David Goldblatt

This photo shows a beauty contest being held at a market on a Saturday morning. In the foreground are the beauty contestants holding up their number, I am guessing they are getting judged. In the background are the "audience", the shoppers. The podium and the contestants are all in focus, focus starts to blur a little in the first row of onlookers. The motion is not frozen, but tends to blur. I think the shutter speed is probably slow, maybe 1/60. The lighting used is flourescent, we see the bulbs on the ceiling.

My first impression of this photo was how odd it was to have a beauty contest in the supermarket. And a "lovely leg" contest. Why would that be held in the market. Maybe the market is an important gathering spot. Also, the contestants are all white, the onlookers are mixed, with mostly blacks watching. I think how they must feel not being included, and how unfair it is. I can see the expressions on the women and girls' faces. Perhaps jealousy, perhaps its just how silly they think the contest is, and how unfair society's view of beauty is. They have their arms crossed, almost like this ridiculous contest is wasting their time. The contestant on the end is smiling and confident, somehow I feel she thinks she should be winning the contest.

Right before this shot, I think probably the finalists were announced, and the girls walked out onto the podium. After the shot, the winner is announced, and finally after having to watch this, the shoppers can resume their shopping.

There is no comparison with seeing the photos in person and looking at them online. Seeing them in person, you can really feel what the photographer was trying to convey. They are much more dramatic. You can see the details and the light much more clearly. And in my opinion, you almost feel like you are there.

David Goldblatt was trying to convey how life is/was for South Africans. How prevalent racism is in society. How people went about their lives even through such unfair treatment. Maybe even how resilient people can be. No matter how difficult life is, we find a way through it, and we go on. The photo I chose portrays racism, the beauty contestants are all obviously white, apparently only white girls have lovely legs. You can tell there were no black girls in the contest by the expression of the girls in the audience. Also, normal mundane things go on even amidst turmoil. Amid such violence you would think a silly beauty contest for lovely legs would not be held in a market.