Assignment 2

http://www.samedaymarriage.com/marriage/marriage_license.htm

The image is of a couple on what seems to be their wedding day. The balance of the picture takes place with the lighting of the picture as well as the attire of the couple. The bright background light with the white tuxedo as well as the white dress gives off a sense of happiness. This also gives off a sense of purity and peace. These are two very strong feelings that the photographer wanted to make the viewers feel. This image is projecting marriage as a pure, peaceful and loving act. However the most unconventional detail about this picture is that the groom is wearing a white tuxedo as opposed to the usual black tuxedo. Typically people focus more on the bride when attending a wedding, with the groom dressed in white one cannot help but to focus their attention on the groom as well. This gives off the feeling that not only is it the bride’s happiest day but also the grooms. Typically more focus is given to a bride’s beauty but in this picture the focus is on how the couple makes each other feel. Most wedding pictures also have the couple smiling and staring at the camera.  However, in this picture the couple is facing each other with both their eyes closed which to me states that their focus is on each other and not what is around them. 

The first image that was posted made me think of marriage being this lifelong commitment that everyone should consider. However with the altered image my perception of marriage changes. A simple text such as “A Happy ever after?” really makes one think what it is they are signing up for. It actually made me question how long this particular couple was going to last. It also made me question whether marriage really is a happy ever after and whether this feeling of love, peace and tranquility really does last longer in pictures then in person. The scariest part of this picture is the percentage of failed marriages. In an article published by Gary Becker on Human Capital it is stated that forty percent of marriages are already on their first divorce. This data alarmed me. Marriage is not what it used to be in past generations. It is not taken as seriously and that is why I chose  to question how serious couples are when they decide to say “I do” at the altar. The altering of the second image raises awareness of the rapid divorce rate.