Saccharine Perch

This image is reminiscent of a stormy, late afternoon, the day has been hot and the birds a flocking away. Birds always give you a sign when the weather is taking a turn for the worst, as they will flock in large numbers toward the opposite direction. The image is quite contrasting in the young women dressed quite extravagantly holding a cake with the outback, lonely environment. She is standing quite vulnerably and appears to be walking endlessly down a long dirt road. Her red curls are falling over her shoulders and she doesn't appear aware of the nature consuming her cake. The photograph has a strong surrealist quality, it appears as if it is a dream. This image flaunts feelings of vulnerability and disappointment, I feel as if the girl holding the half eaten cake has given up on trying to please someone... perhaps her parents. The cake could be a symbol of her hard efforts but no matter how hard she tries, the world eats it up before she is acknowledged. She seems young and unaware of the world that surrounds her. The juxtaposition is expressed not only through the subject matter between the young girl and the environment she is in but also through colour. The elegant colour of the formal gown and the rugged, earthy brown coloured atmosphere of the outback environment. This is an example of a subtle contrast between warm and cool colour that are harmonised through the desaturation of the original photograph. This image evokes a childhood memory. The birds seem to be a symbol of nature. The birds are taking away her childhood innocence as she is becoming an adult but she doesn't seem ready yet. They are placing her in an uncomfortable environment, something she isn't ready for.