in a stoop

The image i chose to discuss is A Girl and a Boy on A Stoop .The photo is from 1989.
The photo is black and white. The scene is a sidewalk in front of a brick building, There are two people on the stoop in front of the brick building. To the left sits a little boy with a serious look. In the foreground to the right, a girl leans back  on the stoop. She also has a serious look, and boyish clothes. Her hair is up and back, and she appears to be a bit tense.  The stoop they're in looks cracked and aged. The background consists of cars, trees, and more stoops.
The artist's technique is effective in this picture because of his skill to blur the background and focus on the subject's of the piece. It appears that only the stoop and the people are focused, and the background becomes almost artificial.  There are good contrasts that cast deep shadows on the boy and girl's faces and clothes.  the horizontal lines in the girl's top create a better sense of movement The photographer also does a good job managing his space considering he is using two subjects.  Sometimes when photographers or any artist defy the rule of odds the composition becomes boring and symmetrical, but Bey does good work in keeping depth and asymmetry.
Considering that the artist included this photo in "street portraits" suggests that the subjects live in a poverty-stricken area or the dangerous "streets". Besides the serious looks and the stoop's condition, there aren't many direct suggestions that they might live in poverty. Since the girl's clothes are baggy and her exposed face is somber she appears to look older than she might really be.  She also appears unhappy.  The boy is most likely her little brother, since the age difference is huge.  He also shares the serious glares that his sister does, but with a bit more worry.  In my opinion there is a suggestion here that this girl is the primary caretaker of this child, because they are alone.  But overall I think the point of this photo is that the subjects are on the street and not happy about it.
I think the photo is a good one.  The artist uses a good composition and good movement.  He uses black and white to emphasize the seriousness of the faces, and the photo in general. The exact meaning of the photo isn't direct, which is okay because it makes it more interesting for the viewer.