Posted on 06/17/2013 5:42:11 PM PDT by grundle
What is wrong with this picture?
It's one of those things that you don't get, until you get it. Unless you are eternally empathetic, you look at this photo and don't see much wrong at all.
To Anne Belanger, mother of Miles, the photo is unbearable to look at.
When the class portrait for her son's Grade 2 class came home, she opened it excitedly, and immediately shoved it back in the envelope. She couldn't look at it. It broke her heart.
Anne's son, Miles, has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. At the age of 13 months, his parents were told that Miles would never walk, he has spent his life in a wheelchair.
Miles knows he's different than the rest of the kids, but he still tries to fit in. So there he is, on the far side of the image, neck craning as far as he can to stretch into the frame with the rest of his friends. He's beaming. It's school picture day and he's thrilled.
But the photo still broke Anne's heart. The photo was a clear example of how set apart her son is from society. Instead of a big group hug photo with Miles at the center, and classmates and teachers all around, a fully inclusive image, he was stuffed off to the side, some 3 feet away. An after thought, it seems.
(Excerpt) Read more at shine.yahoo.com ...
There was no slight. Just a bad picture.
It’s not being “intentional” is the very problem.
He’s right up against the edge of the bleachers, but the kids are scrunched in the middle. So he looks like he’s all alone, separate from everyone else.
It’s not being “intentional” is the very problem.
The wheelchair couldn’t be closer, but the kids could.
There is nothing wrong with the picture, the kid is smiling. Parents and critics shut the hell up. He’s happy, look at that look on his face. You guys are the problem.
Yeah. There’s no reason the kid couldn’t have been in the front with the other kids gapped around him.
Yea I would bet that this photographer just doesn’t like kids all that much.
Now, I will see what other Freepers have said.
I would have done it differently but the smile on his face says more.
Like your unintentionally posting this same message 7 times?
Everyone could have skooched a bit to the left filling the gap.
And it would have looked like a normal class picture.
But nooooooo....
Agreed One Hundred Percent.There was NO reason to have done this to this child.
Yes, just clicked to read and said the same.
I would have asked the teacher to stand on the portrait right, next to the kid on the wheelchair.
That would have bridged the gap caused by not be able to get the motorized wheelchair closer, and the teacher would have been the bridge from the child to the rest of the class.
The photographer could have spread the kids on the bleachers out a tad more, or maybe have the little guy in front of the teacher. But other than that, since the wheelchair could not be any closer than it was, it just looks like an oversight, something you see after the picture is taken.
Much ado about nothing. If she lawyers up, the school will probably have to settle out of court.
BTTT!
I would have asked the teacher to stand on the portrait right, next to the kid on the wheelchair.
That would have bridged the gap caused by not be able to get the motorized wheelchair closer, and the teacher would have been the bridge from the child to the rest of the class.
I agree.
But that would take a thoughtful, caring teacher. Do those exist these days?
My cousin’s daughter has MD so its something we’re used to dealing with in family photos. She’s small for 13 and too big to sit with the little kids in front so she usually ends up sitting in the second row with the little old ladies.
Probably because he doesn’t expect anything better.
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