Friday, April 15, 2016

Reflection on Vivian Maier

After watching John Maloof's "Finding Vivian Maier" I still felt as though Vivian was a mystery. Yet the more I look at her mesmerizing pictures, the closer I do feel to getting to know her. Vivian possessed a lot of qualities that I, and a lot of photographers I'm sure, wish they possess. 

One of these qualities is definitely bravery. Although Vivian was described as being soft-spoken by the people that knew her, she was also described as being outspoken at times. Many of her pictures are of people and things that make you wonder what happened after she shot her photo. A lot of these images suggest that Vivian was drawn to danger and dramatic situations. This draw mixed with her courage made for spectacular images. 

Most of Vivian's images are filled with the human subject. Vivian had a knack for capturing the spirit of humanity and normal everyday life. This is something that takes most photographers years to figure out how to capture correctly. Yet all of Vivian's portraits make one feel so connected to the person in the photo. 



Vivian had a lot of photos of children in particular. In the movie, it was explained that Vivian was a Nanny. It is absolutely magical how Vivian depicts the children in her photos. She shows the depth of a child's emotions. She shows multiple emotions. 



Vivian was obviously a very political person. She was known for storing newspapers in her living quarters as a nanny. She also interviewed people on the street and asked them what their political views were. This is a quality that is almost essential for a street photographer to have. Vivian captures the era of time, and freezes it perfectly and poetically. 




Although the majority of Vivian's images are portraits, and street photography, a lot of her images are strictly compositional. They are filled with lines, and patterns. Vivian had a strong eye for geometry.

              


Of course Vivian's most prominent quality was her eye for the extraordinary. This is what really makes Vivian stand out. It is what makes Vivian a mystery. 
























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