Reading Vivian Maier

DESCRIBE IT:  

~Two elderly people, or at least an elderly man and a woman, are at the point of just starting to hold hands.  They are maybe together, or because of the way that their hands are hidden from the view of passersby, are possibly not together.

~They are walking down a busy street, and although you can't see much of it, they look to be dressed up, not casual. Even though the street isn't very visible, the view of the cars blurred in the background is there.

RELATE IT:

~This photograph reminds me of the start of something new.  Maybe a new love of sorts, or a new friendship, refreshing and exciting.  It reminds me of the butterflies you get when you hold someone's hand for the first time.

~The thing that interests me most about this photograph is the mystery of who the people are and what their relation was.  The woman's skin looks fairly young, while the man's looks like that of someone more elderly.  Who are these people and why are they holding hands so lightly, as if just a fleeting moment of support or love is there and then the memory is gone.

ANALYZE IT:

~I think that the most important part of this photograph is not necessarily the obvious act of holding hands.  I think the most important part is the way that they are holding hands, much like a secret, and also the age of the skin of the people involved.

~I think the photographer was simply walking behind the couple, or the lovers, who whomever they might be, and captured a precious moment in time.  Vivian Maier must have kept her camera down as to not pull attention to herself.

INTERPRET IT:

~I would title this photo "Fleeting Gesture."  This is because the woman and man seem to be letting go or just starting to hold hands, but were trying to be private about it.

~This photograph feels like I am intruding on someone's personal space, or that there is an argument going on and I'm not a part of it, although it's something much more kind than an argument.

EVALUATE IT:

~I think the photographer did a fantastic job at creating this photo.  They did a really good job because the people were so unaware that she was capturing their little moment of time.

~I think what is worth remembering about this photograph is the feeling of the two individuals within it.  That even though for them, it was a passing moment of time, the photograph will make it last forever. 

DESCRIBE IT:

~I can make the observations that this woman is obviously alone, late at night and all dressed up to go out somewhere.  She looks to be walking towards the car in the background, and down a street that looks to be fairly busy in the daytime.

~To describe this to a person who cannot see it, I would tell them that a woman dressed up in a light or white dress is leaving a place to go home after a long night.  The street is dark and quiet, and the woman seems to be walking quickly to the car. She is out of focus while the car is in focus.  The moon is also visible along with the street lamps.

RELATE IT:

~The thing that most interests me about this piece is that the woman is facing with her back towards the photographer, and that she is out of focus while most of the rest of the image is not focused.

~This photo is different from life today because no woman dressed like that would be alone on a street late at night, and her dress is very flamboyant. She looks to be looking at the ground for some reason, as if she might be crying or maybe she is watching where she steps as to not trip in her shoes.

ANALYZE IT:

~The woman is closer, but the car is further away.  Strangely enough, the woman is out of focus in the foreground while the background is what is in focus, as if to tell viewers that she is but a blur and her main objective is to make it to the car.

~This person probably lived very well, considering that for this time period, she is very nicely dressed, and her car seems to be a newer model.

INTERPRET IT:

~I would title this photo "A Night Out".  I would title it this because she is seeming to be coming home and leaving her nighttime activities..
~I think the photograph would sound like heels clacking on the sidewalk very quickly because the woman seems to be walking to her car very briskly.  It may also have the sound of a single car engine passing through maybe a few blocks away.  It might have the buzz of the streetlights as well.

EVALUATE IT:

~I think the photographer made a great photo.  The way that the position of the woman, car, and moon are makes the image very appealing to the eye.  In addition, The woman's dress is the same color as the other lights, and she almost seems to be glowing, which could be interpreted as the fact that she too, is shining as she is walking down the street.

~I think that other people should see this photograph because it proves that the foreground does not always need to be in focus the most, and that the background sometimes tells more of a story than the foreground..