Skylar Coleman - Weekly Artist

Poem Baker

1. These three photos are from Poem Baker's Rural Education series. They are all done in black and white which adds more of an emotional effect to the pictures and its subjects. Baker's use of aperture allows him to focus on the children in the foreground and blur out the background in the first picture. The quality of the second photo shows fine detail in the desks, the children's clothing, and their hair. The lighting in this photo is also captured perfectly in a way that accentuates certain areas of the children's body. The third photo shows the use of shutter speed in a way that captures the action of the children playing jump rope clearly. The use of natural lighting and shadows brings a balance of contrast throughout the image that draws your eye to the lighter parts.
2. Poem Baker is a documentary photographer. This series takes place in Ghana where most rural schools are in horrible conditions. He captures the lives of these children in school wonderfully and because he makes them black and white, they have a much deeper realness to them. It also allows for dramatic effects of the highlights and shadow natural formed. 
3. These photos captured my attention because of a sense of innocence I get from looking at these children trying to live their lives. Despite the horrible conditions, they still try to have fun and act like children even though they suffer.