Abbey Road by Iain Macmillan

Pure simplicity is sometimes greater than intricacy when it comes to art. However some simplistic images are far from simple when given a second glance such as Iain Macmillan’s famous Abbey Road photograph of The Beatles, which has become one of the most mimicked and known album covers of all time.
As the album cover to the Beatles final album before their demise, it was important that the focal point be none other than the band members themselves. Macmillan was given a short time to photograph the band, leaving him with little options for a location. Choosing the zebra cross walk outside of the Abbey Road studio to be the basis of the shoot threatens the contrast that normally wouldn’t exist between John Lennon’s white out suit, however shadows from his body and shoe define exactly what needs to be defined. Though the background is no where near calm, it adds character to the image. A perfectly crisp clear blue sky harmonizes perfectly with the fresh green leaves that cover the trees that line the road to the horizon. The trees towering over the plethora of cars that line the roads edge, casting shadows over the sidewalks. A tourist staring at the scene from the shadows brings out the raw scene this was taken at. Perhaps the most memorable of the cars lining the street is the white Volkswagon beetle that is parked behind the band on the left hand side of the street. It gives the photo a time. It shows the era in which it was taken without the need of a date stamped on the bottom.
The juxtaposition of the band members is what draws the viewer into the focal point of the picture; though seemly spaced just right with each step in line, Paul McCartney’s step is off adding the effect of imperfect movement to the picture. It is not all just forced posing, but is in fact simple walking. One of the most intriguing aspects that one may over look, is again with Paul McCartney. He is bare foot and holding a cigarette in his hand, giving the allusion of the carefree spirit renounced by the band.
The colors of Abbey Road are again simple. The basic suits worn by the members along with the black and white of the road in the foreground are contrasted perfectly by the bright blue sky and deep green trees that top the picture. The time of day that the photo was taken (around 11:30 am) allows for the sun to perfectly highlight the entire road, specifically the band members as they cross the street. The tone of the picture is dated and hard to decipher from years of altering, but it gives off a classic vibe that can only be captured from a camera that uses film.
It would never be known that this photo was captured spur of the moment in a matter of ten minutes or so. Macmillan uses pure realism to draw in viewers, and oh the number of viewers that have been drawn in from this famous album cover!