Michael Pearson was a reporter at the Greek island of Lesbos when there were migrants and refugees getting off a fishing boat after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey.  He took this photograph and wrote an article on this event for CNN to spread his message to the world.  His photograph sends the message that the problems we constantly face are nothing extraordinary compared to the problems that the refugees face every day.  It is meant to enhance focus on the dangers and risks that the refugees face as they seek a safer place to live.  The argument of this photograph is highlighted by different elements such as setting, color, people, symbols, and placement.  These elements help support that our problems aren’t as dreadful as we might think.  Refugees and migrants have to deal with issues that are way more burdensome than some of us can even imagine.  Once we realize how a great deal of people cope with their problems of just trying to survive, we will see our problems in a different light.  Michael Pearson wanted to encourage everyone to take note of these terrible situations around the world by doing what we can to help prevent these situations from occurring in the future. 

The element of people is a key element in this photograph.  The majority of the people are holding hands trying to help each other or grasping each other for safety and comfort.  They don’t have anyone to turn to for help or comfort besides each other so they do this by embracing the presence of one another.  The man on the right cradling a child in his arms is a good example of the people trying to comfort one another.  This child needed someone to look over them and this man took initiative during this hard time.  Their facial expressions also play a huge role in expressing the emotions of sadness, nervousness, and concern to the viewers.  Most of the people are looking at each other trying to help but there is one lady on the boat looking out toward the viewer as if she is asking the viewer for assistance.  This element of the lady looking at the viewer helps draw the viewer into the photograph and almost feel like they are a part of it.  This could be one way that Pearson is trying to get the message across that we need to lend a helping hand to the refugees.  He put an emphasis on the boy being handed over from the boat to the island because it is in the center of the photograph so the viewer looks directly at it.  It shows that the refugees had to make risky decisions in order to survive.  Handing a child over rough waters and rocks is extremely risky but necessary for them to reach a safer place and have a better chance of survival.  I empathize with the people in this photograph because seeing them going through a tragedy like this and having to leave their home behind breaks my heart.  No one should have to go through a tragedy like this that involves life or death situations. 

Another element that plays a major role in the photograph is the setting. The sky is dark and cloudy which signals that a storm could be coming.  The ocean is also dark, wavy, and rough which is also a sign of a storm and danger.  The sky and the ocean makes the photograph have a dangerous, scary, and risky effect which helps set the gloomy mood and emotions that the viewer should feel.  They are going through a tragedy and loss at this point in time so the setting helps the viewer know and feel how terrible this actually is.  

Three other elements that are incorporated into this photograph are symbols, color, and placement.  The bright orange life jackets are symbols of safety and hope for the refugees.  Lifejackets are made to save you from drowning but they also are a sign of hope for a better life in the future whether it is in a new place or back at home after the tragedy.  They are bright orange so it catches the eye of the viewer and so they know that the meaning of the lifejackets is important to the photograph.  The rest of the colors in the photograph are realistic so the viewer knows that these problems actually occur around the world.  The photograph was taken so that the boy being handed over the water was placed in the center to obtain significance.  The remaining part of the island and the ocean is cut out of the photograph because the photographer wanted the focus only on what is in the frame.  Other things could be occurring outside of the photograph that could alter the perspective and emotions of the viewer or tell a different story.  

Other refugees and migrants can relate to this story because they have all probably gone through some of the same problems that these refugees are dealing with now.  Some people might not find this story believable or interesting because they are oblivious to the world around them and only care about themselves.  The purpose of this photograph is to inform people that problems like this actually happen and to show them some of the dangers and risks that come with being a refugee or migrant.  The intended viewers of the photograph are everyone around the world that could possibly do something to help prevent these problems from occurring in the future. 

In conclusion, this photograph uses several elements and techniques to show that the problems that the refugees have to deal with every day are far more dangerous and risky than the little problems that we encounter daily.  The elements of people, setting, colors, symbols, and placement help support this argument.  The message that Pearson is trying to convey is that we need to be aware of these terrible situations that are occurring around the world and do something to prevent them from happening again.  
