Sally Mann

Sally Mann uses value in this piece to highlight the figure of the girl and to manipulate the background of the photo.  The artist uses lots of shadow in the piece to emphasize the lighter areas of the photograph.  In the foreground, the viewer's eye is drawn to the highlighted areas of the picture, including the upper part of the girl's right shoulder, her knee caps, and the girl's hands in prayer position.  The dark, blurred background makes the lighter part of the water on the right hand side of the photograph (the direction in which the girl's head is also facing) stand out to the viewer.  Value also creates a sense of loneliness in this piece (the shadowy areas emphasizing the girl's somewhat sullen, meditative expression) and a sense of rhythm (the dark strokes surrounding her body give direction to the moving water).