What is Your Zeitgeist?

The image is that Michael Jordan was playing against Allen Iverson. The image was in the first season for Allen Iverson. At that time, I belonged to the basketball team, so this image was my Zeigeist.

• Personal Perspective
  • The picture reminds me of my youth. I was absorbed in playing basketball when I was a junior high and high school student. Before Allen Iverson joined in NBA, I loved Michael Jordan. When I watched a game of Allen Iverson, I was riveted on the play of Allen Iverson. I was a big fan of Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. I could not say which players I liked more. The picture represented the first time they met. I really remember that Iverson’s crossover on Jordan. When I watched the play, I felt happy and unhappy because I like both of them. In this year, Allen Iverson got Rookie of the Year in 1996-97, and Michael Jordan was named the Most Variable Player of the NBA Final 1996-1997. These two events made me so happy, and I wanted to play basketball like Jordan and Iverson. I can’t forget the image and it is my Zeitgeist.

• Historical Perspective
  •  A lot of basketball fans cared the face-off between Jordan and Iverson. At that time, Allen Iverson spoke evil of Michael Jordan. He said that MJ was too old to play basketball. He also said that he did not respect MJ even he was a great basketball player. Therefore, the mass media and many basketball fans looked forward to watching the game. Iverson tried to get points over Jordan boldly. In fact, Iverson was a big fan of Jordan. When he was a college student, he put on Air Jordan11. He cursed Jordan to try to beat him. The picture represented Iverson’s courage and one of the great historical basketball event.

• Technical Perspective
  • It is so difficult to analyze the lighting because of the image about the sports such as a basketball game. I think the spot light was coming from the right because their cast shadows appeared the left of their bodies. The lighting of the stadium was coming from the ceiling, so I think the fill light did not exist. It was low key light and slow falloff. The image was really well-balanced. It was a kind of symmetrical image. MJ’s hands made the graphical vectors. Framing was used to shoot the whole bodies. The image had a great depth of the field. The image gives us the feeling if being at the game.

• Ethical, Cultural, and Critical Perspective
  • The image was one of the  historical basketball picture.  At that time, the media said that Allen Iverson might be the next Michael Jordan. Signifers were Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and the scene of the face-off. Signified was the time to change to the next generation. It is denotation. Michael Jordan had accomplished great achievement, such as a three-peat. Allen Iverson might have make good records. The image means that the then superstar and the future superstar produced a tense atmosphere. It was an analogical code. Moreover, their shoes represent the importance of the business in sports industry. Jordan put on his brand shoes, Air Jordan. Iverson put on Question I, which was made by Reebok. Many people wanted to buy their shoes to play basketball like them or have same shoes. Nike and Reebok created the shoes on which the NBA players want to put. The signature models of the shoes means the popularity. It was connotation and Metonymy.