
Saturday, October 8th, 2016 was a day that will be remembered in history for the South Carolina coast. It was early in the morning, not even time for the sun to rise. Winds were howling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour in the small coastal town of Edisto Beach. Water came in at record levels, leaving washed away dunes and damaged property. The wall of water was so great, it came all the way to the inland roads. Hurricane Matthew had made its appearance. Many people had fled inland in South Carolina for safety, leaving Edisto Beach a ghost town.  As the storm made its way up to coast and left Edisto Beach, pictures of the damage began to overwhelm the internet. One picture in particular caught the eye of many. Here an Edisto Beach police officer stands over the remains of a house which was leveled by Hurricane Matthew. When one looks at this photo, the focus, color, and things found in the shadows can give someone a wide range of emotions, but the picture brings a sense of both sadness and hope to one’s mind. 

When first looking at this picture, your eyes seem to be drawn to the wreckage of the house. This is in fact due to the focus of the picture. This is what the photographer wanted people who view this photo to see first. By focusing on the rubble and blurring the objects in the back ground, the photographer is able to pull the emotion of sadness from his/her viewers. This was someone’s home were memories were made and within hours it was all lost. As the viewer begins to look around the photo, they see other things that are not in focus. One thing that is seen is the other homes that are still standing. These homes seem to have withstood the strong winds. By seeing this, it shows that not everything at Edisto Beach was a lost. This gives the people of Edisto Beach a sense of hope that maybe their home was not damaged in the storm. The last thing that is not in focus in the picture is the police officer. During the storm, there were some first responders who stayed on Edisto Beach. They were the first ones out to survey the area and check the destruction. By seeing him standing over the rubble of the house, it gives a sense of relief. This is due to the fact that it gives people a sense of community. Whether it is the first responders or neighbors, as a community they will come together to rebuild Edisto Beach. By having the wreckage of the house in focus, and things such as the two houses and the police officer out of focus, it allows the picture to sink into its viewer to pull out these two emotions. 

The next aspect to look at when seeing this picture are the colors that are present. In this photo the two main colors would be, blue from the clouds and the orange from the sun set. The reason these two colors are important in this picture, is because they are two contrasting colors. This means these two colors are easy to distinguish. After the viewer has looked at the wreckage of the house, they may notice the sky. Here they see the clouds that are left over from the storm. These clouds are a shades of blue. The color blue seems to be a calming color to the human eye and this is how it is viewed here. Even with the color being present in clouds that look a bit scary, one can still get a sense of hope out of this devastation. This is because the storm is over. Everything may not be perfect, but the most important thing is that the storm has passed and viewer has not lost their life from the storm. When looking at the orange sunset, it helps to reinforce this feeling of hope. A sunset helps to calm the mind and ease it. It allows one to sit and reflect on just how lucky and fortunate they are to have survived such a major historical event. These two colors found in the picture, pull emotions out of their viewer because of what they symbolize, calming and relaxation.

Finally with the sense of sadness this picture projects there is still a feeling of hope that can be found in the shadows of the picture. When first looking at the picture as a whole, the sadness of the devastation is overwhelming. When looking deeper into the picture however, it’s what can be found in the shadows that helps revive that sense of hope. When looking, even though one house is totally destroyed, two more still stand. These homes show that there is strength in a time of darkness. These homes were able to withstand winds that exceeded 100 miles per hour, so this shows just how strong they are. This strength can be radiated into the people of Edisto Beach. It is the strength to come together as a community and to rebuild. The strength to know that they have survived and things can be rebuilt, but a life cannot be replaced.  The police officer is a reminder of the future. He is what makes the picture as powerful as it is. In today’s society, police officers seem to be viewed badly. People seem to hate them and even want to hurt them. In this picture, it is hard to feel that way. Here is someone who risked his life during Hurricane Matthew to make sure those who stayed were safe. They also made sure that the residents of Edisto Beach’s homes were not looted during the storm. By seeing this police officer stand over the rubble, it provides a sense of comfort. This comfort allows for there to be hope. Hope that allows residents that are returning to their homes in Edisto Beach to realize that there will be help to rebuild. People will come to help clean up and pick up the pieces. People are there to help them rebuild what is lost, and move forward in their life. This police officer can also strike emotions with people that were not even affected by the storm. It shows even with all the negativity police officers face, they are still doing their job. A job in which they protect and serve. Even in times of great need, like after a major Hurricane, they will be there to do their job. They will be there to make sure people are safe and that their homes are protected. When looking at the shadows of any picture, key details can be found. It just so happens that what is found in the shadows of this particular picture is hope.

Due to the elements of focus, color, and what can be found in the shadows of the picture, all these elements come together to give the picture a sense of sadness at first, but hope as it is studied in more detail. What makes this picture such a powerful image is the fact that it can hit home to not only people affected by the Hurricane, but people around the world. For the people of Edisto Beach, as well as all those affected by the storm, it shows that there is hope in a time of destruction. Yes this a very sad time, but the homes that have weathered the storm give strength. The police officer standing shows there will be help, and things will be safe. To the people around the world, it shows not all police officers are bad. It shows that many of them are good people just trying to do their job. Hurricane Matthew was one of the worse hurricanes to hit the South Carolina coast, but this photo shows that in the long run, things will return to normal. Homes will be rebuilt, and Hurricane Matthew will be a distant memory. A storm may shake us, but it will not break us. 
