Bright white against a dull background. Parachute training in this public domain stock image.
This public domain photograph is from the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs Collection in the Library of Congress.
This public domain stock image by Arthur Rothstein captures an instructor explaining proper parachute operation at Meacham field, Fort Worth, Texas. The instructor can be seen in gray, while the students are dressed in white flight suits.
The white of the flight suits along with the white parachute and the strings strongly contrast with the dull colors of the base and a hazy gray-blue sky.
This photo was taken by Arthur Rothstein, who was working as an agent of the United States government. Because this image was taken by an employee of the federal government, it is in the public domain. Privacy and publicity rights may still apply.
59 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.
User Descriptions
03.12.10
There are 7 men standing with a white parachute. 6 of the men are in jump suits which are white but one of the men is wearing a gray suit (perhaps he’s the boss?). It looks like some of the men in jump-suits are wearing goggles. Maybe they had just been or are just about to go parachuting and this is why they need to wear the goggles for safety reasons. There are a few of old fashioned looking airplanes in the background and you can see a lot of the sky- it is a clear day and the sky is a dull blue color. The ground is gray and it looks like pebbles or some other type of ground cover which isn’t too smooth. The time of day could possibly be the afternoon as you can see the shadows on the ground. The parachute is pulling horizontally across the floor and has caught the wind. It looks very clean and almost glowing and the men are holding onto a large number of strings to keep the parachute from flying away. They look like they are having a pretty fun time whatever they’re doing and they all seem to be in conversation with each other.
03.12.10
The dull blues and browns of the desert scenery fade easily into the background, as do the collection of gunmetal gray planes. Against this pops the stark white of the parachute and the jumpsuit-clad men and women who pull on it. The chute arches out gracefully, horizontal and to the right rather than vertical and to the top. The curved lines that compose it draw attention to the other lines running through the photo: the flat line of the horizon, the diagonal lines of the parachute’s strings, and even the level lines made by the plane wings. All of these work to create a surprisingly stark image which is furthered by the drastic color differences between background and foreground. The remarkable thing about the image is the viewer’s ability to feel the jerk of the parachute; it is almost as if it is in motion before one’s eyes because of the full chute, the curious looks, and the braced stance of those holding the item down. It might be a skydiving class, but the uniforms and the planes speak more of some government activity, out in the middle of the desert, interesting and perhaps absolutely top secret.