HW #3: Walker Evans’ Subway Portraits

I think that Evans’ secretive approach to taking the pictures was pretty cool. But, if I was one of those people I would have been very upset once I saw my unprepared face in a book for the whole country to see. But, I think since he knew it was during the time of the Great Depression, he could capture real-time depressed emotions on people’s faces. Unlike if they knew he was photographing, they would have most likely faked a smile or some type of pose. He wanted us to see the raw emotion of the subjects of the pictures. I do see similarities between the riders’ facial expressions during the Depression Era and today’s riders. Some of the people in the photos look as if they know they are being photographed and are staring at the photographer with a weird face. Most people would be like that today too, especially me. Lastly, some people do look very depressed or upset. That would be the same today because people on the subway are usually going to school or work, where they may not be happiest to go, or home, where they may be extremely tired after their long day at school or on the job. A lot of them also seem to be daydreaming or staring into space, which is something most people do on the train. The only difference with today is that a lot of photographs taken will show people using their phones, headphones, or laptops, rather than newspaper or nothing.