Friday, February 21, 2014

Self- Portrait: An Unbreakable Bond

Final Paper- Self- Portrait

Coelho, Madeline. "I'm Proud of You" 2013. JPEG file.

An Unbreakable Bond

            A self-portrait may have many meanings to people.  Some may think only one person should be displayed in the picture, hence the name self-portrait.  Some may view self-portraits as including random objects in the photo to describe a person.  Whichever the case may be, the most important idea is to display the photo a certain way so the viewer can identify what kind of person is being described or portrayed.

            Looking at this photo in particular, one is able to see a close physical bond between a teenage girl and little boy. They seem to be standing inside an enclosed room with windows where people are seen passing by.  She appears to be wearing a white graduation gown and blue- strapped sandals.  She also appears to wearing a yellow sash as well as two yellow cords around her neck.  On her left, there is a little boy who appears to be young, due to his height.  He appears to be dressed in a fancy manner by wearing a tie, a light blue buttoned- up shirt, tan khakis and black dress shoes.  The girl on his right is also embracing him with a hug, showing a close bond.  When looking at the photo, one can’t help but notice the bright smiling faces on both of the two individuals.  The photo also seemed to be taken at a straight on perspective showing both of the individuals entirely as well as including certain details regarding their setting.

            Turns out the girl in the photo is indeed myself and my little brother, Andrew.  In this photo, I had just finished my high school graduation ceremony, which explains the positive and happy expression displayed on my face. I was also happy due to the presence of my younger brother, which shows by how I’m embracing him in a tight hug.  This embracement also shows a strong bond between us. We were also not standing far away from each other posing for the picture as seen where I was a bit crouched down embracing him and he had his knee bent and was leaning against me, which displays that a bond of familiarity is present.

            My white graduation gown obviously gives away the fact that I’m graduating.  I also seem to have a yellow sash and two yellow cords around my neck.  These items seem to have significance in my high school career.  The yellow sash symbolizes my participation in the regional and state DECA business competitions and the two cords symbolize my presence in the National Honor Society, which is an accomplishment of being part of the top 50 students in the graduating class.  These items display that I’m focused on school and a determined individual who wants to succeed in life.

            One may just focus on both my brother and I and not notice certain details that help explain the photo a bit better.  The colors yellow, blue and white seem to be prominent colors in the photo showing that these colors have some importance, such as being the colors of this high school. The photo in the back of what appears to be a horse also has the colors yellow, blue and white in the picture supporting the fact that these colors are important to the school and this photo could also be showing a mascot of some sort.  Also, the picture seems to be set in a cafeteria due to the presence of the red trashcan in the back and the blue tables in the forefront.  This photo was also taken inside rather than outside due to the surrounding walls, windows, and tile floor.  Since my brother is wearing a raincoat, the photo may suggest that there is some sort of inclement weather taking place outside as well.  Since I’m wearing the colors white, yellow, and blue this may stand out to show and explain my association to the high school and give a bit of background as to where I graduated.
           
I believe this photo does indeed depict who I am as a person.  It shows that I’m a genuinely happy individual due to the big expression on my face.  I also have a caring and compassionate side being expressed as I hug my brother closely and also showing that family is an important part in my life.  The different cords and sashes also depict myself as being a focused and determined student who is ready to move on to the next phase in life: college.  I could’ve easily chosen a photo of myself with my diploma as my self-portrait, but I believe my brother is the most important part of the photo.  I think of this photo as him being my motivation to succeed and graduate and I couldn’t have achieved my goals without him, which is being shown by the hug as a sign of gratitude and compassion.  I believe he brings the best out of me to show my true personality of who I am so it’s only right to include him in my self-portrait.  His smile on his face also may show a sense of happiness for me and that he is proud of my accomplishments in life thus far.

            The perspective of this photo is a normal straight- on view, which puts emphasis on both my brother and I as the subjects and the key factors to focus on in the photo rather than the background.  It pulls the viewer in to see our expressions and what we’re dressed like to put the pieces together of what kind of event is taking place.  This perspective is appropriate because it’s focused more on our expressions and body language so the viewer is able to sense that we are glad to be in each other’s presence and have some sort of close connection.  It’s also a good perspective because it shows him not cropped out of the photo to display his presence as being important.  Having my brother in the photo also shows another fact about me. I rarely like being center of attention. Even though it’s my graduation day, I’d rather share this day with my family and not have too much attention on me.


            Although viewers may not personally know who I am, they are able to recognize the caring and accomplished individual I am by paying attention to key features such as expression, clothing, and other subjects in the photo to make connections.  I’m a happy and determined student who not only looks out for myself, but my family and only wants the best for them.

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