The tragedies of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were often photographed so people now are able to reflect on every negative impact the explosion had on citizens, families and towns. The sorrow and hardships that those people faced are remembered by countless people today that see each of these pictures and grieve over everything that was lost. Every photo that was taken during this time period shows the many different aspects of how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were affected. This specific photo contains multiple qualities that contribute to the portrayal of the devastation and destruction. Many different aspects of this picture such as, the contrast in colors, lines and texture all combine to portray how badly the towns were affected and the aftermath of the bombing.

The purpose of the colors in this photograph is to make its viewers feel a certain way after seeing the picture. The small variety of colors portray the picture as aged and worn. The picture itself is dimmed, so the colors are also that way and have a blue tint. The color blue reminds people of a gloomy mood. This picture definitely puts people in a gloomy mood when they see that blue tinted colors used to show the aftermath of the bombing. The dimmed colors give the picture an eerie look. This look, however is dreary and gloomy but in a sad, not spooky way. Because of this, people are connected emotionally. They reflect on the sorrow and hardships people faced because of what is shown in this picture. Everything they once had was turned into rubble and the dimness and blue tint of the colors in this photograph help the viewers grasp the dreariness and devastation of the whole tragedy. 

Different ranges in color from light to dark show how close and far away objects are. When the objects are up close and in the far distance, they are darker than the objects in the foreground of the photo. The other dark parts in the photograph are the shadows from the objects and what is left of the trees. The darkness of the rubble and the mountains in the background represent the present. The people that faced the aftermath of the bombing are trapped with the idea that everything is destroyed and that there is no escaping. The sky and rubble in the foreground are both light. The lightness of the sky symbolizes the freedom and hope of the future. After everyone recovers and is finally able to start over, people can look up and see the light and what is their futures. The contrast between the light and dark colors signifies the differences in the outlooks of the devastation of the effects the bombing had on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

There are many lines, especially at the bottom because that is where to rubble is located in the photograph. Small lines fill the bottom because it is compacted with many objects. Because there are so many lines, it makes it look like there is a plentiful amount of rubble from the explosion. The more rubble there is, the worse the effects look from the bombing. People feel even more remorse for the hardships and destruction because of the what looks like endless amount of damage. 

The photo looks like it is taken a long time ago, with an older camera. This vintage look contributes to its gloomy mood. The author used this specific picture on purpose because of the mood viewers get from the lines that are in the picture. Phillip wants people to view the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima as gloomy and dreary because that is how the people during that time felt when they saw their homes and all their belonging burned and destroyed. The vintage look created by the lines set the mood of the photograph before someone even has the chance to look at the picture more deeply. The lines also give the picture a grainy texture. The rubble looks as if it is covered in dots because the lines make the rubble and the lines that go down the picture intersect. This also contributes greatly to the vintage, old look the photographer wants people to notice. 

Because this is a photo that was taken, the picture looks very realistic. The realism of this photo proves to people that the devastation and destruction that is captured in this picture is real. People may not be aware of how awful the whole occurrence was but after viewing the many qualities of this photo, people begin to realize just how real the bombing was. Not only can viewers see how much was destroyed, but they can imagine how people were affected by such a tragic and horrible event. 

This photo overall contains all the qualities that show the destruction and devastation of the bombing. The lines, colors, texture and much more contribute to the meaning of this photograph. It is a picture of the destruction of a very large area but it also can help people imagine how horrific it must have been for people to actually experience the bombing. This picture puts viewers in the shoes of those who faced the tragedy and makes people feel remorseful for the struggles and hardships they had to face to overcome such a horrific event. People were forced to recover from such a difficult time. Because they lost so much such as, their homes, friends and family it took them a very long time to recover from this tragic event. The photograph accurately depicts how horrific the damages were and how much people were forced to recover.

