Research Into Ezra Stoller PDF

Research into Ezra Stoller
"Stoller’s images convey the three-dimensional experience of architecture through a two-dimensional

medium with careful attention to vantage point and lighting conditions as well as line, colour, form
and texture. Often the images are as familiar as the buildings they document. Ezra Stoller’s work
included photographs of science and technology, factories and industrial production plus commercial
and residential architecture. His work can be seen as social history as well as documents of design
and construction. Many modern buildings are recognised and remembered by the images Stoller
created as he was uniquely able to visualise the formal and spatial aspirations of modern
architecture.”
Image One
Image one is a small, square, black and white photograph

that focuses on looking up at architecture whereas image
two is a small, rectangular, black and white photograph that
focuses on observing architecture from afar. Although they
are both produced in black and white, there is a heavier Image Two
contrast in image two than in image one between these tones/colours.
I think I prefer image two in terms of the contrast as it is harsher and picks
out details a bit clearer. Despite this, I prefer image one in terms of subject matter as I like the looking
up perspective that Ezra Stoller has used here. On Ezra Stoller’s website, it is written that he
photographs modern architecture, I feel like image two definitely conveys the modern architecture
approach however, image one feels a little more industrial and therefore like old architecture. I think it
feels this way as there are less windows and the crosses on the front of the building sort of suggest
the old fashioned way to build large structures as they used to need more support than they do today.
I think it also feels like old architecture due to the tones in the image whereby there is not much
contrast between the blacks and whites like there is in image two. I think to make image one better,
Ezra Stoller should have used a similar contrast that he used in image two. Images one and two both
use the compositional technique, rule of thirds, to be framed, however they are used in very different
ways. Image one has used the rule of thirds to create balance and appeal by positioning the building
in the very centre of the frame. This will appeal to my audience because of the balance it creates
which is very satisfying. On the other hand, image two has used the rule of thirds to position the focus
building just to the left of the centre of the frame. This has been done as in the background on the
right of the centre of the frame, is another building, that is slightly smaller. The focus building being in
the foreground therefore creates a different type of balance that will also appeal to and therefore
attract my audience. Image one feels more spacious as there is only one building in the shot and at
the top of the frame is excess space with a few clouds occupying it. Image two feels less spacious as
the subject matter is of a city rather than one building which gives off the busy vibes. I think that
image one gives a clear meaning that the photographer is trying to give us a spatial representation of
busy buildings whereas with image two I’m not so sure this meaning is conveyed very well at all. Both
images have used a fast shutter speed which I know because of how crisp clear the photographs are,
this is also something I do with my photographs, especially ones with an architectural focus. I think
that Ezra Stoller must have used a low aperture in combination with this fast shutter speed so that the
tones were pretty reflective of real life, despite them being in black and white, the shadows and
highlights seem to be in the places you would expect. Image two uses a deep depth of field, as the
subject matter is fairly far away from the camera, whereas image one uses a shallower depth of field,
as the subject matter is very close to the camera. Therefore, image one seems to invite a little more
intimacy than image two. In my opinion, this is a good thing because it allows the viewer to connect
with the image on a deeper level which helps them to understand the meaning that the photographer
set out to convey, but it also allows them to create their own interpretations and reach their own
conclusions about the photograph. I think all of these things are harder to do when a deep depth of
field is used, like in image two, as the viewer feels too far away from the subject matter and therefore
too disconnected from the image.
The techniques used by Ezra Stoller have been used very effectively across both images. However, if
he was to combine techniques used in image one and techniques used in image two, all into one
image, it would be a lot more effective as some of the techniques don’t match up and work as well
together as they could. Saying this, I have a clear understanding of what Ezra Stoller set out to
convey and I think that his images feel spacious and give me a good understanding of architecture
which is exactly what I need moving forwards with my project.

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Research into Ezra Stoller

"Stoller’s images convey the three-dimensional experience of architecture through a two-dimensional

Image one is a small, square, black and white photograph

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