In a world constantly at war with each other, it is often easy to overlook the effect that war has on children. In most of today’s news reports, children are always shown in the middle of the crossfire, and they are having to cope with living in the heart of a war. Perhaps photographer Fernando Vergaro captured this very idea in his photograph of a young girl at a parade celebrating Colombia’s independence. While this photograph is not taken directly in the heart of a war, it does enable us to see the dramatic influence war has on young children. Through the photographer’s use of contrasting dark and light colors, selective focus, and the facial expression of the little girl, we are able to see the stain that war has on children’s innocence and how de-sensitizing war can become to children.

The contrasting colors of the photograph enable us as viewers to see the intense effect war has on children. In the background, the men are all wearing dark green uniforms with their faces painted black and green. They are holding guns, and their facial expressions are showing nearly no emotion. These darker colors often symbolize emotions of gloom, evil, and even malice, suggesting that with war comes sadness and despair. These colors are also dramatically conflicting with the colors of the young girl’s uniform, as she is dressed in a uniform that is all white. Her uniform is also decorated with bright, colorful badges. Her white clothing is representing her purity and innocence. Our eyes are drawn to her because the colors of her badges are so bright and vivid.  Because the background colors and the colors of the girl are so different, it forces the viewer to constantly look back and forth from the background to the young girl in the middle. This creates tension within the image, as the young girl is so vibrant and the soldiers are so dark and shadowy. This tension can be representative of the stain that war has on children and their purity. 

The child’s innocence and purity is seen through these colors in the photograph, and when you compare the colors it makes her appear to be displaced in the photo. Should she be there? Should she be exposed to guns and violence at such a young age? While this young girl is simply at a parade, she still stands as a representation for all the children around the world who are constantly being exposed to fighting and warfare. They are witnessing death and destruction, and it is stripping away their innocence. Young children are experiencing trauma very early on in life, forcing them to grow up way earlier than they should have to. Because of this, it becomes routine for many children. Constantly witnessing it makes it easier for them to become used to it. 

Secondly, the photographer’s deliberate choice to use selective focus helps to emphasis the child’s displacement in the photo. The entire background is blurry, which immediately draws our eye towards the young girl. Because of this, we know that she is meant to be the main concentration of the photograph. We are unable to decipher any real details from the background behind her. Also, the soldier’s bodies seem to almost flow together; whereas, the young girl’s appearance is very vivid, and we can see every little detail about her. We can see that her gloves are too big. We can see the glossiness of her belt and the brightness of her badges. We can see the liveliness in her face.

All of these things are meant to draw our focus towards the idea of children and their innocence throughout war. The focus could have been put on the guns that the soldiers are holding or their war face paint; however, placing the emphasis on the child and only the child forces us to think about her purpose in the photograph. It makes us as viewers focus our thought and attention more on the children who are experiencing war. While we do not always think about the children living through wars, they are still always being displaced by war violence. It is often hard to think about children who have dealt with the atrocities that come with war, but that does not mean that they should be forgotten or tossed aside. 

Lastly, the joyous facial expression of the young girl contrasted with the somber faces of the soldiers symbolizes the innocence of children in war and how desensitized they can become after experiencing war. The young girl’s face is in the very center of the photo. She is smiling directly at the camera, and we can tell that she is very happy. She is cheerful, of course, because she is at a parade; however, her expression symbolizes all children around 

the world who have experienced war. Amidst all of the trauma, children are still going to be cheerful and playful because they do not fully understand what is going on around them.  Often, children do not know any differently because they have grown up in war settings. They are very vulnerable because of this. Children can become so used to violence and hardship that it becomes so normal for them to witness it. Although they become used to it, it can still be emotionally scarring.

With children constantly being exposed to war violence all around the world, it is important to know how it is effecting them and what we can do moving forward. Fernando Vergaro’s photo captures the innocence and hardship that children face during war. Although this photo was taken at a parade, the little girl is still surrounded by violent figures such as guns and soldiers. Because children are growing up seeing these types of things, they may begin to think violence and war is the only way to solve issues. This is a problem, as violence should never be seen as the first point of action. By looking at this photograph, we should be inspired to think more about the children facing war violence every single day of their lives. Hopefully then/we can address this issue more directly, as no child should ever have to live through the traumas and hardships that come with war.
