Lee Friedlander

    

Black-and-white photograph of branches of a cherry blossom tree
New York City, 2003
Black-and-white photograph of rock formations and their reflection in a body of water
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1992


    My favorite of Friedlander's portfolios was the one of landscapes. Even in black and white, he was able to capture the earth's natural beauty. He was also able to get so much detail in his work. The tone in these pictures is a positive one. You look at them and are filled with a sense of joy. When I first saw these pictures I didn't even realize they were in black and white, because I saw the color in them. These scenes can probably be seen all the time, but they look as if they are a once in a lifetime view. Friedlander's landscape photos are so moving and so detailed that I feel like I was there. When I look at these photos I feel at peace and I can't help but close my eyes, take a deep breath, and just take in the view with a big smile.


Black-and-white photograph of a man and woman looking out of the frame with binoculars with reflections in the glass wall behind themBlack-and-white photograph of a man and woman entering and exiting a building with their faces obscured by doors
                  Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota, 1969(Left) and New York City, 1963(Right)

    The other portfolio of Friedlander's that I thought was really good was "The street". Friedlander took all these amazing photos of the big cities throughout the 1960s. They are average photos but he made them look amazing. He captured the raw beauty of the world by taking pictures before anyone could change. People try to change themselves for pictures trying to please others, but in doing so they hide who they really are. This can remove emotion from the picture. What I mean by thins is when you see a family picture and everyone is smiling and they look so perfect you don't really anything from it. You can tell that it was staged and there is no emotion behind it. But if you take a picture of someone smiling or laughing when they don't know that their picture is being taken, you capture the emotion behind it, and anyone that sees it can feel it too. Friedlander was able to do this, and by capturing the picture of the people before they could change he captured their emotions at that moment.

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