Portrait-Writing Assignment

Jessica Sarah Ruth Selmser, Death of the Innocence, Sarasota, FLAt first glance you see the little girl with a paper bag over her head, and you think she is being silly. Then you see the couple on the bed naked and having sex. After you see the couple, you realize what a disturbing portrait this is. With the little girl in clear focus and the solid square shape of the bag, your eye goes directly to her. The couple and the background is out of focus and suggests that it is of lesser importance than the girl in the foreground. However, this part of the photo is almost more important than the little girl in some ways. The light of the girl could be described as split lighting. Since the lighting of this photo might not have pre-conceived, one could assume that there is natural lighting presence from perhaps a window on the left and light from a lighting fixture in the rooms. It is probable that the composition was pre-conceived. In which case the photographer was trying to recreate natural light or used the light that was already available in the house. The seemingly natural lighting of the photo makes it very real. There is something particularly disturbing about the smiling frogs on the little girls shirt and tWhe fact that you know as the viewer that she is staring directly at the camera. At the same time there is a disturbing disconnect between the figures in this photo. All of these elements make this photo a successful image and idea.