Burmese Child in Yangon
Marketplace
Burma, 2011
Turning this portrait into black and white changed it radically. It brought attention to her large dark eyes and emphasized the fringe of tiny eyelashes. Her perfect bow-shaped lips balance her eyes, drawing a triangular shape which is prized in the western idea of beauty. Thanaka, a sandal wood paste, smeared over her cheeks and nose gives a luminescent glow. By highlighting different parts of a photo, you can change it from ho-hum to riveting. Photoshop and many plug-in additions to Photoshop make this trial and error procedure easy and fun.