Questioning Social Values
Landscape photographs can convey a vast array of emotions, questions, and even critical social values. The following images pose a few important questions about the reality of today's social values and the clear or ambiguous the photographer's communication is.
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| Image by Adam Burton |
This image questions the social value of environmental protection and the effects of global warming. Burton clearly captured this message ("communication") and did so in a sort of then-and-now, compare and contrast method. The foreground contains melted and seemingly nonexistent iceberg fragments while, in the background, resides full-force, mountainous glaciers that portray the magnificence of the scene as a whole. A possible interpretation of this is the effects of human pollution and how it is causing the destruction of the natural habitats of the arctic.
| Image by Kenneth Tanaka |
This image is taken of what used to be a beautiful park, taken one year after a picture of the park was taken. Tanaka was clearly conveying a message with this photograph, and it is one of unncessary destruction of nature for the expansion of society or cities. The message is clear and concise and stirs up a powerful wave of emotions, such as dissapointment, contempt, and possibly anger. These emotions are conveyed by the simplicity and contrast of the image. The leading lines of the bulldozer's trails are uniform, monotone, and bleak while the bulldozer is coloful and unique in comparison. In addition, Tanaka uses the wide depth of field to allow the imagination to fill the frame with what was there before being destroyed.
