American Photography

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the three part series of American Photography: A Century of Images. The video inspired me to keep on taking pictures and reminded me once again how much I admire those who take chances when it comes to capturing a moment. Two examples of chance takers are Joe Rosenthal who ventured into war zones and Lewis Hine who documented child labor. Pictures are a language everyone speaks and it’s so amazing to look at a photo of someone who may be thousands of miles away or even dead, and feel as if you had been instantly transported into their world.

The picture that I was touched by the most from the movie, unfortunately I can’t find a copy to attach to this blog. It is by Lewis Hine and it’s of a little boy who Hine photographed when he documented child labor. The lines on his face and bags under his big eyes, made me feel his head was placed on the wrong body. The boy with the wild curly hair looks as though he’s been alive for 75 years and is in desperate need of a long and restful sleep. I wanted to step into the portrait, pick him up and hug him really tight.

The photo I have attached here is a different child from Lewis Hine’s collection of children who were involved in intense labor. Her name is Laura Petty.

-Laura LaVergne