WP1 Rough Draft 2: A Glance is Only a Start

Take a look at a picture. Any picture has an interesting story beneath its glowing shimmer, worn tatters or as in the case below, digital compilation of pixels. Often an image of a simple object, in a simple setting, with the seemingly simplest background information yield not a simple picture, but a picture lacking solid research. As such case, take this picture of a barn on a hillside:


No matter which aspect of the photo is cropped and analyzed, very little would make much sense without research. Yet even without any background information, a viewer can still come up with determinations about the picture. For instance, the barn appears to be in the countryside. The bright colors and openness are signs of peace and serenity. The barn doesn’t appear to be in its heyday, but yet seems sturdy and able to withstand the weather. Now, through some background information such as the barn’s location in Sullivan County in New York’s Catskill Region, more information can be derived.


The picture was also taken in 1943, during the heat of World War II. Now, with this sort of background many more inferences can be made. One of the easiest could be the peculiarity of the barn being located in a place not famous for its good weather and during one of the greatest conflicts in human history, yet it seems unscathed and in fact, quite peaceful. An audience may be skeptical of the picture’s intentions after knowing this, being that it does seem so serene in such an awful time in history. That brings us around to what would be the purpose of a photographer to take this picture. Sure John Collier may have just stumbled onto a picturesque scene in upstate New York, but on the other hand, there may have been full intentions behind the camera click.

To fully understand the purpose and conflict behind Collier’s photography, it helps to also get a grasp on his background and influence. Collier was born in 1913 and worked for the Farm Securities Administration (FSA) and the Office of War Information between 1941 and 1943. On top of that, Collier married in spring 1943, leaving several reasons for a picture such as this. One of which is the marriage, obviously contributing to a bright context and a content feeling in a time of chaos, like that of the picture. The other reason is a bit tougher.

The FSA was aimed at boosting America’s agriculture economy since it had just been through the detriment of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. The picture of the barn is one of the FSA pictures and obviously is going to be taken as foundation for a “stable farming economy” rather than as purely reality. A gloomy picture of a decrepit farm with dead crops and bad weather would encourage an undesirable outlook on the state of agriculture in the United States. As a comparison, observe this picture taken by Wayne Wirtanen:


This picture was also taken in the early 1940s of a farm. Apart from being located two counties to the West of the first picture’s barn, the picture’s circumstances are quite similar. So why then are the two pictures so different? One was taken as government propaganda by a man whose soul position was to make farming and agriculture seem better than it was. The other is the reality of the time with poor crops and a rundown looking farm. In actuality, even the pristine picture could have been in much worse shape than it comes across as, but the photographer was keen to show its best side and in the best way possible. Here’s another piece of information; the picture was taken during June. Summertime on a farm is the heart of growing season, yet there doesn’t seem to be much for crops on the first picture’s farm. The green grass is likely just from natural rains and seasonal growth, but the farm itself seems to be doing very little in terms of crop production. Equally odd is how there is absolutely no farm equipment in view. The only sign of life at all is the dwindled stack of logs near the ramp into the barn.

Much of these issues are also symbolized through various elements in the picture itself. A key point, going off of the most recent statement, involves the barn’s open doorway. If the research is analyzed to accompany the picture, it is not difficult to see the darker implications within the bright outer shell, much like the barn entrance. The barn has full natural lighting on it that gives it the aura of being bright and uplifting, but should it be looked into, the darkened insides are revealed, much like the barn also has a “dark side.”

Also in regards to symbolism, take a look at the following popular large scale corporation’s logos:


Notice the arrow in the negative space between the “E” and “X” in FedEx and the yellow arrow in the Amazon logo. In FedEx, it emphasizes quickness whereas Amazon’s represents a completeness of service offered (From A to Z) as well as customer satisfaction. Though very few people ever notice these symbols in everyday passing, yet look once more at the picture of the barn taking into special consideration the silo and roof line. Undoubtedly, the end of the barn has an amazing resemblance to an arrow. Being that this picture was taken for propaganda purposes for agriculture economy, it is a logo in a sense. By incorporating an upward facing arrow, Collier is demonstrating the rise in farming as a profession without even having to dictate it. The arrow also acts as a vector of attention raising our gaze upward in the photograph toward the sky. Though the phrase may not have existed yet, the concept surely did; the sky is the limit. What better idea is there to attribute to a propaganda photograph?

