Sweet Dreams

Okay. I admit it -- this isn't my best photo.

But it stresses a HUGE importance that we tend to forget about -- exploiting children. I'm probably going to do a portfolio on factory children, tenements and Jacob Riis's "How the Other Half Lives", in a sort of tribute to his work.

It's a shame how we separate ourselves from history -- when we see a black and white photo, we figure it's already happened, gone and done. But colorizing that photo makes it ever the more realistic. For example, "seeing" these boys in black and white and then seeing them as they would on the street is strikingly different. Whereas in color, it seems horrible that the "modern age" would do this, that effect is diminished in black and white -- like it isn't as much of a problem. It's hard to believe that someone walked past and didn't offer to help.

I wonder what they were dreaming about -- the one on the left looks so peaceful.