Full Color Patriotism
By: danitacahill
Tags: color, patriotism, photography
Category: Color, Photography, Photojournalism, Portrait photography
| Aperture: | f/4 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length: | 86mm |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi |
This guy, Roy McFaddin dresses up as Uncle Sam and goes to events around Oregon. I think he has a great face. And who with a camera in their hand could resist a star-striped top hat and an American-flag backdrop? Not I.
The photo is one I took while on assignment in October. I didn’t send this particular shot in to my editors to be considered – there were several others that better fit with the story I wrote. But I still like the picture, so I filed it away thinking I’d have some use for it someday.
Today is that day. This seems a good photo to demonstrate how colors in photography can affect our emotions.
Does the red, white and blue make you feel Patriotic? Proud? Maybe political?
Without getting heavy into the political side of your feelings – this blog isn’t the platform for that – I’m interested in reading your thoughts and comments about your initial gut reaction to this photo.
Cahill Photojournalism 
When I look at this photo I get a sense of Uncle Sam, but in a way of how he is fading. Possibly this is due to the fact that the gentlemen is older and that the younger generations just don’t understand the notion. Great shot!
Thanks! And thanks so much for commenting.
I tend to be more technical in my perusal of such things. 🙂 Your composition is spot on. Depth of field good. The eyes are dark and I’m not sure if that makes me think mysterious or ominous. There is SO much difference in brightness between the face and the vibrant colors in the background that it would seem impossible to get an absolutely perfect exposure on this in one shot. The face is doomed to be a bit darker than the background. Perhaps that represents, in a manner, the greater importance the whole of the country, the background, the higher-level view of things at the cost of the individual? Anyway, that’s my take here.
Mmmm, interesting observations, Rob. I would like to see catch lights in this photo.