For this task, I chose image 3.
What time period, decade or year do you think this photograph was created in? What visual cues support this choice?
The quality of the photograph is very sharp and clear and the colours are bold, giving me the impression that this was taken on a modern DSLR camera. With this being said, I imagine this photograph to have been created recently, or at least not too long ago.
Where in the world was this photograph taken? Again, please detail your reasons for asserting your choice.
I believe this photograph was taken in a country that is less fortunate, so for example in Africa or India. Visually, the rundown condition of the area and the slight tearing of the clothes suggest this. Also, the fact that the people aren’t wearing any shoes supports the idea that the location is a less fortunate area of the world.
In a short paragraph, how would you describe the key visual elements of the photograph? What is contained within the frame?
The photograph contains a father-like character stood with what I assume are his children. He has his hand on the boy’s shoulder, suggesting he is protecting him from something. There is no mother-like figure as we know of in the photo, which opens the viewer up to interpreting their family story. Maybe the mother isn’t around or passed away. The father is injured, with bullet wounds and blood smears on his body – this emphasises the torture and living conditions in that particular place. They are stood in front of a slightly eroded building, potentially their house or at least place of shelter with the ground being dirty and worn down.
How is/are the human subject(s) of the photograph engaging with the camera/photographer?
The family are looking directly into the camera, allowing us to see the true emotion on their faces. They look all sad and tired, some looking more heartbroken than others. The father is holding his blood-smeared hand up to the camera as a greeting or for his beliefs. The father looks proud of his family, in his facial expression and the way he is stood. The children appear to look scared of the camera, almost like they don’t want to be there.
What, if any directions do you think the photographer may have given to the subject(s) of the photograph?
The image looks like a family portrait, in which the photographer would have instructed them to stand together, arms by their sides – it doesn’t look very natural. Also, the fact they are all looking directly into the lens supports the idea that the photographer has given them directions, as otherwise, one could be looking down or at their relative. The photographer could have also directed the father to raise his hand, or it could be the other way round that he is raising his hand to show pride in his family or to show his scars.
What do you believe the photographer wants, you, the viewer to take from the image?
I think the photographer wants the viewer to see life from another families situation, one that isn’t all smiles and easy living. It allows me to feel lucky that I am living in a fortunate country, with a good family situation and that I am safe. The photograph encourages me to see life from a different perspective to my own.