Lewis Hine was a pioneering American sociologist and photographer active from 1874 to 1940. He is renowned for his documentation of child labor in the United States between 1908 to 1912. Through his evocative photos, Hine brought awareness to the harsh working conditions faced by many children, hoping to spur social reform protecting child workers. Some of Hine's photographic principles included capturing simple compositions that drew attention to his subjects, using lighting and depth of field to convey authenticity and danger, and focusing on his subjects' expressions to depict their exhaustion and misery.

1. 1874-1940
LEWIS HINE: SOCIAL REFORM

2. EARLY BACKGROUND: LEWIS WICKES HINE
• Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on September, 26th 1874.
• Studied sociology in Chicago and New York at the University of Chicago,
Columbia University and New York University.
Image Source: http://home.comcast.net/~linkrocks/bio.htm

3. MORE BACKGROUND:
• His father passed away when Hine was still young. Therefore he had to work
in order to pay for his college education.
• 1906 – staff photographer of the Russell Sage Foundation
Image Source: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-lewishine.html

4. EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:
Image Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17673213

5. PRINCIPLES:
• Keep it Simple
• Quality of light
• What feelings does the image create?
Aside from the wooden boards behind him, the young boy is the primary
component of this tremendously simple composition. All of the attention is
directly on him, there is no clutter to act as a distraction for the viewer. I was
immediately drawn to his thick curls and the dark circles under his innocent
eyes. In my opinion the lighting utilized by Hine is both bold and dramatic and
adds to the authenticity and realism of this image. This photograph broke my
heart, the subject’s chronological age is probably around six or seven, yet, his
face has aged substantially. He looks exhausted and run down. Characteristics
that should not be evident in a child his age.

6. EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:
Image Source: http://cynthiajphotography.com/2011/02/17/lewis-hine/

7. PRINCIPLES:
• Use of lines
• Depth of field
• In or out of focus
The perpendicular lines of the machinery lead you straight to the main subject in
this image and also contributes to depth of field. This further illustrates the size
and magnitude of the equipment and also communicates danger in my opinion.
Although the photograph is a little soft and out of focus, the young girl is the
main focus and she appears lost in the jaws of the machines, completely out of
her comfort zone.

8. EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:
Image Source: http://www.theoldphotoalbum.com/2009/05/lewis-hine-child-labor-vi/

9. PRINCIPLES;
• Subject’s expressions
• Obvious main subject
• Abstraction
Out of the group of boys, only one subject sports a smile. The rest look fed up
and miserable and appear to have just finished a shift of some kind as their
faces are all filthy with dirt. Obviously there is not an obvious main subject in this
image, Hine photographed a whole troop of boys. In my opinion, this image is
completely representational of what children were subjected to in the workplace
before any type of social reform.

10. EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:
Image Source: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/207-b.html

11. PRINCIPLES:
• Contrast appropriate
• What feelings does the image create?
• Texture
The subject stands out against the white background and therefore Hine used
appropriate contrast. This tool further contributes to the melancholy mood of the
image. Once again, seeing the little boy, covered in dirt and wearing no shoes
outside was tough to swallow for me. The image screams poverty. In addition,
texture is evident in the background. Although we do not know what the boy is
exactly standing on, it reinforces the treatment children were subjected to prior
to the introduction of child labor laws.

12. MY MAJOR AT AIC:
• The only connection I can really draw between my major at AIC and Lewis
Hine is our love and passion for working with children.
• Although I am a double major in Communications and Psychology I plan to
pursue a Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology and eventually seek
licensure to become a mental health counselor.
• The target population I want to eventually work with is children and/or
adolescents.
Image Source: http://clouducation.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/8-things-teachers-dont-understand-
until-they-are-parents/