Vacancy

The theme behind this photograph is a simple one: war is tragedy. Through the author’s utilization of landscape and background, the theme can be seen. Rather than the theme contributing to the purpose of the photo, I believe the purpose of the photo is to portray the theme. By exposing the recently deceased soldier’s name on a personal item of his, this picture appeals deeply to an audience’s emotions, therefore evoking some sense of reaction. It’s insignificant that the content of this photograph isn’t entirely included in the shot, for example, the toes of the boots. The reason for this is that the boots stand as a symbol for the tragedy this country is suffering through and even in its entirety, there is never a complete story given. Even without the toes of the boots, or a face to the name, the emotional appeal portrayed by this photograph is irrevocable and the theme is unmistakably revealed.

Space is a very important aspect of this photograph. The foreground is obviously of the pair of shoes. They are centered, which makes the photo semi-symmetrical. The tops of the boots slump to the right from the viewer’s perspective, shifting the viewer’s eyes toward the background. The tag on the boots, being in the foreground, allow the viewer to read who these boots belong to and that they have been taken off a deceased soldier. The grass is a constant image sloping up from the front to the back of the photo. This makes for a great transition from foreground to background, naturally moving the viewer’s eyes to the back. In the background is an ambiguous person blowing their nose, probably crying, at a gravesite/shrine to the departed (presumably from war). There is no vantage point in particular, the trees in the left side of the background sort of fade into the boots, bringing the focus back. This might make the viewer think about how uncertain the future is, there is no clear vantage point in sight for any of us. It’s a grim thought, but we will all someday end up like the soldier to whom those boots belong, we just don’t know when.

Lighting is a key component to this photograph. It helps bring out the image of shoes in a bright way so that they capture attention immediately. The lighting of the sky also appears to be cloudy and overcast with little sun, and somewhat blends in with the background of the photograph. This lighting of the sky makes the background of the photo (with the people and other pictures) seem blurry. This blurred effect also brings out the image of the shoes to capture a viewers attention. Texture is also a very significant and prominent part of this photograph. It is clear to see that the shoes are very worn away and have certainly been through the hardships of war. The detail and clarity of the shoes in the photograph is almost perfect. The shoes almost appear to tell a story with the way they are weathered away. One could only imagine the hardships that the soldier who once wore the shoes faced.


Obviously the most striking element in the entire picture is the boots. The boots take up half the picture but yet they emphasize such a strong sense of emptiness. The spectator starts to scan the boots from the bottom and as the viewpoint rises we expect to eventually reach the human legs filling them, however we don’t. Instead we find a vacant and flimsy top that lays collapsed on its fellow companion. The boots that were once filled with the feet of Lance Cpl. Kevin S. Smith, that once were scurrying across the Iraqi desert and stepping over the owners of other lifeless boots, now lay motionless and hollow in unfamiliar territory. The deflated boots are obviously a symbol of the man that used to fill them but they also express companionship in a field of boots that were also once filled by the limbs of brave soldiers.


By: Cat, Charlie, Janina, and Ryan