Sally Mann-Michael Ayi

Sally Mann is a very well-known female photographer in our modern era. She is known for her photographs of her family. In one of her recent projects, Immediate Family, Mann photographed pictures of her children, some of which her children were nude and doing obscene activities. Her children volunteered to pose for the pictures and she would not use any photos that the children did not want. Even with these standards, Mann received a lot of backlash for this photoshoot. Her photos were deemed pornographic. In my opinion, I felt like her work was to show the innocence of children and life in rural Virginia. Although her phots of her children were graphic, I feel she had the right to take these photos and present them.

The pictures of the children were done at the Mann’s farm. Living in that rural setting, being naked is very common and not frowned upon at all. Mann photographed her children in different poses in her farm. Many people argue that these photos were deemed “pornographic”. Although the children are nude, I do not believe that Mann’s intent or message was to show her children’s naked bodies for the pleasure of the viewers at all. I believe her main message was to show life on a farm as a young child. I also feel that she sees herself in her daughters as she takes these photos, as if it is her that is posing these pictures.

Some people say that Mann’s children did not have consent. People argue that years later that the children will face consequences of these photos or face extreme embarrassment. I think this is utter crap. These children are under Mann’s parental control. I think there are even laws that say what parents can do with photos of their children. People act like Mann was selling “nudes” of her children for money. I want to reiterate that I don’t believe her intent was to her children as “sexy” or meant to arouse sexual desire.

Works Cited

“The Disturbing Photography of Sally Mann.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19

Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-disturbing-photography-of-sally-

mann.html.

Mann, Sally. “Sally Mann's Exposure.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Apr.

2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-cost-of-sally-manns-exposure.html.

Morrison, Blake. “Sally Mann: The Naked and the Dead.” The Guardian, Guardian News and

Media, 28 May 2010, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/may/29/sally-mann-

naked-dead.