Illustration

1/100 f/4.8 ISO: 720 

This photo would be used to in an editorial piece that discusses veterans lives and death after they come home from serving our country. It would go through and discuss the benefits they receive and the things that could be improved upon. 

When I was getting ready to do this shoot I wanted to find different aspects of veterans lives after they serve their country. I ended up really liking this shot because it shows that this veteran lived a long life after his service, but it also shows aspects of his death. I tried some other angles and positions for things like the flag and the rose, but I thought that this ended up being the most compelling. I chose to shot this later in the evening with a heavy cloud cover because I liked the way the clouds diffuse the light to make the brighter colors pop. 

Physical: It is clear this photo is taken in a cemetery. The American flag leads to the assumption that the cemetery is located in the United States. 

Psychological: The primary emotion in this photo at a first glance may look like it is sorrow. There definitely is a strong sense of sadness and grief in this image, but I also wanted to portray the respect the mourner had for their loved veteran. I chose to include the red rose which is said to symbolize respect and are given to those who have been courageous.  

Social: The social context of the photo is the opinion of society on veterans and how we thank them for their service for our country when they return even after they have passed. 

Cultural: Due to the American flag and the clearly marked headstone that says Army Special Forces Airborne, there is an automatic cultural tie for American citizen. This is really the hardest hitting context for the image. I tried to pull focus to the cultural context of this image by using the contrast of colors to emphasize the American flag. The whole purpose of the shot for the editorial is to draw attention to the lives and deaths of veterans so it was very important to me that the American culture was evident in the image.

Temporal:  The date on the headstone gives you a general idea of the time period. It is clear that it is after 2014. The lack of other mourners around and the even grass regrowth around the headstone show that some time has passed since his death. The more relaxed body language of the mourner shows that his loved ones have made peace with his death. I think that from these subtleties the viewers of the image can make an inference about the time this photo was taken. It is clear the photo was taken during the daytime.