In relation to the arrow, notice that both the ground to the left and the roof line to the right slope up wards toward the arrow tip. Besides just accompanying the symbol, they act as a boost to help fulfill the arrow as the focal of the photograph, even though at quick glance the entire barn appears to earn the title. Also, they can be seen as the associated problems with the industry that are falling away now that the Dust Bowl has past and the economy is rising again.
While the picture of a barn on a hill may seem like a simpler place in a simpler time, it is quite necessary to exhaust complete research on such a subject to grasp its complete meaning. Obviously there is in entire other side to the photograph than what meets the eye. It may seem as though, even after all these points, that Collier was simply taking a good looking picture, but when it comes down to a creative photographer being paid for output quality, and especially for the government, there is no limit to the extent of thought that went through his head while taking this picture. Surely after doing extended research and gathering so many background points, the simple barn is merely the theme of the photo rather than the focal point. Without a doubt, the FSA surely used this picture to the fullest extent, and rightfully so. This photograph is everything the administration could hope for in a photo. John Collier did an excellent job with this photograph and it takes much more than a simple glance to comprehend the entirety of his creativity and incorporation of symbolism.

WP1 Rough Draft 1: A Glance is Only a Start

Take a look at a picture. Any picture has an interesting story beneath its glowing shimmer, worn tatters or as in the case below, digital compilation of pixels. Take this picture of a barn on a hillside:


Without any background information, a viewer can still come up with determinations about the picture. For instance, the barn appears to be in the countryside. The bright colors and openness are signs of peace and serenity. The barn doesn’t appear to be in its heyday, but yet seems sturdy and able to withstand the weather. Now, through some background information such as the barn’s location in Sullivan County in New York’s Catskill Region, more information can be derived.


The picture was also taken in 1943, during the heat of World War II. Now, with this sort of background many more inferences can be made. One of the easiest could be the peculiarity of the barn being located in a place not famous for its good weather and during one of the greatest conflicts in human history, yet it seems unscathed and in fact, quite peaceful. An audience may be skeptical of the picture’s intentions after knowing this, being that it does seem so serene in such an awful time in history. That brings us around to what would be the purpose of a photographer to take this picture. Sure John Collier may have just stumbled onto a picturesque scene in upstate New York, but on the other hand, there may have been full intentions behind the camera click.

To fully understand the purpose and conflict behind Collier’s photography, it helps to also get a grasp on his background and influence. Collier was born in 1913 and worked for the Farm Securities Administration (FSA) and the Office of War Information between 1941 and 1943. On top of that, Collier married in spring 1943, leaving several reasons for a picture such as this. One of which is the marriage, obviously contributing to a bright context and a content feeling in a time of chaos, like that of the picture. The other reason is a bit tougher.

The FSA was aimed at boosting America’s agriculture economy since it had just been through the detriment of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. The picture of the barn is one of the FSA pictures and obviously is going to be taken as foundation for a “stable farming economy” rather than as purely reality. A gloomy picture of a decrepit farm with dead crops and bad weather would encourage an undesirable outlook on the state of agriculture in the United States. As a comparison, observe this picture taken by Wayne Wirtanen:


This picture was also taken in the early 1940s of a farm. Apart from being located two counties to the West of the first picture’s barn, the picture’s circumstances are quite similar. So why then are the two pictures so different? One was taken as government propaganda. The other was reality. In actuality, even the pristine picture could have been in much worse shape than it comes across as, but the photographer was keen to show its best side and in the best way possible. Here’s another piece of information; the picture was taken during June. Summertime on a farm is the heart of growing season, yet there doesn’t seem to be much for crops on the first picture’s farm. The green grass is likely just from natural rains and seasonal growth, but the farm itself seems to be doing very little crop production. Equally odd is how there is absolutely no farm equipment in view. The only sign of life at all is the dwindled stack of logs near the ramp into the barn.

Much of these issues are also symbolized through various elements in the picture itself. A key point, going off of the most recent statement, involves the barn’s open doorway. If the research is done to accompany the picture, it is not difficult to see the darker implications within the bright outer shell, much like the barn entrance. The barn has full natural lighting on it that gives it the aura of being bright and uplifting, but should it be looked into, the darkened insides are revealed, much like the barn also has a “dark side.”

