Charlotte Olds and Rooster, Freeville, Ny; 1975

History of Photography 359

Charlotte Olds and Rooster, Freeville, NY; 1975

This is an image of an elderly woman sitting on a neatly made single bed. She is in a small bedroom and staring at a wooden rooster that is leaned against a pair of boots. It appears to be a very narrow and weathered bedroom. There is a door with a large window within it that leads outside. The woman inside her bedroom are in very crisp focus, but seen through the window in the door there is a very blurry view of flowers, a fence, and a parked car. The elderly woman is in such clear focus that you can see every wrinkle on her arms and face and all the minor details of her simple bedroom. Due to the view of the outside, it reminds the viewer of the stark contrast between the clear bedroom and blurred background. She appears to be going through her daily routine, as she sits on her tightly made bed, her hands politely held together as though she might be praying.

The point of view in the image is close up, but far enough away to see all the aspects of the bedroom. It is slightly above but a straight point of view in the photo. The image is asymmetrical, with the camera position coming from the left angle of the room. Some objects in the image are emphasized: the rooster and the woman are intended to be the focal point of the photo. But the room itself is clearly a worn and deteriorating room. There is clear attention to the age and simplicity of the woman and her surroundings; everything is clearly aged and minimalistic. This image has a realistic impact; it is a snapshot of this woman's life. It appears that there is a unique relationship between the woman and the rooster as she sits, staring at it from a distance.

There is a wide range of grays in the photo. Being a black and white picture, the shadow and gray tints suggest the differences in color but there doesn't seem to be much color; the