Captured

Scott Uria

ENC 1102

January 29, 2013

Captured

            Focus, focus, focus, and snap! At that moment a story has been captured in time. There is no better form of storytelling than that of a photograph. Ansel Adams once said, “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” To the viewer, each picture can be translated in many ways, which is the beauty of photographs. During a recent trip to an art gallery, I selected three photographs, and with each, share my interpretation.

            The first photograph I selected is titled, Watchdog. This photograph center of attention was definitely on the eyes of the German Shepherd Dog. The eyes are an auburn color, with a deep stare, as if focused on the object or sound within his territory. The intensity displayed in this photograph is that the dog is on high alert. The eyes appear to be ready to intimidate by stare, or attack by action. The most important vibe I received from this picture is the look of being fearless. The look of fearlessness, telling his family that there is unconditional love, that willingness to lay down his own life for those he watches out for. One of the best traits of the German Shepherd Dog is his loyalty, and to back down from no one who threatens his territory. I was captivated by this photo because, I am a proud owner of two German Shepherds, and know quite a bit about them. That is the beauty of this photograph, and all others. The story I perceive from this picture may be told differently by someone else.

            The second photograph I selected is titled, Innocence. There are so many directions one could take with this photo. The photo contains a young Hispanic boy. I see why the photographer titled it, Innocence, but I see a different story. I see a young boy who is troubled. Not troubled by his doing, but troubled by the fact that his voice is going unheard. His eyes seem to pierce through whoever will listen. So what could be troubling this young child? The look of fear appears that of kid who has fallen victim to child abuse. The outward bruises and scars are not visible, but the real damage is within. The deep stare is his way of wanting to love, but his trust is too fragile to allow him to do so. The horrible road of child abuse is the path he has been on, and not by his choice. I see this photograph totally opposite of what others may view it, because at one point in my childhood, I had the same look.

            The third and final photograph I selected is titled, Smile. This photograph is a simple shot of a young girl playing in her backyard. The smile on her face is telling me that she is having a blast with her parents or playmates. A smile comes so easily and natural for children, especially when it’s in a love filled home. This young girl is sharing her love and excitement with the great outdoors, on a beautiful spring day. The photographer has done an outstanding job by focusing clearly on the child and her emotions. Her ethnicity appears to be of a bi-racial child, which leads me to think the photograph is taken in the South. I’m not saying that the South is the only place where bi-racial children live, but statistically, the majority of bi-racial children appear to reside in the South.  Of the three photographs, this one is my favorite. A lot has to do with the simplicity of the image, but most of all, the young girl resembles my daughter.

            Story telling can be shared in many different ways. Many chose to do so by verbal communication, whether that’s face to face, or via phone. By that method, only part of the story can be told. If a person was holding a photograph, and began to tell the story that went along with that photo, the story not only has verbal part, but now has the visual to make the story complete. As with this exercise of selecting three photographs to write about, I didn’t need anyone to tell me the story behind it. While viewing each photo, I had the freedom to interpret each picture through my eyes. Each photographer captured the image that best conveys their interpretation of that moment captured in time, now it’s time for each viewer to share their interpretation. Happy story telling!