Monika Göhmann's Picture: Character Study

Monika Göhmann of Darmstadt, Germany writes, "In the image you see my parents with my daughter. My mother hated to have her photograph taken, but my daughter convinced her to sit down with her on this day, because we didn’t have any photo of the three of them together. My parents were 95 (father) and 93 (mother) years old at the time. Only four months later, they had to leave their house to live in an old peoples home; in 2020 they both died. So this image is a true treasure for my family!"

At first pass this seemed too plain, and I flipped past it pretty quickly. But it grew on me with repeated visits, and I long ago learned to appreciate it when a photograph has "legs"—staying power—for me. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it. First of all, I just love those wonderful faces—all three of them strong, interesting, personable, and (excuse me sir), beautiful. Then I noticed a certain consonance between the two women—notice how the colors of their clothing echo back and forth. Then the hands. Hands can reveal as much as facial expressions about feelings, and I love how the six hands are arrayed across the picture. Again the women echo. Notice how the man draws the group together, and also how different his hold is on each woman. The two older people are turned toward each other, almost folded into each other—you would guess they are long married even if you didn't know, I think. Neither looks at anything in particular, as if they are content and secure to be together. But the most marvelous thing is how the face of the daughter brings the photographer, her mother, into the picture. Her expression says a lot about their relationship, as well as how happy she is about the occasion. The picture is a character study even to someone who doesn't know the people; knowing the story enhances it. In a world that clamors for attention, there's still a lot of reward to be found in quiet, subtle pictures. I think Monika really got the moment. Sehr gut gemacht!

Mike

Book o' the Week

The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits. "Since 2013 photographer Mihaela Noroc has traveled the world with her backpack and camera taking photos of everyday women to showcase the diversity of beauty all around us. The Atlas of Beauty is a collection of her photographs celebrating women from all corners of the world, revealing that beauty is everywhere, and that it comes in many different sizes and colors."

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Jens Ronneberger: "Ein schönes bild von zwei generationen." (A beautiful picture of two generations.)

Ernest Zarate: "Re 'At first pass this (photograph) seemed too plain, and I flipped past it pretty quickly. But it grew on me with repeated visits….' I don’t think I could have written a better response to the whole 'shoulder tapping' criteria as, at best, a limited (and limiting) metric for judging a photograph’s success. Any creative work (movie, music, painting, architecture, etc…) may seem too (plain, outrageous, etc…) at first pass. That’s the 'tapping' phase, which with this photo ended up with a 'meh.' I think as creators of works, we need to not insult those who view our work by making it so simplistic that a three second glance gives it all away. 'Nothing more to see here. Next!' We must not hesitate to demand a bit of effort from those viewers, provided we reward them with a pay-off for their efforts. I’m glad you gave this photo more than a passing glance."

Comments

[Rod S.]

My eyes settled on Monika's father, his facial expression and then his hidden outstretched arms. Even before reading Monika's explanation, these clues suggested to me that it was he that was the gentle force that encouraged his wife, who is avoiding eye contact with the camera, into the photograph. Then, from the position of his hands around them, I saw and was somewhat surprised by the span of his embrace. The sense of love is very real.

[Frank Field]

The image also reveals a strong family resemblance, grandfather to granddaughter. To me this says something about continuation of family lines across generations. Wonderful image.

[darlene]

I love this photo. My maternal grandparents stepped in to help raise me when it became necessary. I treasure my photos with my grandparents as I am sure Monika’s daughter will as well. Just a lovely photo that tells so much!