Shading! WOOHOO!

1: Immediate Response: The thing that stands out the most about this photo is that there is a lot of grey, it seems to be the dominante color or value. You can kind of see the different values in the photo, such as the slight shadow under the railing and the darker line of shadow under the bag, but clearly the lighting wasn't quite right to get any bold, definitive shading. There are a few highlights, such as the ones on the railing and the strap of the bag, and you can see some of the secondary contour lines on the stairs.

2: Objective Description: The photo is in black and white, but it is still fairly easy to see where one plane ends and another begins. There is a stairwell behind with a silver railing. In front of that is a table with a school bag and a computer atop it. You can only see the very edge of the computer and the table beneath the bag. The bag is clearly the focal point because it is the clearer and nearer object.

3: Formal Matters: The line quality of the color is a little hard to define in places, especially the secondary contour line on the stairs. The color is dominantly grey with a little black and lighter colors thrown in. The placement is fairly well, the focal object isn't quite in the middle of the picture, but off toward the side a bit. You can see some highlights and little bit of shading. The space is used up fairly nicely with only a minimum of negative space.

4: The Story It Tells: A student returns from class and before making the arduous climb up the stairs, all the way to the sixth floor, she decides to take a stop at the landing and contemplate this decision. Should she really climb all those stairs or be a lazy bum and just take the elevator like everyone else. She gets so caught up in her thoughts that she just can't make up her mind. So, she decides to ask someone for help. Well, there's no one around! Ah, but there is MSN Messenger. Booting up her computer, she signs on and asks a few buddies for their advice. They all suggest just taking the elevator. She's tempted, but alas, she thinks it would be better if she trudged up the stairs. At least, she'd feel she accomplished something great for the day. She shuts down her computer, packs it up, slings her bag over her shoulder, takes a deep breath, and starts her six floor hike. Sadly, this tale doesn't have a happy ending. She makes it to the top, yes. However ... She left her school books downstairs.

5: The Work in the World: My picture is a little hard to compare to Edgar Degas' artwork because my photo is in black and white while is art is generally in color. However, the shading values are fairly similar. His are a bit more defined due to the fact that his artwork is in full color, and they are much fainter than chiaroscuro values, which my photo seems to depict more. Personally, I like Mr. Degas' work much more than my own.