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Now, Delaney, the class tutor, is going to take you through her thought process as she applies the “What? So What? Now What?” strategy to analyze the photograph entitled “Seattle: Grandpa’s Place.”

What?

View the entire image carefully, jotting notes about important details. (Click on the photograph to enlarge it.)

What do you see? What are your first impressions of the visual text?
What details are significant? Where is your eye drawn?
What techniques are being used to attract your eye in that direction?
What is the mood of the image?
What is the photographer’s message?

First Glance
Our attention is drawn to the brightest area in the image:

the white toppling pile of unopened mail on the table
then to the top of the grandfather’s head
then to the light fixture in the mirror above the grandfather’s head.

The mood may be lonely because the three people seem disconnected:

grandfather is eating alone
the girl is angled away from him, looking at her hands
the young man (seen in the mirror) is taking the photograph
no one is speaking

Questions come to mind:

Is she his granddaughter? A homecare worker?
Why isn’t she eating with him?
Why isn’t she sorting his mail?
Where is the grandmother?
Has she passed away?