"Wait for me, Daddy" by Clause P. Dettloff
"Wait for me, Daddy" is the touching photograph of a young boy chasing after his father who had just signed up to the war effort during WWII. In the picture the little white-haired boy is tugging away from his mother’s grasp and is rushing up to his father in the marching line. The mothers outstretched hand, the boy's reaching hand, the fathers turning smile, and the long line of marching men in the background, makes this an unforgettable image, and a heart-grabbing moment frozen for all time. In the picture the dad shifted his rifle to his other hand to hold his son's for a moment. This picture is also mesmerizing because it looks like a haunting snapshot of wars ability to tear families apart. Something that also adds an affect to this picture is the line of soldiers that looks to stretch on for miles and seems to be never-ending. You get the impression that these soldiers are going off to war as their wives and children walk alongside them, trying to hold onto those last precious moments with their loved ones.
Some may say this picture is sad or
depressing because of its gray coloring and the fact that the line of soldiers
stretches on to the horizon, which is full of many men who won’t return home to
their families. But i don't think that's what this photo was trying to capture.
I think it was trying to show the innocence of a child who doesn't understand
or care about things like war, but just cares about love and family. I think
this photo shows that love is the only thing that matters to a child. It's not
war, or military tradition or anything else. This child's act doesn't just warm
the father’s heart but it also warms the heart on the surrounding soldiers
because you can see the smile on their faces.
Sometimes pictures are more
affected by the colors and contrasts, but I believe this picture is mostly
affected by its subject. The color and techniques could have an effect on the
picture, but I don’t think they would have such an intense effect that it would
change the importance of the picture.
