Photo Critique

 

Photos by: Sally Mann

As I searched through several of photos that came up under the word controversy, one photography that kept coming up was Sally Mann. Sally Mann is a photographer who took photographs of her children. Most of the pictures are of them in the nude. It was hard to choose just one of her photos, so I chose three photos that really stood out to me. In the first photo of the little girl smoking a cigarette, I love her "I don't care" attitude that is displayed in her facial expression and body language. The shallow depth of field allows your eyes to really focus in on that attitude. The rule of thirds created by the other children also emphasizes that focus. The next two photos really spoke to me cause the photos portray such raw beauty. In the second photo where the siblings stand shirtless, I feel a sense of unity. They are making a statement that they stand together. This closed frame shot with a shallow depth of field strengthens that message. In the last image, the framing of the little girl with shadow of the water is just amazing. I love how her hair emulates the ripples of the water. From this photo I see a little girl enjoying nature to the fullest and almost becoming one with the water. I understand the controversy surrounding these photos, but the intention of the photos is to let you see the story happening without any distractions. At first it can seem appalling, but if you actually see the stories being told you will see these photos for what they really are...beautiful!