House Hunting

Todd Hido’s photographs represents the many homes in the suburbs at night.The homes where family turn on the television to end there nights with relaxation. Hido's photograph tend to focuses on the windows with blue light, which represented the light projected from the television. His photographs make me feel sad because the pictures represent families that lack communications and the feeling of someone being ignored. Even tough, televisions can be used in homes to bring families together to converse, it breaks the sense of bond. In other words, people who tend to be lonely find the television a sense of comfort as they lay down and relax. Light represents the sign that someone’s home but also shows no emotions between family in the house. Usually homes in his photographs have no people in them. Therefore, making a statement different from Owens photography of Suburbs. For example, Hido’s shows the suburbs at night with the absence of people. His depiction of a home is usually the outside of a home with a light shining from the window. It represents the motionless effort between family as day turns into night.As a result, during the night each family member spends their nights alone. In Owens photos, family are a whole and the settings are typically during the day time where family interacts with each other. In particular, Pictures like a father inside his home playing with his many kids. At the same time, showing the happy delightful feel of a family and showing the bond between a close family. For this reason, suburbs at night and the suburbs during day tell different stories about suburbia and each carry a different statement about a home varies.

Todd Hido- "House Hunting"                                         

       












                                                    Bill  Owen-"Suburbia"

Slowly Calling the Burbs Home

          In Patricia Lahrmers essay, “Slowly, Calling The Burbs Home” she explains the importance about carrying the American dream in a suburb setting. Living that dream is what attracts people to the suburbs. In fact, an American dream can be purchasing your own home, allowing a family to become independent, and secure. It gives the since of control in ones life where time, energy, and love is put into a home. On the other hand, when one is forced to move out or destruction of a home takes place, the feeling is like the destruction of your family’s memories. For the most part, it cannot be replaced. Lahrmers essay reflected my time when I moved out my old rough neighborhood and into the suburbs. In spite of, the excitement of having my own room, or the absence of gunshots at night, I honestly didn’t want to move from a place I always knew as home. In the same way, as Lahrmer didn’t identify her self to the suburbs, I could relate to the feeling of being an out sitter and the friendly vibe I wasn’t use to. Finally, after a couple of years passed by and I had gotten older is when I realized living in the suburbs wasn’t so bad after all. As a result, I learned to accept the change and understood the dream my parents worked hard for, is finally an reality.
        Lahrmers conclusion about the suburbs compared to Gates conclusion is quite the same for the most part. Both authors could agree that suburbs breed families for generations, houses and streets are usually beautiful, also to truly understand the suburbs one most live there. However, Lahrmer illustrated the move from the city, to the suburbs wasn’t delightful. It was a place where nothing went on, in fact they made things happened. As she started living in her new home, she started to open her eyes and shape her perception about the suburbs. In her conclusion she elaborated the slow change from a city girl to a women, loving her new home, as she lives a dream in a suburban setting. In Gates essay, the story he tells doesn’t portray the typical happy settings of the suburbs. He introduces the disturbing and crazy life’s in homes. Generally, people are given the opportunity to become private in the homes but for the most part, neighbors tend to have a interesting lifestyle. Gates concluded, that even though suburbs are comfortable, and concerned home but at the same time it can be ridiculous.
        Bill Owens is a photographer who captures the image of people inside of homes in the suburbs. For instance, if Lahrmer was to comment on Owens photographs Lahrmer would have related to the pictures. While it may be true, Owens would have disagreed with Lahrmers essay. For instance, the statement made in Lahrmers essay about nothing goes on in the suburbs, can be changed by Owens photo. His photo’s brilliantly shows the many different events that can happened and show the culture that is living.

One of Owens photo that I found appealing is the photo of a child and his mother.  It shows a mother sitting on the counter in the bathroom as she watches her child go to the bathroom.  The boy appears to being potty trained.  Laughter suggest that the young boy has mastered the ability of successfully going to the bathroom with no help. A mother in a suburban household, carries the role to care, and participate in her child’s life.  The photo I selected as an example of many suburban homes. Most important, It’s a place to raise children where the bond between mother and child becomes strong.  Furthermore, It represents the hundreds of stay at home mothers, and also represents the mothers who are typically the backbones of there homes.  The idea of home is portrayed in this photo, in particular, the joy of raising a child at the same time, carry’s out memories within the family.  In fact, the idea of rising a family coreopsis with the living in a home in the suburbs.