What does Mercy Look Like?

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What does Mercy Look Like: Niko Koppel "Andy Rain"

The series entitled “What Does Mercy Look Like?” by Niko Koppel caught my immediately when looking at the New York Times Lens blog. The photograph that really touched me was the second photo in the series, untitled, of a woman crying. The picture itself show a small amount of subject matter, yet is extremely powerful and moving. The photo leaves me asking many questions about the woman such as, “Who is she?” “Why is she crying?” “Was there a tragedy that occurred?” and “what could she be looking at that sparked such emotions?’ The focus of the picture is on the eyes, and the forehead of the woman. The expression she is making is extremely sorrowful and humbling. There is a lot more going on in this picture than I originally thought at first glance.

The fact that this photo was shot in black and white really adds to the tone of the picture, whereas if it was in color I’m not sure the message would be as strong. What really gets me when I’m looking at this photo is the texture. The wrinkled yet soft texture of her skin, the warm knitted texture of her hat, and the smooth wet texture of her tears. Also, the lightening from the right hand side illuminates the refection in her eyes and tears, and really accentuates the pores in her skin. Another aspect that really helps bring out the content of the photo is the contrast. I think there is a great amount of tonal range from solid black to a very light gray, almost white in the photo. There are certain parts such as under her hat and in the crease where her eyelids meet her eyeballs, which are completely black. Opposite to that there are sections in the photo where the tonal range is so light, almost white. These areas are in sections of the woman’s knitted hat, as well as under her right eye. Also, pieces of reflection in her eyes are very lightly toned, which stands out a great deal near the blankness of her pupil.

The cropping or the framing of this photo are very interesting. Some may think that the fact that the photo cuts out half of the woman’s face takes away from the picture, however I would have to disagree with that. I think that the cropping of the face where the focal point is the woman’s upper half of her face with her eyes in the center really allows the viewer to focus on the emotions being conveyed through her eyes. There are many different moods that this photo provokes in me. I feel for this woman. I don’t know what happened, but the soft look in her eyes seems so truly genuine and sorrowful. The wrinkles in the forehead give her almost a hopeless expression that leaves me feeling completely remorseful for this woman after looking at this photo.

I think Niko Koppel did a wonderful job at expressing mercy and hopelessness in this photograph. I think there are many different things that make this photo strong such as the B&W, contrast, cropping, and texture, all of which I discussed earlier. This photo is a part of a series in Koppel’s “What Does Mercy Look Like?” however I feel that this picture is strong enough to stand on its own. I looked at this picture for over thirty minutes, just examining it, and feeling it out. I enjoyed his other pieces in this series, but I think this picture alone is extremely powerful in its message, and shows great despair, some of which we all have experience. We can all relate to this woman, and the emotions she may be experiencing, which truly allows me to connect with her and the photograph itself.