Civil War photo analysis

I chose this photo to analyze because in looking at the section entitled, "Lincoln's Assassination," it stood out to me as a picture that captured the scene of that tragedy. Not that I had forgotten the assassination, but seeing the photographs reminded me of the magnitude of that event, and the great loss our country suffered. I felt moved by this particular picture because it depicts a place that should be remembered and it compelled me to stop and think about Lincoln's assassination and what has become of the Ford Theatre since then. This photo captures Ford Theatre in its originality, before restorations and tourism of today's world. The image is shot at a far off angle, capturing the beauty of the architecture of Ford Theatre as well as the scene that encompasses it. This seems to be a form of documentary photography, working to capture the building as it is in that time to be remembered. The photographer shot the building with a direct approach, slightly from the right to show more than just the theatre. The vertical lines repeated in the image through the buildings and windows direct the viewer to scan the whole picture, up and down, not focusing on any one subject. This is one instance I think the photograph is still very powerful without a central focus because the whole thing works together to create a vivid image of a memory. From the clear sky above the buildings to the pitch black windows, the contrast from light to dark gives the photo an eerie feel, adding to it's documentary feel. The expressive landscape also helps convey a spectral feeling, which might have been part of the author's intention. The whole photo works together to create an image of long ago when an important event occurred.

This is the link to the article I read in relation to this photo.