Subway by Eric Parker Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Hurricane by Misterbates Licensed under Creative Commons CC0 1.0
Children are so honest with their emotions. That level of honesty always resonates and is impressive. On the left, you see her mother (probably) and a sibling (likely) in a carrier. To the right, you see the subway doors with a sign. Her mother’s hand suggests consoling or taming unwelcomed behavior. I cannot help but feel she wanted to stand and enjoy the train ride unbridled by safety concerns. Whatever emotion catalyzed her expression, she is not happy with her autonomy being restricted.
Now, there are so many permutations when reading the emotions of a young child. Let’s be honest here – children’s thoughts have no bounds. There could be a WIDE array of reasons why she’s pouting. That level of possibility forced an obligation to craft the story behind the expression.
The audio created an origin story. The sound starts slowly, then builds — perfect sound to accompany the beginning of an adventure. I imagined the child’s expression becoming the focus of the image… a slow-paced zoom that matches the tempo of the music. At the moment where her eyes and frown are tightly framed, I imagined her verbalized thoughts, rebuking the restricted autonomy and a vow of action recited. She vows to never (blank) again. This is how heroes (or villains) are born.
Without the music, my emotions and thoughts were a bit humorous and tamed. I chuckled to myself, reflecting on the energy levels of parents with young children and was provided nostalgic entertainment. The image coupled with the audio, was transformative. My imagination was given permission to mirror the boundless possibilities of a young child. My affinity for fantasy fiction likely carved a path to villains and superheroes. Standalone, these two thought paths do not cross. As I write, glancing at the photo without the music, I no longer view the child avenging her stifled train ride, but see a child, doing what children do – experiencing unfettered emotions. The audio, heard in isolation, takes me somewhere else, no longer associated with the familiar, but to a space more technical and bland. I’m wondering how the person who created the sound did it. There’s nothing exciting or interesting about that. Cheers to the age of technology where we can easily combine the two.
Great post – your writing adds so much to the story being told by the image and audio! It makes for a great story and the music is definitely giving hero/villain origin story vibes. It’s interesting how viewing the image alone left a much different initial impression but now that I read your post and listened to the sound with the image, I can’t unsee what you saw!
I think the transformative nature of the combination is aided by having the image and sound in close proximity. I didn’t have to scroll to get to one or the other and could play the audio while seeing the image in full, which I appreciated.
This post is very well-written and interesting. I think the music you have chosen goes well with the photo – there is a building crescendo in the music that can be compared to a child’s emotional state building to a meltdown or at least tears. You are right in that once you add the music, it gives the photo more gravity or seriousness – like you said, this is the child’s formative moment, will they be a hero or villain? Well done!
Hello Astra, your interpretation of the child’s emotions in the subway image is truly insightful. Children’s honesty and unfiltered expressions often resonate deeply, and you’ve captured that sentiment beautifully. It’s fascinating how a single image can evoke countless possibilities and compel us to craft stories behind the expressions we observe. The accompanying audio, “Hurricane,” adds a whole new dimension to the experience, transforming it into an origin story of adventure and determination.
Thank you
Hi, Astra! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and diving into how open and honest children’s emotions are. The transformative audio was a perfect pairing with the journey of emotions that the child in the image is feeling. It begins light and hopeful but then starts to build with more energy and intensity. I could imagine myself as a child being restricted or upset for some reason, and feeling the accompanied journey of emotions that relay how I felt personally, about my parent at the time, and the surrounding people. I agree, however, that the image and the audio separately tell a different story. I love how the meaning can change significantly by combining the two, and vice versa.