Bob Haft
The First Lesson
Life Framer Photography Prize Winner, Category: Youthhood
"Making photos of children is not an easy task. A good photo should be interesting and appealing, and not only for the mother of the child who is in the picture. It's imporant to try to avoid "easy cuteness" - any successful image says something more universal to a broader audience. In this photo there is the tension of the rifle and the unknown victim of the "shooter" out of frame. The child standing in the middle watches the viewer (us) and perhaps the shooter. I think this composition is therefore very interesting; it creates questions which are not easily answered. In the US the issue of private gun ownership is large, and the relative ease with which one can access a weapon is well known and shocking to those of us in other parts of the world. This photo raises questions in that regard - should children so young children grow up around weapons?" - Hellen Van Meene (Judge Comment)