I don't think you need to tell the viewer that she is disinterested, Ruthie. The viewer can she that he has other priorities. I think, given the title of this gallery "Buddhism in Bangkok," your viewers can surmise that she has something to do Buddhism. The money in the case must therefore be an offering. And the metal bowls must have something to with an offering as well. The ornamentation the wall, and the name "Wat Po" which is one of the famous Buddhist "Wats" or temples on earth, should be enough to tell us that she is supposed to be handling the offerings here but instead she is reading about the latest scandal or whatever else might await her in that paper she reads.
The question Ruth is not if I understand the image instantly, but whether it prompts my imagination enough to want to find out. This, like the image of the monk, both do that. Yes the verbal conetxt helps, no question, particularly in my opinion, when we are dealing with a foreign culture. If the image is amazing enough it will prompt the viewer to use their imagination (something easily done here) to reach the right understanding. Where an image needs verbal context it should be given, where it does not, then release the viewers imagination completely. It is a judgement call. Letting someone else close to you who can be honest look at the image an tell you, maybe an option. I have the same problem. I very rarely offer verbal context.
ok, another caption issue and one i actually had wondered about before you posted your comment. i know that a lot of people who see this picture will understand through their own travel or religious experiences what the picture is about, but i also know that others will not. it's so hard to be objective and decide whether or not an understanding of the photo relies on an understanding of the context. i can't decide whether 5 weeks ago, when i wouldn't have known what the picture was necessarily about, would still have understood the expression involved. i guess i'll await further comments!
You give your viewers a visual, rather verbal context here, assuming that they will understand that the stacks of small metal bowls and the money in the glass case represent some kind of religious offering. The ornate molding behind the woman tell us that she is an attendant in a temple. You make strong social commentary here, Ruthie -- you tell us that daily life is but routine. A job becomes a job, even if its purpose may be divine.
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