1. This is the photograph I am thinking of analyzing for my second essay. It’s called “El Morocco” and it’s by Garry Winnogrand. I think this photograph is very interesting. Not only is there a lot of contrast, but the woman’s expression is especially thrilling. I think there is a lot to say there.
2. I’ve always been a very visual person, I can learn and take things in a lot better with images and pictures. Through out this semester I have learned to magnify even the smallest of details, and analyze it. I have become aware of the photographer, and his/her gaze.
3. I think the questions and philosophies of the gaze and “Looking” here are extremely exaggerated in this particular photograph. This woman is dancing with a man, her face is the lightest part of the photograph, she is looking straight into his eyes,  mouth wide open and turned upwards into an almost evil laugh/grin. There could be many statements made about if this woman was feeling a sort of power here, or lack of one. Was her grin genuine or desperate? What might the man’s expression be? Why is he almost completely not shown?

1. No clothing is shown in this picture besides one strap of my bathing suit. I am posing with my hat down low, and my hand in a position that is almost covering my mouth. My facial expression is pretty much neutral, looking into the camera.
2. The background of the picture is a blue sky. There is a bright light on my beach hat, casting a shadow across most of my face. The camera is facing me but angled a bit to the left.
3. No people, animals, objects that are presented with my face
4. I’d say the whole picture is pretty accurate. Maybe with the exception of my hand.
5. My hand is not in it’s natural position; I think I did that to add a bit more of a mysterious effect (?)
6. I think this selfie portrays more of an easy-going “beachy” personality trait than any others
7. Like I said above, I think this image presents me as easy-going, elegant, “Summery” (Whatever that means), feminine, etc.
8. I think some audiences might look at it as kind of aesthetically pleasing more than anything- the big swoop of my hat, the positioning of the picture in itself, the placement of my hand, blue sky at the top. Some audiences might think I’m taking myself too seriously, or that I’m full of myself. I don’t really think about the audience, I just upload it because I like the picture.
9. I guess it could be seen that I am looking at the viewer, In a slightly suggestive way.
10. I’m not sure how this selfie plays off other recognizable images (confused as to what that means), but some of my selfies are quite similar; usually angled in a way that emphasizes my jaw line and/or my portfolio, or emphasizes the blue/green of my eyes. Some show me in my band as more of a “rocker” type, some show me as easy going like the one above, etc.
11. The context of this image is, me on the beach in cape cod. It was a really nice evening, and golden hour, and I wanted to capture myself and the feeling I felt during that time. I think this might be apparent to anyone who sees this picture;obviously not exactly where I am and why I took it, but just that I’m on the beach and that it’s nice lighting- evoking a calm feeling.

1. Absolutely no clothing is shown in this picture because it is from the neck up. I am posing by leaning my head back so that the water can shower on my face and hair. My facial expression is one of enjoyment and calmness.
2. The background is a bunch of green trees with the sunlight shining through. As well as water from an outdoor shower I was in. The picture was taken only a foot or two in front of me, and the angle is straight on.
3. N/A
4. What’s accurate is the feeling of this selfie. One of my favorite things to do on vacation or at the beach is take an outdoor shower at the end of the day. It feels so good and so relaxing, and I wanted to capture that feeling. I often do tilt my head back and close my eyes like this in the shower-basically to just take in the moment. What’s not accurate was that this wasn’t genuine, I did this pose intentionally for the picture.
5. I think what is obscured is the pose.
6. I would think this image portrays yet again a kind of peaceful and calm nature.
7. More feminine, more care-free, more of a traveler
8. Some audiences might think it’s a nice picture, they might like the positioning, they might like how the water looks like it’s coming from the sky, they might like the saturation and the colors. Some audiences may think I am full of myself and what kind of person takes a picture of themselves in the shower? Some audiences may think it’s cliche. Again- I didn’t really have a certain audience in mind, I just really liked the picture and wanted to put it out there.
9. The viewer is addressed in a way where it makes it seem as If I don’t know he/she is looking; it’s almost suggestive, maybe a bit provocative.
10. ^
11. The apparent context of this image is that I am taking and enjoying an outdoor shower. Some people may not see the point. Some people will think it’s interesting

I agree that selfies are quite narcissistic. I also agree that I am unfortunately- quite narcissistic. However I do like to incorporate different aspects of photography into a selfie. I usually take selfies in interesting settings; a background is usually involved. I like things to be aesthetically pleasing (not necessarily my face but my position and the position of subjects in the picture in general). Although I post selfies without thinking much about them, I feel that looking back- my selfies indicate a sort of confidence and coolness that sometimes is not genuine. For example I could take a selfie at a certain event, with a caption stating where I am and what I’m doing- when in reality, I might not even be having a good time. I think my selfies show my confidence, the various sides to me (soft and hard), they show I am well-traveled, they show I am interested in art and music, they show my different styles (at times); however they can also be seen as self-obsessive, narcissistic, conceited and un-interesting- which I can understand.

Photography, in Sontag’s and Popova’s terms, can “alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe”. Sontag also explains that to photography is a form of appropriation. It is putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge-and therefor power. She explains that a camera is sold as a “predatory weapon”. Like guns and cars, cameras are fantasy machines whose use is addictive. Photography is aggressive because it precipitates a kind of social media violence of self-assertion. I understand what they are saying here, however I’m not quite sure I would use as harsh of a word as violence. I agree that It’s aggressive, but I feel there is no true violence intended in these social media posts.

Sontag’s arguments are very relevant to today’s world because we are living in an era where almost everyone is a photographer. All one needs to do is reach into their pocket, take out their cell phone, and snap a picture. Social media is huge among adolescents, and these pictures that have to do with style, fashion, weight, make up- are all aggressive in influencing one another.

In Nan Goldin’s perspective, a photograph can reveal and help one understand one’s self and one’s life. I think Sontag and Goldin would agree that Photography is a weapon against anxiety. Goldin was scared she would forget things, and would take pictures to made sure she remembered, diminishing that anxiety. Sontag described an example of people on a trip, having to take pictures of things to alleviate their anxiety of not knowing how to process whatever they were experiencing. There are few differences between selfies and self-portraits. A selfie is usually taken by a smart phone or a webcam and often shared on social media, where as a self-portrait is made using a picture, reflection, or even a memory. I feel like a selfie is a bit more shallow, and a self-portrait has more of a thought-process, and meaning behind it.