The Significance of the Insignificance in Photos

The Significance of the Insignificance in Photos
Upon examination of a photograph by Walker Evans and one by Jewel Stern, the viewer can easily see how the photographers use ordinary scenes to display the continuity and monotony of everyday life and the insignificance of the “little people.”
“Building Facade,” a 6 ¾” x 8 ½” gelatin silver print by Walker Evans, taken in 1934, is a black and white photo of what appears at first glance to be just a picture of a building with some people in front of it going about their everyday business. The photo looks as if it was taken from across the street, as if Evans was in the third or fourth floor of another building. The shadowing in the photo makes the bottom right corner of the picture look really dark and the rest of the photo is semi-dark, with the focus of light being just left to the center of the photo, emphasizing a worker unloading a truck. Ironically, the area that the light is focused on is the only area of the p...