Life of Women

Observations:

Immediately, it is obvious that this photo is posed. You can see this as the women (the only gender that appears in the photo) are all sitting or standing in a similar manner: standing in lines or sitting in the same posture, hands placed in particular positions. I also see nine women in what appears to be a uniform consisting of a t-shirt, shorts, a belt, and sneakers. On four of the nine girls, you can see that they are also wearing white t-shirts. The two women standing on either end of the photo are in longer skirts with different shirts than the rest of the girls, and are also wearing neck scarves. All eleven women are wearing white socks. The women also have short hair that is obviously and purposefully styled. The nine girls dressed similarly are younger than the other two women in the photo. Three of the four women sitting in the front row are wearing rings, and aside from the possibility of some women wearing earrings, no other member has any visible jewellery. The woman standing on the far left of the photo is either wearing a bracelet or a watch: it is difficult to tell. As for the setting of the photo, the ground appears to be some sort of wood, and the wall behind them is brick or concrete blocks. Finally, the majority of the women appear to be content: some more so, some less so.

Historical Assumptions:

By looking at this photo and reflecting on the observations, it is easy to come to the assumption that these women are part of a team, and this is their team photo. Given the setting, which appears to be a gym, and their style of uniform, I would assume that these women are a basketball team; an all-girls basketball team. Additionally, the women standing on either side of the team appear to be their coaches, given that they are older than the rest of the women and are dressed alike, but different from the rest of the girls. Despite the fact that this photo is obviously posed, it does not look strict or boring - team photos are often posed in this manner in today's society! As some women appear to be more pleased than others, a few assumptions could be made from this. Perhaps there are varying degrees of interest in the sport itself, or perhaps some women simply joined the team to be a part of something acceptable with other women. We cannot assume the context in which these photos were taken (beginning of season, mid-season, end of season), given that there are no signs of play or championship shown. Therefore the smiles could be of excitement for the season to begin, while the other facial expression shown may be trepidation for beginning a new sport! This photo is quite basic and simple, but we can attempt to make multiple inferences and assumptions from viewing it.

 
Observations:

In this photo, the first thing I see is a large group that consists solely of women, no men. A few of these women are holding signs, one large banner and a few smaller ones. The signs have writing on them that state things like “Women’s Liberation” and “Women Demand Equality”. This picture also shows an obvious public display, as the setting is amongst buildings, trees, and is located on a street. There also appears to be a crowd in the background, behind the women marching. The weather appears to be quite warm on the particular date the picture was taken. The women are sporting a variety of fashion: some wearing short skirts or dresses, while some are wearing pants or shorts. All are wearing casual footwear, and do not have any sort of obvious accessories or particularly styled hairdos. We can see that women are walking, that no one is actually looking at the camera that took the photo, and that the photo itself is a bit blurry. Also, it appears that there is a wide age range of women present in the photo.

Historical Assumptions:

I feel that it is safe to assume, given the characteristics of this photo, that it was taken during a march that had the intention of further the second wave feminist movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement. The public setting of the photo shows that the movement is in full swing, and the women taking part are not ashamed, afraid, or willing to be passive with their desires for change and action. Addressing the blurriness of the photo, we can assume that this photo is an action shot, taken by a bystander or a reporter. The casual dress of the women in the photo shows that they are not willing to conform to societal ideals of "beauty", as well as what is acceptable (ie. conservative exposure).