Artwork Descriptions
The Royal Urn
The columns of the palace appear to melt in the reflection of the architecture in a highly polished metal urn. Figures walking through the space are similarly impacted by the contour of the urn giving their bodies odd proportion.
Back to Back
Two men, presumably carpet sellers sit on steps facing in opposite direction. The composition appears symmetrical at first glance when in fact careful composing in this image is what accomplishes the balance. The figure on the right's body angles toward the camera while the man on the left side is seen in full profile. On the left, three rugs in the top row and two on the bottom row balance perfectly the four rugs on top and one on the bottom on the right side of the image. The velvety pile of patterned rugs and the clothing on the men forms a textural contrast to the cold hard stone of the building.
Beard of Wisdom
Varied texture and color are carefully juxtaposed in this image. The carved wooden door, the silk turban the feathery softness of the beard play against each other in this composition —bright against nuetral, soft against hard.
Flower Seller
Again texture and pattern are played to maximum effect in this composition. The rich yellow, green and red in the sari of this woman is placed against time-worn stone. A diagonal bar leads the eye to the center of the picture.
Fountain of Youth
Children at play in the water of large outdoor fountain. This image might be anywhere there is a large fountain in a public square. The arms and legs of the boys climbing are carefully placed to lead the eye through the picture. The bright colors of the shorts the boys wear, are seen against the neutral ground of the fountain.
Portrait of a Turban
The soft curved folds of the turban and scarf around this man's neck contrast the regular, geometric texture of the stone wall behind him. These line work with each other to draw the eye through this composition.
Question It?
This picture demonstrates the importance of careful cropping on a image. By placing a camera in exactly the right spot an oddly shaped stairwell become a question mark.
Sharing a Smoke
Oblique angles to the direct plane of the image draw the eye to box of matches in the complex but carefully balanced composition. And the orange color of the match box repeats the orange of the turban to strike a color balance.
Ramnath Siva, A Self Portrait
This composition looks deceptively simple but is very calculated and exact. The photographer stands in a different room backlit by a window. A gauzy patterned fabric hangs on the wall in the next room and lines up with with a mirror on the wall. The image is shot through the sheer fabric but reveals what the mirror sees. The fabric and edge of the mirror, and the doorway are perfectly aligned to capture this image.
Spiral Steps
The oblique angle at which the photographer views this subject allows the edge of the banister to guide the eye through the image. Basically monochrome color uses the contrast of texture to great advantage in this image.
Which Knob on My Door?
Thirty-five decorative knobs shot in full sun light create a pattern on pattern composition with the
the brightly colored decorative knobs sitting on a ground of the strong geometric pattern formed by their own shadows. In his work, Ramnath often juxtaposes color in the foreground against a nuetral background.
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