The photograph ‘Migrant Mother’ has become an iconic image which still carries a great power into the present. Something that I thought about while reading about the work was the difference between a photograph that has come to be famous and one that has become an icon. There are a number of photographs that are reproduced again and again, but not all of these are iconic works. It seems that what really makes this photograph so iconic is that it is universal in the sense that this woman could be anyone, at anytime, and anywhere.
The rather humble approach to photography which Lange seems to use acknowledges the equally important role of the viewer in the development of a photograph. Lange understands that while she was the one standing behind the camera, the one who captured this image in such a powerful way, it is the viewer who completes the story.
So really, it’s all about achieving a sort of balance. It is the role of the photographer to create an image, an image which will take on meanings given by the viewer. Lange captured this image of the ‘Migrant Mother’ in such a way that allowed the viewer to make it an icon.
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