I am a very big fan of music so I was immediately drawn to the two amazing musicians in this photo. I also chose this photo because it is an action shot. Capturing a scene where music is being made allows for an audience to feel as if they are listening to it. One can see that Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong are playing their instruments with such happy expressions on their faces. Theirs smiles create an uplifting mood for the photo. I thought this was a really interesting portrait considering how influential these people and their music have been to so many, which only adds to the photo’s impressive composition. I think that the photo being in black and white creates a nice contrast that allows for the details in the image to be seen clearly. The audience can really analyze Armstrong’s finger placement on his trumpet. Furthermore, I think that that fact these two strong musicians are together in one photo creates a very powerful feeling throughout the image.
Here is the citation: Penn, I. (1955). Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong [Photograph]. Portraits, The Irving Penn Foundation, New York.