Child on Barracks Steps
Like the carnival photograph, another photograph shows a young boy with a blank stare standing in front of barracks in the Minidoka camp (“Child on Barracks Steps”). The young boy is dressed in what appears to be a naval uniform and he has his hand on a railing as if striking a pose. The pose suggests that the boy expects and accepts that he will be photographed. His blank expression is interesting because one would expect a portrait shot to call for a different expression, or at least one that does not come off as completely disinterested. The photographer is unknown, which could help to explain his blank face. If the photographer were a parent, it is likely that the boy would be encouraged to smile. If the photographer were a reporter or camp administrator, then the child would have no reason to smile. In determining what it is that influences children to act the way they do in photographs, context is important. In the carnival photograph, the groups of children involves a few subgroups, while in this photograph the boy is alone. Without a desire to act presentable to the media, a child is left with few other reasons to act in a particular way for a photograph.With a parent photographer, the boy would not likely possess such a bland expression. If a child does not know the photographer, then smiling is unnecessary. These two photographs suggest that children prefer to be candid with their reactions. In contrast to adults, children are not always aware of the image of their race and the desire of media to demonize that image. Instead, they appear to have visceral reactions in photographs; they will smile when they are genuinely happy and stare when they are confused, caught off guard, or simply disinterested. This photograph is an example of the latter.