Reading Comprehension 7

We were asked to go to the Weatherspoon museum on campus and look at an exhibit and then discuss it. One photo I truly appreciated was 'Migrant Mother'. This photo was made while the Great Depression was in its prime. You can look into this woman's soul, and I felt that is what I did. I drank in this piece for a few minutes time, just standing there, looking at every character line on her face; I couldn't believe how moving this image was. The way her gaze is so steadfast and furrowed, allows me to be in her thoughts. There is so much there, beyond those eyes, and I want to help ease that hardened look. I believe this photograph genuinely depicts the terrible time of the Great Depression very well. It has become the photograph of that time period, and I can completely tell why. For the more technical side of the photo, there is symmetry because of the two children framing the mother. There is not much contrast, but there is a depth-ness to it. You can see every line, horribly and wonderfully pronounced within the image. The coloring is perfect for the meaning of the photo. I was once told that "painting a person in color paints their clothes, while painting them in black and white will show their soul". This is exactly true here. It makes such an impact in the muted tones.

There was another photo that I really liked as well. It is called Olivia. The photographer must have used a slow shutter speed for this one because her skirt is blurred, showing movement so vividly. Again, it is in black and white. For this one though, I would have liked it in color. I could see the twirling skirt made out of a super bright color and it being a crisp spring day. I diagramed it as follows:

I think, as I stated before, that the photo exudes movement in a circular motion. My diagram shows the constant flow of going around and around, almost as if it were going right out of the box. It uses much repetition, that's where the movement comes in. It is intriguing to note that the movement happens on the bottom of the photo. The top 2/3 of the image is quite stagnant and so therefore the movement at the bottom third really catches your eye. This concept makes your eyes travel through the photo. Great job on the photographers part. I thought this was a wonderful photo with plenty of joyful spirit.