Celebrated
British Portrait photographer, Jessica Fulford Dobson, chose to capture the
subjects in low light and as they were without interfering or setting up
anything official like an artificial light. There are many portraits in this
series taken in the same scene of both the first and third image. This
composition lends itself to a portrait as the leading lines are coming in the
from the bottom left, top left, and top right corners to converge on the middle
torso, highlighting the subject. Also in this area there is a soft natural
light coming from the windows on the left and touching the subject. What i like
about these portraits is how they a natural sense of personality. Sure, the
subjects are standing in a similar area but they don't seem posed at all. By
putting them in this similar area she is encouraging the viewer to focus on the
subject's expressions and the difference between each one. In the middle image
she has caught the girl at a semi-fast shutter speed. I say this because only
the middle of the girl's body is in focus and not being motion blurred. The
composition of the image is great though, as captured the photograph right at
the moment when the girl was under the window that has reflected off the ground
to create an outer glow or highlight for the subject's body.
In one of the most
oppressed countries for women in the world, i found these images telling a
unique story of female empowerment within a segregated and oppressive
society. Beyond the physical benefits,
sport empowers girls to build leadership skills, confidence, and in this case,
challenge gender stereotypes. It is clear from each and every image
that these girls are beaming with confidence. In the first image the girl's gaze
shows a defiant confidence. In the third image you can see the confidence in
the girl's grin along with the way that she holds the skateboard as if it's a
trophy.
In
Afghanistan, girls and women are forbidden to ride bicycles, and restrictive
clothing often keeps them from enjoying other sports, but skateboarding has
quickly spread throughout the country, becoming the nation’s number one sport
for women. Dobson recognized this and decided to take advantage of the
situation. By using girls that, in afghan society, are quite difficult to
access, let alone photograph, in conjunction with skateboarding, she has found a way to a
new way to symbolize freedom and celebrate empowerment.
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