
In Tim Dickinson’s “Ferguson Uncensored” we are presented with words and images illustrating the tension between black rights protesters and law enforcement. With the help of photographer Scott Olson he encaptures the raw emotion after the shooting of Michael Brown and specifically in this photo from the Hands Up, Don’t Shoot protest. A very similar picture was taken by Jeff Robertson for an article Zoe Carpenter wrote for the Nation. This article for the Nation embodied the same ideas as Dickinson’s story, but obviously included a different photo. These images from the protest are very similar, but each has slight differences. Each of the photos slight differences presents new information which is based on the camera angle and editing tools the photographer uses. It allows us to gather more on the storyline being told by using these different photographic techniques. We get to see more of both photographers’ styles by viewing both pictures from the same situation.  Even though the same message is being expressed in both photos, the use of different angles and editing tools allows us to pick up on different information present in each picture the photographer took. 

In the photo done by Robertson we see lots of photographic action happening. Straight in the middle of the scene is a black man with his back turned to us with his hands up. Right in front of this black man is lots of SWAT police walking towards his direction. We know the direction the cops are walking in based on the movement we see in their feet. The black man on the other hand is hard to see if he is moving towards or away from the cops. This movement in the photo allows us to realize this is an action shot being taken. Also, we know from the photo that this is a wide shot. A wide shot allows us to gather all the information from the scene. In this scene it helps us further gather information of the cops we see that are further away and the red/blue lights on the fence that are most likely from a cop car. The one thing that is very important is that both the cops and the man are in focus together which draws our attention to both not just one and the other. Another important thing to notice is that only two of the SWAT police have their guns raised at the man with his hands up. This makes this scene still intimidation but less threatening than if all had the guns raised. Also to make aware there is little to no editing done to this photograph which goes hand and hand with the fact that it is a raw emotion shot with lots of action happening in it. The use of wide shot and little to no editing is very important in this photo by Robertson because we gather all the information necessary to make assumptions that this is a serious scene reflecting what Zoe Carpenter wrote about in her article about Ferguson. This scene allows us to feel the emotion, but it’s raw and isn’t overly showy for what’s happening. The photo by Robertson is very natural and encaptures the protests of Ferguson without being over the top.

The photo done by Olsen shares the same message about protests in Ferguson but gives us more dramatic evidence than Robertson’s. As in the other scene the same main characters in the photograph are the black man with his hands up and the SWAT police. Unlike the other photo this is wide angle but it is taken from slightly a different spot. The other angle was directly behind the black man where this one is from the side and slightly farther away. With a different angle we are given more evidence like the mailbox with the phrase “Fuck the Police” written on it. Another major difference is the lack of motion of the black man in this photo. It looks as though the man with his hands raise is standing still and the police are stepping towards him. This gives more of a look of innocence and vulnerability to this man because he is just standing there with hands up not really doing anything while the police look like they are coming full force at him with guns raised. Unlike the other photo where only two men have their guns raised, all the SWAT police have their guns raised at this man making him look even more vulnerable and the police more intimidating. The biggest difference between both these scenes has to be the use of editing done in the photo. In this photo there was obvious color enhancement. Looking at the other photo we noticed the dullness of the colors around unlike here where the wall in the background we see the bright red and the color of the man’s shirt is much brighter and noticeable. This use of color enhancement adds more of a dramatic effect to the scene and draw as you to look around at everything present. Another editing technique that was applied was making the police in focus and the man with hands up not. This focuses your attention on the police more than the man. Olsen’s photo is very much more dramatic through the use of these editing techniques. It brings about a more serious tone of the issues happening in Ferguson through a very showy, but more emotional view. 

These two photos truly share the same message, but express different information in both. Through Robertson’s photo we get a grittier, realistic action shot of what is happening in Ferguson. It allows us to look at both the police and the man in the photo and everything that is happening around with a true sincerity. Olsen’s photo on the other hand with all the editing techniques is showier in the moment photo. This photo with the editing puts more focus on the police making the man with his hands raised look more vulnerable in the scene. Though both scenes use different techniques the same message is getting across to the viewers. Both photographers use a wide shot which allows the viewer to take in as much information from the scene as possible. Though that information is slightly different we get the main message of the Ferguson protests and what the Hands Up, Don't’ Shoot protest really encaptures. Amazingly both photographers do a great job of relaying their information across to those viewing it even though both have different forms of expressing it. This shows how each perspective of a person is different and how the more perspectives there are the more we learn and specifically in this case the more we can learn from a photo and what’s happening in it. 
