John Lewis in Nashville
This image shows a man leaning up against a wall that seems to have a glass window or door in the right side of him. We are able to see the full side profile of this man. His eyes seem to be pointed in a downward direction. The wrinkles of his face make his face seem sad and ponderous, from what we can see. In the reflection of the glass window, we can see that their is a very busy background. I think that the success of this pictures comes from the balance of busy to simple. In focus, we have the side profile of the man in a suit. The photographer was able to capture the texture in his face and clothing to create a successful focal point. I think that the busy background balances well with tis simple focus of the man leaning on the wall. Shot during the Civil Rights Movement, this image tells a strong story of the social scene in Nashville at the time. This photographer framed the image by including the from about the shoulders up. The main subject that the photographer tries to convey is the emotion given off by the subject. He does this by including his side profile and capturing his undeniably sad disposition.
John Lewis in Nashville, Danny Lyon, 1963, Gelatin silver print, printed later Gift of George Stephanopoulos