Swimmer Girl

The ability to create art is one of the most profound abilities of human beings. There are an infinite number of genres of art ranging from writers to painters to tight-rope walkers t0 musicians to athletes. Personal creativity and distinctiveness are both similarities and differences between the genres. The photograph in this blog is an optical illusion. Optical illusions use subtle methods to visually stimulate the brain to create pictures that do not always fit within the realm of possibility.

For example, the focus of the photograph on the right is the woman at the center of the photo. The author (photographer) placed her in the center of the photo so that the audiences' eyes would fall on her before the things that surround her. There is nothing particularly unusually or unbelievable about this woman; it is the context that the woman falls within that makes this photo an optical illusion. The context of the photo places the woman sitting at the top of a large wall leaning against a wall of water. This is the illusion. The author toys with the historical context or common understandings within the audiences' brains by taking the picture from one angle and then turning it to change the point of view so it seems to have been taken from another; he creates an image that all humans know is illogical. Water cannot be held in place to make a wall. His choice of materials, using water, is an important aspect in the making of the optical illusion. If he would of chose concrete, brick, dirt, or etc. turning the photo would have changed the visual image but it wouldn't have made the audience think something that was impossible. The author establishes clarity in the photo by keeping it simple. There are only three parts of the photo arranged into a simple hierarchy: the girl, the water, and the wall. By keeping it simple and using only these three parts he is able to keep the message/optical illusion clear because the chance of the audience missing the illusion is lessened.

Apples!

I would classify this image as a humorous photo. None of the individual parts of the photo are funny on their own; instead, the way that each of these individual parts works together helps make the image on of humor. The focus of the photo is a whole bunch of normal red and green apples that could be seen in any supermarket, orchard, or hungry hand. There is nothing comical about these apples. However, within the context of the picture, the apples become a source of humor. The context or frame that the apples fall within the photo is inside an old, junky, lime green car. It is not the typical form of apple transportation that one would inspect. Simply looking at the photo raises questions for the audience. Is it easier to haul apples in a compact car than in a pickup or truck? How did the person even get all those apples in there? How did the person close the doors without letting the apples out? Is the driver covered in apples as well? Where are all the apples going?
It is interesting that this photo may not be funny to all people who view it. It sort of depends on one's individual perspective or view of the situation. It appears that this car is a foreign model, so it is likely that the photo was taken outside the United States. It may be normal to haul apples this way in other countries. Also, the people who are hauling these apples may think it is a complete normal way of transporting apples from one location to another and would therefore find no humor in the situation. Although the photo was taken from a website full of funny pictures, one must also consider the possibility that its original purpose was not meant to be funny. Perhaps it was supposed to show the desperate measures people in a particular location must take in order to turn the labor (growing apples) into profit. Once again, context falls into play as a major determining factor for overall meaning.

What's your guess? How many apples are in this car (including those on top)? My guess = 6,945. That is a whole lot of carbohydrates!