An interesting photo with a very strong film noir feeling.
The portrait of the woman is very complex. The lighting is very hard and is focused on the doll. The hard lighting adds quite a bit of intensity to the image.
The woman is holding a doll. Dolls are something that young girls play with to emulate adulthood. This doll is naked and certainly disheveled. Frequently, when an adult is depicted with one, it indicates a regression to the simplicity and dreams of childhood. These are often idealistic and romantic, so to escape to them is really a retreat from reality.
However, this does not seem to be the case in this image. Rather, the woman seems very mature. Her expression is actually emotionless and she has paused and taken the very adult action of smoking a cigarette. I am left wondering about her psychological make-up because of this contradiction.
My only answer is an oft forgotten aspect of childhood. Although childhood is a time of innocence and wonderment, it is also a time of dealing with emotions. Just like adults who learn to drive or even to use a camera, there are often new emotions to deal with and act upon. Some of these emotions are not always pleasant. The doll, in its depicted state, certainly indicates this. Naked with nothing to cover or hide it, it is unkempt and raw.
The doll actually does indicate a regression of sorts, but the regression was for the release of some intense and long hidden emotion. The strong lighting and the dark mood indicate that the emotion was the response of some dark memory during childhood. However, the peaceful expression and the relaxing cigarette indicate that the emotion has passed.
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