Research: Brassai. (WK2)

Brassai took his name from his place of birth, Brasso in Transylvania. Brassai had a very low view of photography after studying art in different place, but after seeing the work of Andre Kertesz he changed his mind. He is best known for his nocturnal photographs of Paris.

• Photography in our time leaves us with a grave responsibility. While we are playing in our studios with broken flowerpots, oranges, nude studies and still lifes, one day we know that we will be brought to account: life is passing before our eyes without our ever having seen a thing.- Brassai.

Brassai has some very angular photographs. The first photograph is very soft, almost drawn-like, with many leading lines. Brassai's black and white photographs are good examples for fore/mid/background. The lines in the first photograph draw the eyes into the photograph and towards the figures which seem to be the main focus of the photograph. There is a lot of shadow in the photograph, with the light being on the second half of the image, possibly a reflection? Lines have been used to divide the image up into sections as well. 

The second image has just as many leading lines as the first, these are however, a lot more obvious as to where the focus of the viewers attention is meant to be. The women in the foreground are the obvious focus, taking up much of the photograph. There isn't as much depth in the second photograph, the background is almost eliminated by the line the women create and there is nothing in front of them. The lights themselves move in and out of focus depending on their position in the lines above the women, you can see that the further they move into the photograph, the less in focus they are, as well as the few lights right at the top of the photograph. There is nothing else in the frame to focus on and that creates a less chaotic and pleasing photograph to look at.