Exploring Themes Through Photography: An Analysis of the Photo

I recognize the selected photo for this thematic photo analysis essay as intriguing and interesting. This mysterious image is taken from Bollywood movie Student of the year 2012. There is three physique in this image two are males and one is female. The location inside the photo is extremely beautiful, its look like a heaven on earth. The white snow-covered hills, dry trees and electric bulbs expressing the scene as romantic moment. The dominant contrast of this image is the electric bulbs, because they are in focus, everything else is little blur or thrown out of focus. Another eye-catching part of this photo is the parrot green color of the costumes, because of high wavelength of the color. In addition, from the romantic setup and the color combination of costumes, we can predict a love triangle between the characters. Love triangle happens, between the three-close friends. By using this methodology, we can say that all the characters are good friends. In this image, viewer might find good relationship and love between the female and male at front right corner, because they are going to kiss together. Viewer might be feeling strange about third person, because he is watching the couple during romance. But he loves that girl, that’s why director blur the front right corner and soft focus the third person, just for showing his presence and for expressing his feelings. If we look his facial expression, he looked stressed and disappointed by the girl, because she is kissing another person.

Moreover, this is a depth of field shot at high angle, because the focus separates the elements of the photo. The bulbs are in sharp focus and the actors remain in soft focus. In term of proximity, the envious character is in the background, at a distance from the couple in the foreground. Director put him on that position, just to show that the person at the back is weaker or powerless than those who are kissing together. Nevertheless, might be some viewer argue that, they are not kissing each other, might be the boy is saying something in girl’s ears. If viewer will saw the body gesture of couple, they will have clear judgement that they are kissing each other. If we look at women, she placed her hand on men’s chest, and men is giving her support by holding her upper back, both characters closed their eyes and very close to each other, so we can predict that they are kissing each other.

The most beautiful mise en scene in this photo is the use of electric bulbs, which is focused by the director for expressing the romantic environment. It gave aesthetic experience to viewer, as a viewer I loved this part of the image. Bulbs looks so beautiful on the tree. It also provides light in shot. Talking about lighting, viewers might find all kind of lighting in this image. Due to fill, key and back light, we have this perfect picture. In addition, we also have daylight reflection of the snow, which gives clarity in image. There is no darkness and negative space in this image.

Apart from that, this shot is captured in hill station with the beautiful costume combination. All of them are wearing parrot green color costume with some grey. The white color snow blows out the coordination of the costumes. Director of this movies really work well on deciding the costumes. If we see the significance of white color, its associated with the innocence and purity of their love and friendship, whereas green is related with the jealousy factor between males when female goes toward another person and grey color highlight the feeling of losing something and depression, which is directly related to the third person at the back. Director put third person in the middle of the scene, just to get sympathy for him from viewer and for conveying the message that don’t let yourself to fell in love tringle, it’s not the sort of thing that ends well, it divides you from the society and subtract you from your friend circle.

Work Cited

• Student of the Year. Dir. Karan Johar. AA Films/Eros Entertainment, 2012. DVD.12 September 2019.