Auschwitz 65 Years Later.

Key Visual Techniques

There are some powerful visual techniques being used in this photo. Take 5 minutes to point out at least 5 aspects of the photo which stand out to you and how they relate to the great anguish that was experienced at this site (create a post on your blog with the photo - don't try to copy and paste photo it won't work).

• Consider the use of vectors, line, contrast, composition, colour, and perspective (there are more techniques)? You follow the barb wire to the end and it makes your eye follow across the wire. It looks like it is endless and never ends. But it leads your eyes to the watch tower which symbolizes security meaning you can't get out which shows the lack of freedom and the oppression of the Jewish people. It is the prison that represents murder, it is snowing there and this would obviously add to the pain these people are going thorough. The colour is very dull and boring which shows that there is nothing at all cheerful about this murder camp. The colours are mainly black, whites and the bricks are a dull red. The whole picture is extremely geometrical and I'm sure at a different angle it would be symmetrical. 
• How can the visual elements in the photo evoke empathy and reverence from a viewer? It shows the maximum security if the prison and that there is no escape for the Jewish people. This makes you feel empathy for the people as you and the people of the camp know that it is almost impossible to escape it and the hope and faith must be very low for these poor people. There is almost no colour in the shot and that shows that this camp is dull, horrible and fairly predictable. It makes the viewer know that there is nothing good about this camp.
• How is Auschwitz represented in this photo? In looks very dreary, horrible, cold and highly protected. This makes the viewer, although not actually being there, feel a sense of restriction and empathy for the people living and dying in this camp so many years ago. The fence and watch tower forces me to abandon hope for the Jews. After going through all of these emotions I then realize that this shot anger's me. I find this strange, I think it is because it makes me feel worthless and makes me want to do something about it although I probably would have made no difference and World War 2 ended a long time ago.
• Find another photo of Auschwitz that you feel has an important representation of this place that caused so much pain and destruction. Analyse the use of visual techniques which make it particularly engaging. How does it represent this location? 

          

This shot again makes me lose hope for these people and it is very obvious that these people are in a    concentration camp as the beds are not exactly proper beds and they are obviously the beds that were used in the concentration camp. The people are also wearing the infamous striped pajamas's that the Jews were known to be forced to wear by the Nazi's in the death camps. The picture is in black and white so it gives you a little depth into the age of the shot. They all look extremely miserable except for a few, who are for whatever reason smiling I can only guess that these minor percentage of individuals have not abandoned hope.