Also in regards to symbolism, take a look at the following popular large scale corporation’s logos:

Notice the arrow in the negative space between the “E” and “X” in FedEx and the yellow arrow in the Amazon logo. In FedEx, it emphasizes quickness whereas Amazon’s represents a completeness of service offered (From A to Z) as well as customer satisfaction. Though very few people ever notice these symbols in everyday passing, yet look once more at the picture of the barn taking into special consideration the silo and roof line. Undoubtedly, the end of the barn has an amazing resemblance to an arrow. Being that this picture was taken for propaganda purposes for agriculture economy, it is a logo in a sense. By incorporating an upward facing arrow, Collier is demonstrating the rise in farming as a profession without even having to dictate it. The arrow also acts as a vector of attention raising our gaze upward in the photograph toward the sky. Though the phrase may not have existed yet, the concept surely did; the sky is the limit. What better idea is there to attribute to a propaganda photograph?

In relation to the arrow, notice that both the ground to the left and the roof line to the right slope up wards toward the arrow tip. Besides just accompanying the symbol, they act as a boost to help fulfill the arrow as the focal of the photograph, even though at quick glance the entire barn appears to earn the title. Also, they can be seen as the associated problems with the industry that are falling away now that the Dust Bowl has past and the economy is rising again.
While the picture of a barn on a hill may seem like a simpler place in a simpler time, it is quite necessary to exhaust complete research on such a subject to grasp its complete meaning. Obviously there is in entire other side to the photograph than what meets the eye. It may seem as though, even after all these points, that Collier was simply taking a good looking picture, but when it comes down to a creative photographer being paid for output quality, and especially for the government, there is no limit to the extent of thought that went through his head while taking this picture. Surely after doing extended research and gathering so many background points, the simple barn is merely the theme of the photo rather than the focal point. Without a doubt, the FSA surely used this picture to the fullest extent, and rightfully so. This photograph is everything the administration could hope for in a photo. John Collier did an excellent job with this photograph and it takes much more than a simple glance to comprehend the entirety of his creativity and incorporation of symbolism.

WP1 Statement of Purpose: A Simpler Place, Not a Simpler Time

Go here, go there. Do this, do that. Watch out, hurry up. Computers, networking, future, investments, economics, goals and dreams. We live in, undoubtedly, an extremely difficult world to grasp, understand and excel within. So many things rush past us without a second to take a gander. Globally significant events can occur and be the talk of everyone's dinner table conversation one night, but forgotten completely a week later. The phrase is heard often of a "simpler place and a simpler time. Yet as simple as it may seem to us, it is quite possible the times were just as harried, just on a smaller scale.

Who would argue with a person proclaiming World War II to be an incredible worldwide event? Obviously with its complete historical significance and brutality, World War II will stand for centuries as one of the greatest wars in mankind’s history. The war spread over several continents and millions of people were killed, so it’s safe to say the war had an impact and likely changed every human’s life at the time and since. Strangely enough, there were still places in the world where, even in some of the worst days of the war, pictures like the one below could be taken that show none of the mass murdering, brutality, killing or even hardship.


In fact, photos like this can purely describe a “simpler place, in a not so simple time.” Surely folks that lived in this rural area in upper New York were concerned for the welfare of their country as much as anyone else, though they may not have felt any imminent danger in the midst of their country lifestyle. There are many questions left unanswered as well. The owners of this farm may have had a child that was debating whether to enlist in the military or work in the family business. The father and his family may be trying to figure out how to survive on their rationed meals. Yet as terrible as all of this sounds, there may have been no issues at all. The family may be too far away from any civilization and hardly be able to follow the war except for weekly or monthly trips into town.

It would have been easy to say a picture like the one below was taken in the midst of great turmoil and catastrophic events.


With soldiers marching through the ruble-strewn streets of Italy wondering whether or not they’ll ever see their family, belongs or another game at Yankee Stadium ever again, surely it can be agreed their lives were much more distressed than that of the farmer. At the same time, does that in turn mean that the farmer’s life is not complicated? Most definitely, the comparison is a matter of perception. The farmer himself may say he has an easy life, and the soldier may imply he is simply doing his job, but in truth, American civilians often had quite the set of complexities thrown at them during the late 1930s and early ‘40s. Granted on a smaller and more intrinsic scale, the civilians faced food rations, lack of convenience they enjoyed before the war, increased pressure from the government in both propaganda and factory work to sustain a military, and in the case of the farmer, maybe not being able to cater to everything he needs for his farm because the materials may be being used for other things to benefit the war effort.

Finally, by understanding the farmer’s predicament as more than a similar type we see today, we can understand that the barn in the first picture may be seeing beautiful, serene landscape, but by standing during this time period, the best description is most definitely “a simpler place in a not so simple time.”

