- Project Type: photo editing, digital color illustration
- Skills Needed Photoshop
I retouched a public-domain, black-and- white image and added color to selected parts of the image.
Original Photo
The photo is of Italian Immigrants at Ellis Island in 1905, taken by Lewis Hine.
Choosing Colors
I wanted the mother and child to be portrayed with dignity and for viewers to feel empathy, but not pity, for them. I made the clothing of the mother and child predominantly purple, with its associations with royalty, to emphasize their dignity. The purple also contributes to empathy with them by giving them a sense of melancholy and femininity. The purple added to the mother’s outer garments is close to red, which highlights the love and devotion between the mother and child. It also draws attention to the mother and child, makes them appear more dynamic and vital, and tones down the melancholy. I used pink for the girl’s dress because of its association with baby girls. The background is black-and-white to emphasize the drab, institutional nature of the setting and to contrast with the brighter colors used for the mother and child.
Photo Credits and Info
[Madonna and Child, Ellis Island]; Lewis W. Hine (American, 1874 – 1940); New York, New York, United States; negative about 1908; print 1938; Gelatin silver print; Sheet: 32.5 x 21 cm (12 13/16 x 8 1/4 in.); 84.XP.901.2
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles