6th Avenue School activity, Parent Teachers Association, Los Angeles, 1932
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One of the main goals of social photography is to capture the image of the loved ones; this is especially evident in pictures of children.
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2020-11-25T11:34:02-08:00
One of the main goals of social photography is to capture the image of loved ones; this is especially evident in pictures of children. It is such a cultural norm that to “not to take pictures of ones’ children,” writes Susan Sontag, “is a sign of indifference.” For this image, Dick Whittington Studios was hired by a parent-teacher association to photograph a class of children. This photography studio was often hired by businesses in Southern California to photograph companies or organizations. However, it is evident the PTA hired Whittington to produce these images not just to promote their organization, but more likely for distribution to the children’s relatives. A priority of the subjects of an image is another key element of social photography. It is meant to document social practices and individual people, not convey meaning or portray a photographer’s artistic skill. From looking at the image, it is evident that there is no subliminal messaging. Some images are meant to contain arguments to change its audience’s viewpoints. However, there is no obvious meaning in this image; people can relate to this snapshot in that being photographed at school is a common social practice. Thus, this image is seen in the context of social photography. Also, this image is visually compelling because of its balance and uniformity. The symmetry over the vertical axis, the balance with the large drum in the very center of the image, and the uniformity of the children’s clothing all provide an appealing organization to the photograph. However, though these artistic elements are employed to add aesthetics to the image, the focus of the photograph is on the subjects, not the image as art.
