Martin Parr
1999
Latvia Beaches
This photograph was taken on a non crowded tourist trap beach. Here an elder lady, possibly a grandmother, is taking a picture of a young girl who is posing for the camera. A rainbow is apparent above the girl's head. The sky is cloudy with a hue of gray, as if the storm has just ended. Because the overall tone is gray, the rainbow, the young girl, and the lady stand out from all other aspects of the photograph.
This picture seems to capture the innocence on adolescents. A storm has just passed and the sky and atmosphere are dull and gray, but this young girl still finds a way to smile. The rainbow can be taken as the silver lining of a bad situation. Although this picture was taken on a gloomy day, it still reveals a happy mood. Martin Parr has taken many photos of people on a beach and this one seem to relate to them. Every beach shot represents what people do on the beach. No one does or acts the exact same way and he captures the attitude of "no one is watching me" in which people are caught doing things they most likely would be embarrassed about otherwise.
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