One of the most powerful photos from the many Black Lives Matter protests is circling throughout the media, getting widespread attention and praise. The photo is of a black woman standing completely still as two cops rush at her. Even though we, as the viewers, do not know the background information to go along with this photo by just looking at it, one can still see very clearly why it might be considered powerful by so many people, no matter what side of the situation one is on. Through proximity, contrast, and symbolism, the photographer depicts a clear message of bravery in the protester, and that if one believes in something or stands for something wholeheartedly, they should never back down from that belief no matter what.

The photographer uses many tactics of proximity in this photo to make it as powerful as it is and to truly get the message across. You see right away when you look at the photo how completely still the black woman appears and that, by the look on her face, she is not going to move no matter what is said to her. Proximity comes into play again when you see the cops rushing full-speed at her. The photo was taken right as the cops approached her, almost inches away, which makes us as the viewers wonder what is going to happen next and even wonder what the black woman did that made the cops run at her like that. That cliff-hanging sense pulls us as the viewers in and makes us look at the photo more closely. Proximity also comes into play as you look deeper into the image and see the rows and rows of more cops behind the two cops advancing on the woman. That gives a very intimidating feel to the picture and makes me wonder if the photographer made sure to include the cops in the background to evoke a sense of fear from anyone who is viewing the image. Had there only been those two cops in the front in the image, the viewers probably would have gotten less of an intimidating sense from the photograph. Adding those rows and rows of cops in the background makes the image more powerful as a whole and helps to instill fear in whoever may be viewing the image. The photo also shows just how truly brave the woman is for standing up against an entire “army” of cops, just because she is that passionate in what she believes in, and refuses to let anyone get in her way of that.

Along with the widespread use of proximity throughout the image, the photographer also used a great deal of contrast in photographing this image. The dark colors in the cop uniforms and the woman’s outfit, along with the cops’ dark face masks and protective gear gives a sense of fear and intimidation and makes the picture a lot more powerful, had the woman or the cops been wearing bright colors. The color of the woman’s outfit, grey and black, on top of the asphalt, that is just grey, makes the woman literally look 3-D to me. Those colors truly bring her out and are actually what caught my attention first. The bright green from the tree and the grass in the background bring her out even more, along with the cops as well, and make them stand out so much more. Had there not been a bright green tree in the background, and maybe a normal building instead, the colors of the woman and the cops wouldn’t have popped out as much on top of the background of the tree. The way the contrast is functioning throughout this photo, with the dull colors in the foreground along with the bright colors in the background to make them stand out more, makes the picture have the powerful meaning that it does, along with making it seem so real, almost as if the viewers are right there inside the picture.

Lastly, along with the proximity and contrast that the photographer brought together in this image, he also uses a great deal of symbolism. All of the cops are holding massive weapons in their hands, which represents how they are ready to take action in any event that may happen. Although they are not holding the weapons high up in this photo, they still have them to where they can be seen, to show the people protesting that if they need to do something in order to enforce the law, then they will. They also have a wide variety of very extreme protective gear on to represent a sense of invincibility. Another symbol recognizable in this image are the zip tie cuffs so prominently centered in the middle of the photo and very emphasized through their contrast. Zip ties are used by cops to control crowds during a riot or just whenever handcuffs aren’t available. Even though the zip ties aren’t actually being used on anyone in this photo, they are still there and shown very obviously to represent a sense of entrapment and to show what obviously can be done and how they can be used, given the situation. Lastly, the look on the woman’s face symbolizes how passionate she is about what she is protesting, and that no matter what is said or done to her, she will continue to take a stand and fight for what she believes in, regardless of what any higher authority does to impede her.

These three tactics used in the photographer’s image: proximity, contrast, and symbolism truly bring together the picture and make it what it is. The photographer did a great job of making sure to capture all of these aspects in the photograph and without these important details, we as the viewers would not have gotten the message that we did from this image, which is to never give up for what you believe in no matter what tries to stop you.
