How the power of photography can change perceptions
All images: Yolande Yorke-Edgell dancing Marilyn Monroe in Noted at the Lilian Baylis Studio
Power of Photography Series #2 (#1, #3)
These first two shots show the dancer to one side of the image. The black negative space in the top one serves to emphasize the way the dance depicts how harrowing Marilyn’s stay in the padded cell of the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic was, but the second, below is framed in such a way that puts more attention on the dancer herself than on the story.
The third image in this post gives a little more context. While useless in terms of telling the story and not a particularly good composition, the presence of the small part of Sally McKay’s sculpture gives an impression that the dancer might not be alone. Since she was alone on stage, and in the asylum until Joe DiMaggio helped her get out, it misrepresents the production.
When considered with the last post, that looked at use of depth of focus, attention to props and general composition, it becomes clear that there are a number of ways that readers of reviews can be intentionally or unintentionally influenced.