When I flipped my "How the Other Half Lives" book, by Jacob Riis, open, the first thing I saw was a picture titled "In the Sun Office, 3 a.m." This picture really captured my attention for several reasons.
The first thing that caught my eye were the boys sleeping on the ground. They are all piled on top of each other, but they look rather comfortable. This is surprising for me because the floor they are on looks rigid and uncomfortable. The next think I noticed was the two older men behind a chain-link fence. This aspect of the picture kind of throws me off though. It seems that they are watching over the boys, but I don't really understand why they are behind a fence. Is this an area the boys aren't allowed in? Is it a work area? I do notice that there is some sort of material underneath the men which could potentially be a clue. The next thing about the picture that really stood out was the condition of the wall. It looks very beat up. The paint looks like it's chipping. This could also be a hint as to where the boys are. Could they have been in a factory of some sort and decided to sleep?
I would love to know more about these pictures. I am really interested in photography myself so the stories behind photographs are extremely interesting to me. I like photos that have meaning. Photos that have a meaning let you almost create a story of your own that goes along with it. This photo creates a similar a similar set up. There are a few things you notice and that really stand out, but you are left with a few unanswered questions. This set up lets you think of answers to those questions. They may not necessarily be correct, but it gives you a sense of what is going on. I find the pictures in this book to be really interesting and I can't wait to take a closer look at them.
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