There are many details that add up to make this a fantastic shot. I like that the photographer chose to frame the shot so that the police would be in a long line, all with the same stern expressions and all with their weapons pointed towards the students.

Also, I like the student's expression and turned up hand indicating a peaceful offering. And the fact that hes offering a flower. I also like that the student is in the foreground and there is only one student in the shot. This makes the viewer feel as if they were one of the students facing a wall of police unwilling to bend.

5 comments:

MikeyAnn said...

I like the way you described the picture!

Bunchuk said...

yes me too, good work!

Jon Richichi said...

This is a great picture. It reminds somewhat of an old photo I saw during the Vietnam era where a woman put a flower into the barrel of a gun held by a National Guard soldier. Very nice!

EPerkins said...

Its a beautiful picture. It reminds me of the old Coca -Cola commercial "I'd like to teach the world to sing." I also think you did a good job of looking at the aesthetics. This picture is certainly worth 1000 words. I have been to the Sorbonne and I was intrigued by the photo because I wouldn't necessarily associated with France.

Carol said...

I think jrichichi is referring to this classic photo:

http://www.rit.edu/news/lib/views/public/images/picsadmin//Flower_Power.jpg

It's called "Flower Power", and it's from an anti-Vietnam War protest outside the Pentagon in 1967. The photographer was Bernie Boston, who died earlier this eary.

Different angle, b/w treatment, but eerily similar.