RomanceEverAfter

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Photo Study: Photography as Art and Story

Melissa Hamilton

"The Playground II"

Over the Memorial Day weekend (2005), I had the opportunity to visit Volo, Illinois.  To be honest, I had never heard of this town until recently.  The ladies in my family decided for a relaxing short weekend away.  (Of course, the little ones came, too!).  Part of the entertainment provided by the place we stayed were its playgrounds.  

Playgrounds.

I never would have thought that playgrounds would be such an interesting subject to photograph.  (Also see The Playground). The design, equipment, and overall layout is completely unique at each playground you visit. Although I have chosen to photograph only the inanimate objects, the energy and excitement of children's play is evident at every corner.

Upon close inspection, I noted dozens of little footprints in the sand.  A juice box lay abandoned at the foot of a slide.  The paint had chipped here and there off the equipment and surrounding benches.  Yes.  The evidence of happy times by many a family were everywhere.  And while moms in our family watched their "tiny tots" play, I stole a couple minutes to snap some photos.

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My niece had made it her mission to collect sticks, pebbles, grass, and other remnants of nature and drop these into her pail.  When it was time to swing, she left her valuables on the bench and dashed away. Many a grown up has sat on this bench with a watchful eye.  As you can see, a portion of the bench is beginning to deteriorate.

The baby swings hung motionless waiting for a little boy or girl to be whisked into the air. Have you ever noticed how sturdy baby swings are?  The material of the swing is thick and hard; chains are heavy and resilient.  In short, the subject made for an interesting photograph.

What made this photo appealing is my association with juice boxes and children.  The other day I observed a little girl squishing her juice box in an attempt to have the juice bubble up through the straw.  An associate of mine recently told me her daughter did the same thing.

The merry-go-round.  Children enjoy spinning round and round.  This little horse has seen better days.  Although the black paint that shaded his mane has chipped away, the handles aside his head gleam from the grips of a thousand small hands.

This covering shadows a piece of equipment that consists of a series of steps and stairs.  I like this image for its contrasts.  The red pillars are rigid, cold, lifeless yet purposeful.  The trees behind it are also tall, but animate diverse shapes with life pumping through their limbs.

In short - the variety of geometric shapes and lines caught my eye.

The tree I'm peeking behind to take this photo is well over 100 years old.  Notice the pathways where thousands of little shoes have crossed.  (Beneath the swings and beside the tree.) There are so many hidden details that go unnoticed!

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