Lately, I've been reading 'David Bailey: Look', a monograph on David Bailey, whom-I strongly believe that-revolutionized fashion and portrait photography.
The book covers his entire career, from 1960s to 2000s. Each one of the photographs is highly inspirational and thought provoking, yes, but I think it's the explanations near the photographs what makes the book so precious. In 7-8 lines, at most, it tells you the story behind the photograph, the things that might be overlooked when you look at it.
Whokay, let me get down to brass tacks, throughout the whole book, the one that has haunted my mind is the photograph above. David Bailey's wife, Catherine Bailey, holding with one hand her and David's by then little daughter, Paloma Bailey, and with the other a dandelion, showing her daughter what to do with a dandelion when she finds one; to blow its seeds away. The photograph itself, at first glance seems like a romantic moment that was shared solely among the mother, the daughter and the father i.e. the photographer. But, when zoomed in, one can see the surrealistic atmosphere of the photo. Both two dressed like they were in Victorian age, Mrs. Bailey is cloaked and crone-like, the dandelion seems like symbolizing the poisonous apple, while Paloma appears stooped and frail, clutching a walking stick, (in fact it's a dog lead) which is completely opposite to the image of a baby the viewer has in mind.