Kidnappedby
whiteroomComment by posthumous: Wow. Talk about an immediate impact. The first thing I notice is the capsized stroller and I immediately think a baby has been stolen from it. The second thing I notice is her doll. Then I notice it's on the road. This all hits me right away. A little bit later I see the car in the distance... the kidnapper making his getaway. Finally, I realize that this is a toy stroller. Then the themes become more complex. This was not a baby, but a young child playing at being a mother. The actual "baby" here is indeed that doll. The lost, sprawled doll becomes a metaphor for the stolen, helpless child.
An interesting thing about this photo, and one that some people may not like, is that it is clearly fictional, and not just because nobody would be taking a photograph at a time like this, but also because of how perfectly it is arranged, how precisely centered the action is. The road is a triangle leading up to the car at its topmost point. The stroller is at a perfect angle so that we can see it is empty. We can even see all four wheels. The doll is spread out before us like Putti on an Italian Renaissance ceiling. The depth of field dramatically underscores a subject we couldn't possibly miss anyway.
Personally, I think it's so obviously set up that it is artful. After all, we don't mind if a poet or novelist artfully arranges events to present themes. And, after all, this is a nightmare, which is also a form of fiction, and a dream, which uses strong visual symbols brazenly displayed. Well done.
Posthumous Blue Ribbon
Photographer found comment helpful.
