On pages 192-193, stretched across the page is John Vachon’s photograph of a group of children in the Midwest. There are five children being displayed, two of which are hidden in the background. Of the three children closer to the camera, the girl of around 10 years immediately catches the viewer’s attention. Although the photograph is black-and-white, the girls outfit stands out the most above all the other details in the photograph. The cross hatching of the white and gray lines on her dress contrasts with the rather darker colors next to the girl and in the background. It seems as if the girl is the older sister in this situation because she looks the most composed and clean. Her hair is clipped back from the sides, and she has her shoes on. However, her brothers have a messier appearance, and her sister in the background is without shoes and is playing on the ground.
Examining the two boys to the left of the girl, I noticed that the older boy is holding what seems to be a piece of wood in his hand. It is evident that these two boys are playing with each other. Looking closely at the facial expressions of the two boys, I could tell that the younger boy is probably more playful, as he is laughing while the older boy is just smiling. In the faded background, I could see cars and a road adjacent to the trees. This makes me wonder where these children are. Perhaps they are sitting on a plank of wood on the back of a truck. Maybe the children were helping their parents build something since one of the boys is holding a piece of wood, and most of the children have dirt on their hands and legs.
The playful children in this photo definitely capture my interest. I appreciate how you begin by recognizing the focal point of the picture, which in this case is the girl. I would like to add that the vertical positioning of her body combined with her facial expressions not only make her seem older, but also more mature. The positioning of her hands as well as the dirt in her nails indicate that she’s probably been doing some sort of labor using her hands. I also really like the organization of your analysis because your description starts at the focal point, slowly moves out to the other children in the photo and then the background. I would like to mention that the younger boy is the one holding what seems to be a piece of wood not the older boy. Additionally, it would be interesting to mention something about the photographer because I would infer that the children are posing for the photo; however, the girl on the very left seems to be doing her own thing, completely unaware of the presence of the camera.