Blog Post 10: History of a Barn

Starting with a random barn located in the hills of a far off state from a time so long ago can make for a bit of difficulty in finding information about it. I decided to begin by the most obvious; a barn in the Catskill region of New York. The Catskills are proclaimed to be “America’s first wilderness” because it is regarded as the origin of the conservation movement. As described, only one of the six Catskill counties are comprised of rolling hills like that of my picture, so it would be a decent wager to say the picture was likely taken in Sullivan County. In fact, saying the picture is of the Catskill region seems to be a bit of a misrepresentation. A true Catskill depiction would look more like this:

The Catskills make up a 6000 square mile area of New York which is about the same size as the state of Connecticut. It also contains about 36 summits over 3,500 feet. Using this information of a mountainous, higher elevation and cold area, I wouldn’t have thought it would be very ideal for farming, which may be the reason why the barn looks so decrepit. Another possibility could be the farm’s use for cattle rather than crops, which would make more sense. Apart from that, it would seem difficult to cultivate on such a hilly, uneven ground. The way there are no indications of typical farm equipment, or crop rows, could also lead me to believe that the barn is a holding place for animals more than equipment.

The second part of the information I was given circled around the time period. The photograph was taken in 1943. Of course, during that same time period, the United States and the rest of the world were in the heat of World War II. Possibly the most interesting part of my chosen photo is how the picture looks so serene and quiet in a time of such international turmoil and onslaught. Also, the Catskill Mountains were an area for World War II pilot training. Possibly, since the area where this picture is taken is one of the flattest and least mountainous in the area, it could be near where the airstrip was for the trainers to take off and land from. This could also be a possibility as to why the barn looks run down. With planes doing missions constantly in the area, it would be difficult to keep a herd of cattle under control. The rancher may have decided to move on since his cattle were not in a suitable environment, but at the same time, it’s tough to imagine the barn would have fallen to such disorder. Though there aren’t any signs of life in the picture as it is cropped here, but notice the grass still seems quite well kept.

Though the photograph leaves many questions unanswered while asking still more, having a background and a deeper realization of the meaning of the picture will surely help develop a clear purpose behind the the simple barn, hills and sky as random objects.

Works Cited
Bennett, Aaron. "The Catskill Mountain Region." 2005. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. 1 Oct. 2009 .

Jordan, Jennifer. "The Catskill Park: As Unique as They Come." Unknown date. Catskill Farms. 1 Oct. 2009 .

Blog Post 9: Arrangement of the Vectors

Through further analysis of my chosen picture of a barn overlooking a valley in upstate New York, I found out more interesting points. Starting with arrangement, I noticed a few very key items. For instance, the point of the roof line on the visible side of the barn is nearly perfectly centered in within the photo. This also falls under cropping, but I believe this is a key focal point of what the audience is meant to see. Though the roof itself is not a very bright, lit up object within the picture, if it is framed by itself, it can be viewed as a main dividing line between the barn on the ridge and the massive expanse of the valley below. Again, with arrangement, the silo below the point of the roof line is also directly aligned with the photo’s center. It may seem slightly off because of the shadowing on the left side, but it is unmistakably also meant to be a visual focus. The centering of an object within the photo is important to draw the viewers gaze into the picture. By seeing the roof point and silo, the audience will quickly fall to one side or the other and either take in the barn or the abyss in the background. For instance, in the photo below, the photographer did a similar thing, also in the New York Catskills:

The photographer took a picture of a small manufactured home and put it to one side. Notice that the center of the picture is also right where the hill begins to slant downward. The viewer will either look at the main object of the picture, or fall off to the right side with the hill.

While obviously there are no people present in the picture, there are still vectors of attention displayed by other means. One point would be the open barn door entrance that makes the audience look off toward the right hand side of the picture, especially as the picture has been cut off to leave the viewer wondering what else is out of sight. Another could be the roof point itself. If imagined the silo and roof crest put together, it looks remarkably like an arrow pointing upwards toward the pristine blue sky. The ground sloping downward into the distance also brings one’s gaze down the side of the hill if the frame is on the ground only.

Using all of these logical examples, it shouldn’t be too difficult to see a pathos type result come to fruition. With the open feeling of a wide country farm and the bright blue sky with ample lighting to see most everything in the photo, the picture could quite possibly have some very deep meanings. One such possibility could be that of religion, noting the “arrow” pointing toward the sky. Another could be one of industrial and developed versus open and untamed by the way the photo is split nearly in half with one side being the barn and the other being a wide open country scene. Either way, the picture is most definitely more than what meets the eye at first glance.