What I think mirrors photos mean is something that you can relate to and be experiencing at the same time. Such as in Crewdson’s photo, the high contrast from the headlights of the car in the middle of the night glaring at the daughter standing in front of the car gives it a very dramatic affect. With her mother standing aside her car with a very distinct look on her face gives an emotion the expresses anger and the way the daughter in her underwear shows shame in the way her body is slanted over like if she has done something wrong. Crewdson’s photo shows emotion and meaning that would clarify it as a romantic photo.
In Winogrand’s photo can also go for a mirror photo because it kind of does give emotion. The photo looks very gloomy and sad. The photo looks very sad, the two boys look alone, stranded in the middle of nowhere, giving it a very gloomy depressing look. the two boys give has a sad expression on there faces like if they are looking for someone to comfort them but no one is around.
Crewdson’s photo is more high contrast while Winogrand’s photo is more full scale.
Both photos has a feel of depth
Just having emotion doesn’t make a photo a mirror. Having an interior emotion like shame makes it a mirror. the Winogrand certainly has emotion but it is emotion about how these people are living and the empty promise of the American dream. it is emotion about eternal events.
and yes, the Crewdson photo is a romantic photo while the Winogrand is a realist photo.