Color Expression

by: Michelle Arcila

I believe this photo is successful compositionally as it has a mellow feel to it that it pleasing and calming to look at.  The concept of this photo is a young girl.  Her head ends right under one of the lines and looks nice proportionately.  The lines are all parallel and form a simple and structured background.  The white background contrasts with the dark shadow on her shirt and her figure, emphasizing her.  The blue-grey color of her shirt ties in with her dirty blonde hair that also has a grey-ish tint.  When I first look at the photo, she looks older, but as i move from her hair to her shirt and arm, she becomes much younger and naive.  The redness of her arm makes her look little and vulnerable.
The colors reinforce the concept as they transform her from a woman into a little girl.  Without the soft, blue-grey of her shirt and the dirty blonde bounce of her curls, she could be 5 years old or 30. This picture, while looks very nice, makes me a feel sad.  Even though you cannot see the girl's face, the way her head is tilted down, combined with the dull color of her shirt create a melancholy image of a sad, little girl.