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Observation:
The picture features two children. They are wearing what resembles bonnets and very frilly dresses. The dress on the left has a collar and the dress on the right does not have a collar. The dress on the right looks like it has an apron looking layer.The dresses seem to be white or a very light color. The two children are sitting in wooden chairs and very close to each other. They have very surprised looks on their faces and the child on the left has his or her hand placed on the child on the right. The child on the left is also staring to the left of the picture or to the right of the camera. Although the child on the right faces more straight ahead, his or her eyes are still drawn towards the left of the image. Neither of the children are wearing shoes. The child on the left is wearing a bracelet. The bottom of the chairs is not visible and the background is very busy. It looks almost paisley or very decorative.
Reflection:
This photograph was taken by Seydou Keita. Keita is known to take photographs with very busy backdrops. I think that because Keita is mostly concerned with the compositions of the photographs compared to the actual subjects of the photos is the reason the backdrop is busy, but it could also be because the children are wearing very plain patterned clothing. I assume that the two children are either related or potentially twins. I want to assume that they are both girls, but this fact cannot be confirmed because children at such young ages dress similar and these two could be dressed up for a religious purpose (like Christenings in the Catholic tradition). Also during this time period it was considered a sign of wealth for families to have their pictures taken and if they wear fancy looking clothing they may look wealthier. This picture could be showcasing these young children to other family members who have yet to meet them. The terrified or shocked look on their faces is really what drew me to this image. I couldn't help, but giggle as I looked at it. My assumption would be that Keita or the parents made a strange face or maybe something happened in the room to warrant such a strange reaction like the mother or father leaving the area or walking out the door, which could be located on the right side of the room.
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Monday, August 31, 2015
Amber McNeila: Annotated Bibliography #1
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Your inferences are interesting, mostly because they take into account both the time period and the uncertainty that comes with analyzing the image. You brought forth the idea of not only what is within the image, but also what is outside of the image by mentioning where the babies' eyes fall.
ReplyDeleteI really like that you chose this picture because I found it to be the most amusing of all the photographs, but felt there was very little I could say about it. That being said, I am very impressed with how much you were able to infer and gather from the photograph. Other than the one baby's expression I couldn't reflect on much else, but I particularly liked how you inferred about the parents wanting to showcase their children. I would agree that these babies most likely come from wealth since their parents can afford to photograph them. I also liked how you pointed out that the two might be twins. I did not notice their similariteis at first, but can definitely see a resemblance upon further inspection. Finally, I would agree that the backdrop of the picture is busy in order to bring more flare into the picture since the babies are dressed in all white. Keita seems to focus on this more like you said, and I think it compliments the subject nicely in this picture. Great observations and reflection, you really got the most out of a photo that is not easy to dissect.
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