Ever since the first time I looked at this image after taking it a year and a half ago at Chilifest, I have been completely entranced by it. Naturally it has plenty of symbolic meaning to me because it includes so many of my favorite things (Texas, country music, people, and the outdoors), but I've also always loved the composition of it. There are several compositional elements that make it great, but the four that I believe are most monumental are the lighting, the emphasis, the balance, and the rhythm.
This photo was taken at dusk on a perfect spring evening. The sun was low in the sky and cast a perfect glow on all the other concert-goers around me. Because the sun was so low and because it was dusk, the glow that it emits is a perfectly warm and comfortable glow that one can't help but wish to be included in. Since all of the people in the photo are around the same size, the light is evenly distributed and nowhere in the photo lacks this warmth.
Another factor that adds to the comfort of the photo is the emphasis of the flag isolated in the center. For those who have a lot of state patriotism, this photo is much more meaningful. Even to those who do not have a lot of Texas pride, they can easily see that this photograph is representative of the pride that we have. The photo is split horizontally through the middle and the flag is located in the center of a lot of open space which puts much emphasis on it due to it's isolation.
The fact that the flag is the primary element on the left side of the image draws a lot of attention. If there was nothing else in the main image plane, the image would be very unbalanced. The person in the foreground on the right hand side of the image seems unimportant at first glimpse but they actually have a very important purpose- they balance the image. The mid ground position of the flag when paired with the foreground position of the figure really balance each other out so it is not uncomfortable to look at.
The final impactful element of this photograph is the rhythm of all the bodies joining as one to create a sense of being included in the comfortable and warm image to the viewer. In between the foreground with the larger people and the mid ground with the flag, all of the people are all similar in size which promotes a feeling of repetition and rhythm.
All of these design elements brought together helps to promote the over all pleasure that viewing this photography brings.
**I did not make any changes to this essay because I felt that there was not much more on which I could elaborate. I am already content with it as it is as well as the other recent essays.
