Inspiration Wednesdays: Dorothea Lange

Tater Tot

Family of migrant potato pickers in Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California. September 1939. 

Photograph by Dorothea Lange.

This month I'm going to feature a photographer every Wednesday (last week doesn't count...) whose photos of children inspire me. They may not be known as baby photographers but the way these men and women capture the emotions of children is something I try to do in my own work.  Who better to start out with than Dorothea Lange.

Five Plus Pup

November 1936. "American River camp, Sacramento, California. Destitute family. 

Five children, aged two to seventeen years." 

Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration.

Lange is known for her portraits of migrant family life during the Great Depression. She manages to show the stark poverty they faced while not losing their individuality and humanity. While she is best known for the desperate faces of Dust Bowl farm families, she also wanted to document the love that sustained them when they'd lost everything else. Of course, the camps, work and food helped put a smile on these childrens' faces too - you can't eat love.

Big Brother

August 1939. Migratory children living in "Ramblers Park." They have lived 

on the road for three years. Nine children in the family. Yakima Valley, Washington. 

Photograph by Dorothea Lange.

What really inspires me is the timelessness of her portraits. I try to let the personality of each baby and child I photograph come through in their photos and focus on their expressions. While she was documenting an historic period to inform those lucky enough to have avoided the Dust Bowlers fate, she never loses sight of the fact that these aren't just educational devices but real kids trying to find fun where they can.

The Happy Camper

November 1938. "Migrant cotton picker's child who lives in a tent in the government camp 

instead of along the highway or in a ditch bank. Shafter Camp, California." 

Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange.

All photos and caption information from the amazing Shorpy. A great resource for archival photos, especially for prints.