The original image depicts a sunrise on Lake Inle in Myanmar with one boatman closer to the foreground and several others farther away in the background. The inclusion of the other boatmen in this composition creates the impression that the boatmen are starting their workday early together and that perhaps this is a common practice.
However, the distance of the one boatman in the foreground from his fellows invites a more solitary interpretation. Cropping the image un-centers the sun and emphasizes the lone boatman as the focal point of the composition following the Rule of Thirds. It also heightens the solitary or reflective emotion of the piece by simplifying the background and focusing on just one subject.
My intent in cropping the image was to heighten the solitary effect by removing the crowd in the background in order to create the impression that our boatman is alone on the lake early in the morning. Perhaps he is catching a couple moments of silence before his day starts or contemplating the beauty of the sunrise on the lake. Regardless, the overall effect becomes one of serenity and reflection rather than morning hustle and bustle. Alternatively, the modification could be seen as creating a sense of solitude or even loneliness as our boatmen is now alone at the forefront of the image, removed from the larger context of the scenery or the company of his peers.
This is a great way to change the focus of an image because it really changes the narrative. From a far away point, the boatman is alone, but not really. There could be a lot happening in the background, distant figures yelling at one another or simply just more noise than if the boatman was alone, like in the second image. The second image really encapsulates the serenity of being alone. The viewer really can’t tell if anything is going on in the background, just a boatman and his moments of peace.
Hi Linnea! I really like the way you have used cropping to tell two different stories! If our fisherman is anything like me, then your derivative interpretation is absolutely the right one. He is seeking some quiet time out on his boat, watching the sunrise with just himself and his cup of coffee, and waking up his mind as well as his body without distraction from the other boats. I also think that those other boats were too far away to begin with for him to really justify being out on the lake with them. Maybe he’s new, and doesn’t really know the other fishermen yet, but he is definitely having a solitary experience. I also like how you moved the sun to the left side and brought the fisherman in his boat to the front foreground by following the rule of thirds, and taking out some of the shadows in the foreground really makes the silhouette of the fisherman stand out in solitary contrast to the light of the sunrise.
Great job changing the meaning of the picture with your crop from a tribe of boatmen to one lone boatman. This definitely changes the emotional tone of the photo somewhat from peaceful community to peaceful solitude. I do wish the subject was a little lower in the picture, bringing them more into the lower third of the picture. This would also put more sky in the picture and less water and really emphasize the early time of day with the lighter shades in the sky.
Amazing work on your post. It feels telling two different stories with different characters. Smart thinking when you decide cropping tribe of boatmen to one lone boatman, The picture give peaceful feeling, I like you were explaining every step that you doing to make us feel ourselves in the picture. I never had the experience in going to a boat and fish before but maybe one day I will.