Benjamin Leaf - Week 8

This is a photograph by Martin Parr from his recent series "Wealthy Indians". His aim was to document India's newfound wealth. The two subjects' hands are in a contemplative position, which reminds the viewer of stereotypical images of Indians in prayer. Ironically, both subjects hold modern objects, which contrast in color and value with the rest of the scene. The image contains very few colors, so the red in the watch and the flowers really pop. The composition is triangular, drawing our eye from the watch to the cell phone to the food in a fancy plate.

All of the images in the series contain obvious jokes like the image above, using composition to play with our expectations of classic Indian traditions.