Sam Norwood- Image Analysis

Buck Lewis (2nd Image)

The image I chose was by Buck Lewis in his series Eire'. The image is comprised of an elderly man standing on a shore watching a man and a woman wade through the waves in the distance. The man is wearing a backpack, a striped shirt, and jeans. He has his hands on his hips, and his jeans are soaked up to mid-calf. There are mountains off to the left along the horizon. The image is separated into thirds by way of the shore, the sea, and the sky. The man’s shadow is at a 45 degree angle from his body, and the ground he is standing on is slightly wet making a continuous line from his legs to the reflection up to the edge. This makes an interesting shape on this side of the image.

It doesn’t seem as if the subject is aware of the photographer in the image. He seems lost in thought as many do as they look across the vastness of the ocean. To me this seems more romantic because out in the water near the horizon are two people holding hands. I feel a sense of loss in the image rooted in the themes of “The Old Man and The Sea”; whereas one may spend their whole life trying to catch something, and eventually losing it once they have obtained it. I see the language of this photograph describing a man lost in thought, reflecting on his life and love, and just stopping a moment to appreciate the small moments that make the latter mean so much.

I feel Lewis does a decent job capturing this private reflective moment. The image has a snapshot aesthetic that works for this. This style of shooting is definitely prevalent in his work but does not compose the whole of his style.