Assignment 1: Photo Analysis

"Memorial Day" 

"Memorial Day" was the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph from 1984.  The photographer, Anthony Suau, was at the cemetery looking for something to photograph for the front page of the Denver Post.  He saw this woman hugging her husband's grave.  As soon as he saw this scene, he thought it would make the perfect picture, but the woman quickly let go of the tombstone.  Suau then positioned himself with a longer lens and waited for her to hug it again.  When she did, he quickly snapped the picture, seen above, which caught the grief felt by many people.  After this photo was published, Suau admitted that he got many phone calls from people, saying, "I've done that before.  I have hugged my husband's, wife's, father's, mother's, etc grave.  I can relate to that picture.   I can really feel what that woman feels."

Even if you do not know the background of this photograph, it still evokes many strong emotions.  As stated above, many people can connect to this photograph, but many people who do not have a connection to the military still feel several profound emotions.  "Memorial Day" represents the grief of thousands of people who have lost their loved ones in the line of duty.  (As well as people who have lost loved ones who once have served in the armed forces.)

The shallow depth of field in "Memorial Day" creates an emphasis is on the woman hugging her husband's gravestone. Because of the repetition of tombstones, you can picture the rows and rows of tombstones surrounding this one grave.  The repetition of tombstones also adds to the drama of the photograph.  The multiple tombstones that can be seen, as well as the many our minds picture that have not been included in this photo, create an emotional response because it reminds us of how many soldiers have been lost fighting for our country.  Also, because the focal point, the woman hugging the tombstone, creates an emotional response, seeing the rows of tombstones emphasizes the sadness felt by the woman.   However, because the majority of the tombstones are blurred, the main emotional portion of the photograph is the woman and her husband's gravestone.

The flags also create a feeling of patriotism.  It shows that we, as citizens of America, appreciate our service men and women.  We still remember them, regardless of when they died.  We honor each of the fallen men and women equally, which is also shown in the layout of the tombstones.  The colors of the American flag also stand out, creating a strong sense of pride in America.

The main focus of the photograph "Memorial Day" is the woman holding the tombstone.  She is still wearing her wedding ring, which, along with the overall position of her body, shows her husband is still a valuable part of her life, even though he is no longer physically in her life.  Her grief is palpable, spreading the grief and sorrow onto the viewer.

"Memorial Day" is an incredibly powerful photograph.  Every little part of the photo, from the focal point of the woman to the blurred tombstones creates a feeling of grief and sorrow, regardless of any personal connection to the events in this picture.  Because every element makes this a powerful photograph, it is no surprise that Anthony Suau won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his deeply emotional photo "Memorial Day."