Martin Parr Critical Analysis

This documentary photo is a direct observation of a cream donut. The subject is treated in a realistic manner; you could say that the photographer used this photo to display a more diverse and cultural representation of Britain. It must be a way of displaying the growth of Britain’s cultural society, from being so segregated and isolated, to being more acceptant to other cultures and their traditions. I think that the picture displays a hidden meaning; that Britain has come very far, since the 1950s to 1980s.

The idea of this meaning is supported by the way the photographer takes the photo; it’s quite humorous at first, because it looks like her might have come across the subject by accident hence the composition is natural. The way, in which the subject appears, it is enhanced by the subject’s surroundings (in the background); it lies on a magazine or newspaper, written in Japanese. This isn’t clear at first; you have to really look at the image.

The way the photo was taken, tells me that some amount of planning went into the shoot, like the location, where to look for subjects, how to approach it. I think that he must have looked at locations around Britain that offers the most cultural diversity. Because I think this image happened by accident and appears to be natural. The saturated look of the image tells me that he hasn’t over exaggerated with the use of enhancements. He must have used high saturation film to give it a more natural saturated look. I think that Parr is trying to create a happy and humorous atmosphere; I like the image because the colours of the donut look great with a sharp, saturated tone, which makes it standout. I really like how Parr caught the subject on its background, that consist of a Japanese magazine/newspaper article, I think it’s very effective in challenging the view or thoughts of people.