Emotional Portrait Research

Little Girl by Dean Conger, taken in 1977

Source: National Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/photogalleries/in_focus/photo5.html

This picture immediately caught my attention as soon as I saw it, I am not sure if it is the positioning of the little girl front and center of the picture, or simply her expression. All of the browns and the deeper colors stand out against the white snow, which is something that make the girl stand out. I think it is the black hood brings my attention straight to her face, an expression that sets the entire mode for the picture. This girl looks very content, her expression shows no sense of worry or lingering unhappiness. The picture has a relaxed vibe and I think that is what also sets the tone as very happy. It appears that she is sending her 'hakuna matata' vibe to the observer of the photo through her hand gesture. The mood of the photo is slow and easy, there isn't too much to take in, but then you have the detail of the building in the background along with the other children in the distance

Peruvian Boy by William Albert Allard, taken in 1982

Source: National Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/photogalleries/in_focus/photo6.html

Though the focus of the photo is more to the right, it is very noticeable you can tell that the photographers main focus is on the little boy. The brown and green more faded colors in the background cause the blues in the boy's outfit to really stand out. The colors present his environment as a very washed out rural environment, and his tattered clothes reveal that he already does not have a lot. Thus through the colors and his surrounding an empathetic mood is being set. Yet, the expression on the boy's face sets the mood of the whole photo. He has an expression of sheer horror on his face that makes my heart hurt. His emotion is not presented as a stereotypical type of crying/sadness.  The tone of his sadness is seems to stem from betrayal, his face reveals his shock as well. That what ever just occurred is not something he even considered as a possibility.The little boy's face creates a mood of sheer anguish within the photograph.