Assignment 4: Lantern Slides

Whoa, it took me twice as long to get these images to work than it probably will to do this write-up. Regardless, I hope they show up properly.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to put together a small collection of Japanese temple imagery that I found on the Swarthmore site. I'll begin with the top image and work my way down:

I'm not sure if this was intentional on the part of the photographer, but there seems to be a thick fog descending on the temple from the background. This lends a surreal atmosphere to the image. In comparison to the next image, the grounds of this temple are absolutely deserted, and I think the flat, grey land adds to the dreamy sense that we get from this scene.

The second photograph from the top is a bit more accessible. That is, it is a clear, sunny day with no distortions in the picture quality, and the vibrant green of the trees/grass and blue of the sky make it easier for the viewer to digest. Also, it has the character of an action shot. There are a handful of ordinary people present going about their daily business, which I think adds a touch of modernity/familiarity to the photograph. I think that all of this gives the image a much more tourist-friendly feel.

The third shot is different from the rest in that the temple does not actually seem to be central to the image as a whole. The plants in the foreground severely obstruct our view, and make the temple far more difficult to make out than in the other photographs. Nature is dominant here, as it figuratively "conquers" the man-made structures (temples) that lie in the background. This romanticizes the whole scene by adding the theme of isolation, making this a truly quaint image to the Westerner who is observing the "foreign" temple.

The next photograph connects back to the one second from the top in its inclusion of society. In fact, there is even more hustle-and-bustle happening here than in that previous image. It takes on an atmosphere similar to that of a market place. That is, an area that is very lively, and more importantly, touristy. For this reason, I think that this image would be the most accessible to the Western viewer. It contrasts directly with the third photograph and the strong sense of isolation observed there.

In a similar fashion, I think that the fifth and final image can be connected directly with the third. True, the two are fundamentally different in that here, the temple is the central figure of the photograph, whereas in image #3, the temple was nearly blocked from sight altogether. However, there is an even stronger theme of isolation here. The temple is placed high, seemingly unreachable atop an ominous rock out at sea. It is surrounded by wilderness on one side, and a fantastic sunset looms behind. Again, a perfectly dramatized image for the Westerner who wants a romanticized view of the Japanese temple.