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  • Essay / Analysis of the photo by Dorothea Lange Migrant woman

    People always say that photographs can help keep important moments in their lives alive, or that every image has a story. In our history books, photos show and tell a story from the past. In 1936, at a seasonal farm worker camp in Los Angeles, Dorothea Lange, a famous American documentary photographer and photojournalist of the Great Depression era, took the world by storm when she took a photo of Florence Owens; the infamous woman in the well-known photo titled “Migrant Woman.” Although Owens never gave Lange permission to use the image of her and her children, Lange promised Owens that the hundreds of photos she took of her and her children would not would never be published. Nervously, the next day, Lange's photos were published on the front page of every newspaper, along with an article about the hunger of the American people who were working in the fields with little or no pay. This iconic photo quickly became an icon of the Great Depression of 1936 and shows the hardships of the American people at the time and the passionate love between a mother and her children. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get Original Essay Looking at the photo, what stands out in this photo would be the clear structure of Florence's face, the facial expression she gives shows that she is extremely exhausted. The roughness of her hair and the dirt under her nails show that she is dirty and unfortunately poor. Owens wears a dirt-covered shirt and a jacket that hangs loosely from his left arm. In the background, Owen's children slightly hide their faces behind their mother's shoulders. The little child on the left side is wearing a dirty, tattered jacket that doesn't fit him, while the other boy is wearing a sung shirt. The last child is barely noticeable but visible, a newborn is in its mother's arms, the baby is visibly exhausted and covered with a dirty blanket. Although the photo doesn't speak words, it shows that they are currently in some sort of emotional distress. In this image, Owen's face is the only visible face that viewers can see, which makes it more captivating. Thanks to her face, we can better understand what she is going through. She seems very exhausted and worried about her future and well-being, as well as that of her family. Owen is currently unable to find employment following the death of her husband due to illness; this is why the photo is titled “Migrant Mother”. The way Owen's children lean on their mother's shoulder seems distressed, tired, and as if they are hoping for any miracle. Lange took this photo from the perfect angle, so that Florence appears clearly and emotionally, the lack of coloring is what makes this famous photo so powerful. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get Custom Essay Photography reminds and opens our eyes to the devastating effects of the Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to the early 1940s. At the time, the American economy was collapsing. It has been called the longest and most severe depression the United States has ever experienced. Works CitedEvans, W. and Agee, J. (2002). Now let's praise famous men. Mariner Books. Hine, L. W. (2007). Lewis Hine: Photographs of Child Labor in the New South. University of Tennessee Press. Lange, D. and Taylor, P. (2008). Dorothea Lange: the life of a photographer. Aperture. Lott, J. W. (2018). Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Working Class.