photo analysis

This photo appeared in my facebook newsfeed today.  I think it is a very interesting photo.  The pier and its shadow form a natural frame around the photograph.  However, this frame has been clipped at the corner and bent, giving it discontinuity and depth.

If we look, the edge of the shadow does not connect with base of the pier, but rather recedes into the background.   The result is a "corkscrewing" effect for eye when it traces the frame of the image counterclockwise (starting in the bottom right of the image).  

This only works because the shadow in the bottom left hand corner is as dark as the pier, creating a false sense of closure and continuity.  It allows the optical illusion--gives the image its strange sense of depth.   

Emphasizing the sense of depth are the people.  In the space where the shadow and pillar have been pulled apart (or what would be the "corner" of the frame)  people are standing.  The people serve an interesting function.  Their position prevents the eye from closing the frame.  And their motion draws the eye into the photo, emphasizing the spiraling effect built by the frame.

The result is a technically rich photograph.

Photocredit: O'neill Surf Shop, Santa Cruz