Compositional elements of "Don't Walk and Red"

Photographer Jay Maisel is known for his vibrantly colored images, and his “Don’t Walk and Red” is an example.

Overall, the composition is limited to essentially two different colors: black and red (with the exception of a few splashes of yellow and gray). The silhouettes of the men and crosswalk sign and pole act as points of emphasis, carrying visual weight which balances the image. The image is balanced asymmetrically about the vertical axis. Although the balance is asymmetrical, because the men and crosswalk sign occupy approximately the same amount of space, equilibrium is achieved. The lack of a horizon line is somewhat disorienting, yet the image still “feels” balanced to viewers.

Maisel uses isolation as another means of visual emphasis in his composition. The foreground figures’ isolation from the background also a ttracts the viewer’s eye.

The high contrast between the darks and highly saturated red is eye-catching and demands a viewer’s attention. There is almost a complete lack of shadows in this image, which achieves an interesting almost two-dimensional effect upon the sign and men in the foreground. Maisel’s use of lighting and elimination of almost all shadows in this image contributes to this two-dimensionality. Furthermore, the exaggeration of the red background almost pushes the image beyond the limit of reality. It is difficult to gauge the foreground subjects’ distance from the red wall; making the red appear infinite.

A sense of rhythm is achieved in the composition if we consider the foreground subjects to be only shapes and blocks of black color. The repetition of these “shapes” and jazzy colors evokes a sense of music.

Also present in the image is a psychic line. The men appear to be looking towards the crosswalk sign and beyond it. This line creates tension and attracts the viewer’s attention, creating the existence of mental connection between the subjects and the viewer.

In summary, Jay Maisel’s “Don’t Walk and Red” is a fine example of a composition that represents many principles of design: visual emphasis through isolation, color, and contrast; use of lighting to achieve dramatic effects; a sense of rhythm through repetition of shapes and color; balance with shape and color; and psychic line to create a sense of tension and mental connection between the subjects and viewers of the image. The result is an eye-catching and overall pleasing image.