LO1 - Martin Parr

Martin Parr

Genre

Martin Parr is a photographer who focuses on the genre of photojournalism who is known for taking relatively intimate photo's which show a satirical view of like.

He is most well known for his work that documents the social classes of England, which often show a humorous view of English life. On a broader scale he documents the general wealth of the western world.

Purpose and Meaning

This photograph (left) was taken in Hong Kong where his aim was to capture the "fashion, food and colour of Hong Kong." The photograph was then used for his photo-book "Hong Kong Parr". Which displays a selection of photographs he took whilst in Hong Kong.

Photograph Analysis

This photo caught my interest because I think that it is quite comical but also intriguing, I would like to know where this is and what the man in the background is reading.

I think an important part of this photo is the stance of both men, the man in the background is leaning which gives the image an interesting angle. The man in the front is standing straight but he has quite a lot going on. He is taking something from his wallet and wearing flip-up sunglasses which makes the image appear more interesting, I think.

When adding the rule of thirds we can see that there isn't anything which specifically enters any of the four focal points, however both people cross over two sections meaning that both figures are very noticeable.

Focus is an important element used in this photograph. The focus is on the man in the foreground which shows the detail in the mans face and clothing. I think this is because the man in the foreground is more interesting because of his manner and what he is doing.
This photograph is also quite bright; though the background is ever so slightly out of focus it is still clearly visible because of the various bright colours. I think this captivates the viewer because it is not just a dull background, all of the image has some point of interest. This is important because it expresses Parr's aim of capturing "the colour of Hong Kong".

"Parr captures the intensity of urban life in Hong Kong." - The Independent, January 2015