John Thomson has used the Woodburytype process, which is a type of photo mechanical reproduction using pigmented gelatin, usually of a rich purple-brown colour. The pigment and the woman's dirty surroundings create a dark mood to the image, for example hopelessness. It brings to mind homelessness, which is also suggested from the cup next to her as it could be used to collect money, and the photographs name containing the word 'destitute' which means to be penniless . The image is also in Thomson's project 'Street Life in London' so his message could be to raise awareness to homelessness in London, which would of been a large rate as it was one of the largest cities in the world, and to also capture the beauty of not needing money to see the simple things, like a mothers love for her child. The contrast between the infant, who looks peaceful, and the woman, who appears to be in a state of despair, makes us sympathies with them as the woman has gone through things the baby has not. Because of their unhygienic environment and the woman's sorrowful expression, we can assume that the life they are living isn't a happy one, creating even more sympathy.  The pinkish pigment gives an aged look to the photograph, which goes correspondingly to the year it was created.

My inspiration for my photo shopping style were old photographs, especially in movies where they are shown to be dusty and untouched. I noticed the background was always fuzzy in the photos, and i wanted to create that in my image by making liquefying the subjects face and making the background slightly distorted. The lighting was either going to be a light orange (like the photos on the right) or a light pink, i thought the orange wouldn't give the same effect that i wanted because of the bright tie. That is my reason for picking the pink over the orange, it makes the photo look older and depending on how you view it, can give an unsettling vibe to the viewer.