Deanna Nokes
Assignment #8
Faces of Education
Picture One-A plot holder and the daughter of a servant
The first thing that struck me about this picture was their eyes. The young girls eyes seem to be piercing through the camera and looking right at me. The old mans eyes appear white and glazed over almost like a blind man. The use of natural sunlight from the window gives the picture a very old fashioned and proper feel. The girl is casting a shadow against the wall. Her hand is on her face as if she is trying to hide it. She is clearly uncomfortable. The picture in the background is a portrait of the old man when he was in the army. Every detail included in the frame seems to be very well thought out and tells a very distinct story.
Picture Two- At a meeting of the Voortrekkers in the suburb of Witfield
The first question that arose for me in this picture was, what is the relationship between the woman and the three boys? Is she their mother, babysitter, or maybe a teacher? They all seem to be having a good time together. The depth of field in this picture allows us to focus on the people. We know they are in a park but it is not the focal point of our attention. The focus is on the relationship. We wonder what joke she is telling and wish we could be apart of it.
Picture Three- New Year’s Dat picnic at Hartebeespoort Dam
There is so much going on in this picture, I don’t know what I am supposed to look at. I am drawn to people so I naturally looked at the sleeping child first and then the boy holding the baby second. But then, I noticed all the clutter around them, the blankets, the towels, the boxes, etc. I can’t help but wonder why he decided to include so much in the frame? Why not just the sleeping child? Why include so much of the car? To me, it feels like the calm within the storm.
Picture Four-A farmer’s son and his nursemaid
The relationship is explained in the title, “A farmer’s son and his nursemaid.” The boy seems to be rather happy but the woman appears to be very uncomfortable. It looks like she is shying away from the boys touch. Her smile looks forced and she comes across very nervous. Neither one of them are wearing shoes which kind of give them a carefree look. Once I again I wondered about the framing of this picture. Including so much of the background allows us to place the characters in a rural setting, which makes us easier to imagine the time period they are in.
Picture Five- Girl in her new tutu on the stoep
This picture is my favorite. I love the use of shadows and lines! When I think of ballerinas, I think of stick straight serious girls that are very linear. I think this captures that image perfectly. The lines all around her really compliment the lines in her body. Her facial expression is somewhat surprising. Perhaps it is because of my assumption that ballerinas are extremely serious and dedicated. The joy on her face seemed somewhat out of place. But then I read the caption, “girl in new tutu”, and the expression was clear. She is excited about her new tutu and wants to show it off.
