Photo Idea Index Homework

The picture discussed in this assignment came from The Economist issue dated August 30^th-September 5^th 2008. The picture was on page 33 and went with an article titled “The trailers that smelt bad.” The article talks about people displaced by Hurricane Katrina living in trailers provided by the government that had high levels of formaldehyde, leading to health problems for many residents. It is a particularly sad situation because FEMA, who ordered the trailers, knew of the high levels of formaldehyde but ignored it. There is currently a class-action lawsuit against FEMA as well as against the manufacturer’s of the trailers. 15,000 of the trailers are still in use currently.

The picture that accompanies this article reflects the sad situation. The photo is of two black women, a mother and a daughter, in a trailer. They are both sitting on a small couch, with the mother holding the daughter. The backdrop is fairly busy. The counter behind the two is full of different items, like a red ketchup bottle and a blue cup. The photographer minimizes the influence of the backdrop by keeping the focus on the foreground. This is effective as it allows the viewer to glimpse the mess that these residents are in while still keeping the people as the focal point.

The photography also uses asymmetry to make a statement. The two women are slightly left of center, leaving space in the right third for a blind covering the window. The blind is very disorganized, with the individual pieces going at all different angles compared to the rest of the blind. The blind also goes from being out of focus at the front of the picture to being in focus towards the middle and back. These two effects show the disorganization and the chaos, not only in the lives of the people affected by these blunders, but in the organization before and after Katrina hit New Orleans.

This picture also has a good use of color and lighting. Most of the inside of the trailer consists of darker colors which give it almost a sense of foreboding. The people, and some of their possessions, are what give the picture its color and attract your eyes to them. The lighting is also very important in the message of the picture. The blinds are partially open on what appears to be a bright day. It gives the impression that light is just now being shed on what was once a mysterious or neglected subject.