iconic photo

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For this blog assignment I chose to write about the classic photo of a sailor returning home from world war two and embracing his, what can be assumed to be his wife, in a kiss. I chose this image because I felt most people living in America have seen this image before and also world war two was an important historic time for the United States. This image is a icon for the end of world war two.The picture was taken on August 14, 1945 in New York City's Times Square. This image appeared on the cover of Life magazine a few days after it was taken and has sense become the magazine's most reproduced photo. Although the image was not taken in color, it still has a lot of aesthetic qualities that can be talked about. The contrast between the black and white is naturally visually appealing, especially between the sailors uniform and the nurses uniform. The sailor and nurse are front in center of the photo with no obstacles covering them up. They are the first thing the viewer focuses on. The image is also a mid-action shot. You can see some people in the background mid-step while they walk. The viewer can see can see smiles on the faces of people in the background of the photo. The whole image gives a feeling of relief. Being that it was taken at the end of the war after Japans surrender that feeling of relief is very appropriate. Every American can relate to this photo. It represents a time when to serve your country in fight in the war was a honorable and respectable thing to do. The cause of fighting was just and worthy. I think that most people feel like Americans should not be at war in the middle east and that the war on terrorism has not sparked the coming together of Americans and patriotism like world war two had done. Still to this day this image is used to represent patriotism and a time of greatness for America. Fourth of July parades often recreate this image using real people dressed up to represent the sailor and nurse. In fact, roger williams university recreated this image and used it on their fourth of july day parade float and won the gold medal for it too. Statues of the image have been recreated in various parts of the country to in order to give a reminder to the individuals who see it of why we should be proud to be Americans. The identities of the sailor and nurse remain a mystery but I think that it is almost better that way. It is the image and embrace of a sailor and nurse at the end of the war that make the photo so iconic. By not knowing the identities of either person in the photo and by visually not being able to see the entirety of their faces, it allows the viewer to imagine themselves being in the photo. For guys they can picture themselves being the sailor and girls can see themselves as the nurse which is why the photo works so well as an iconic image.