1. Evaluation of “Migrant Mother” Recreation
To recreate “Migrant Mother”, I used Adobe Photoshop CS5.5. From this I went to the
“Image” option on the toolbar, selected “Adjustments” and then “Black & White”. This
made the picture more realistic due to the lack of colour in 1936. From there, I used the
“Quick Selection” option on the toolbar to select Aiden and cut him from picture. After that,
moved Aiden until he was in the right position according to the original photo and used the
“Healing Brush” and the “Brush Tool” to cover up the gap created by me moving Aiden. I
then cropped the picture so that Aiden was on the very edge of the picture as seen in the
original and then used the fade tool to make his outline blend into the background of the
picture.
To take the photo I used a Canon SLR camera and utilised the default portrait photograph
setting. Before I took the photo I did not know how to use the “Healing Brush” tool or how
to render a picture in “Black & White”. However, this has taught to use them as well as
teaching me how to position objects according to the rule of thirds and to position them in
accordance with an original source. I have also learnt how to take photographs with SLR
cameras and utilise the different settings that are provided and from there how to upload
photographs from a camera to a computer. This project has taught me how to work with
subjects and how to help them get the best picture possible.
The strengths of my recreated portrait are that it is in the correct colour format (black-and-
white) and that it has all the subjects portrayed in a relatively accurate pose or as accurate
as it could be in the circumstances. The weaknesses are that it doesn’t portray the “Migrant
Mother” as a woman and the subjects refused to come into contact with each other, making
the Photoshop process extremely difficult. It also doesn’t use the background from the
original photo and the subjects are not wearing authentic clothes of the period or are as
dirty as the subjects of the original, which made it hard to capture the “Dustbowl”
atmosphere of 1930s agricultural America.
I am quite pleased with the original, despite its drawbacks - of which there are many –
because I think, under the circumstances of its creation it was created to best standard it
could be with the available resources.
If I did this project again, then I would definitely use a female to portray the “Migrant
Mother” and would enlist the help of subjects who were willing to come into contact with
each other on photographic record. I would also use the original background to enhance the
authenticity of the original.

2. I think to a certain degree I have recreated my portrait successfully, however there were
many drawbacks which I think could be addressed but ultimately I think it was a good
attempt.