Keeton Knight 2nd

Photograph Critique

Pool in Hidden Passage

Eliot Porter
1961
Introduction:
This is a photograph taken by Eliot Porter in Glen Canyon, Utah in the year 1961. Eliot Porter
was a nature photographer in the 1900s who focused mainly on color photographs. It was taken
in a secluded passage when he saw an amazing reflection in the pool of water on the floor of
the passage.
Description:
When I first look at this photograph, it looks a little deceiving, almost like you are floating in the
air due to the near perfect reflection of the canyon wall making it look like the ground is far
below you. It uses a pool at the bottom of a canyon to reflect the upper walls of the canyon. The
rock in the reflection is a different color than the rock that you can see with your own eyes in the
picture.
Analysis:
This photo uses reflection to show a very distinct leading line of the water line between the
reflection and the rock. The reflection is also framed quite effectively by the rock surrounding the
reflection pool. The way that light is used is fantastic. Apparently just the upper parts of the
canyon are lit by light because of the different, lighter, color that the reflection of the upper parts
shows when compared to the non reflected rock that we can see. This makes the reflection
really glow in the picture. The perfectness of the reflection gives the image a really still and calm
mood to it, as does the beauty of the photograph. The center of interest is the reflection that
your eyes are naturally drawn to due to the light that is depicted in the reflection and absent in
the surrounding rock.
Evaluation/Judgement:
I really like this work for a number of reasons. I really like the contrast between the color of the
reflection and the color of the surrounding rock. It really makes the reflection pop out of the
image. I also really like how creative the image is as it shows a canyon where only the top
portion is covered in light. I love how the photographer has used this relatively common (every
day twice a day) condition and turns it into a extremely creative picture by using the perfectly
still water showing a perfect reflection (very rare) to show the part of the canyon covered in light
in the perfect reflection. When all of these combine it creates a really unique and amazing
picture that I love for these reasons.