
While many people may know of the war and poverty experienced in other countries, nobody experiences this quite like children, and nothing shows this better than a photograph. Andrew Biraj’s photograph shows a child in Bangladesh jumping from pile to pile of tannery waste, acting as if the area were a playground. The child’s face looks to be one of joy, which heavily contradicts the dreary and heavy natured background of the rest of the photograph. By looking at the color contrast, repetition, alignment, and angle of the photograph, we can see the author is portraying a childlike view, which most viewers don’t see; this is important because it relates to the overall message of showing that children experience and observe the effects of war and poverty, and wanting to make people aware of this tragedy and compel them to take action.  

The photographer uses color contrast multiple times throughout the photo to depict a dreary reality in the midst of the child’s joy. The piles of bright, light-tans contrast heavily against the intense blackness of the hut in the upper left corner of the photo. The shadows under the hut add darkness to the overall feel of the picture, while the white waste from the tannery balances out the black and adds a feel of despair due to the overall torn and trashed look of the tans. The dark skin of the child also is a contrast with the hazy blue and gray skies in the background of the picture, which causes your eyes to immediately be drawn to the child and his seemingly happy facial expression. Upon further inspection of the photo viewers can see the background is barren and covered in soot, and not a place most would be smiling and playing in. This depicts the sad reality of millions of children around the world who live in poverty and war struck areas and must make the best out of the situations given to them. 

The photograph uses repetition in such a way that shows the child is alone in what seems to be an area of trash. The white piles the child is playing on are piles of tannery waste and due to the overwhelmingly large amount of them in the picture, it makes the area seem like much more of a wasteland than anything close to somewhere a child should be playing. Other than just showing the places immense waste field, the repetition also causes the viewers to notice rather quickly that the child is alone. It is obvious to most viewers that this area is not where a child should be playing unsupervised, and it leads to a feeling of concern for the child and his safety. Although viewers are feeling this intense worry, the child does not seem to be bothered by being alone whatsoever, meaning that he may be used to this type of situation. The repetition in this photograph solidifies that the child is comfortable in this place, and that his activities are normal for him. This level of comfort can only come from having had to grow up using a waste dumping ground as a play area and most likely not knowing that this may be considered concerning to some, because it is all he has ever known.

Alignment is working within the photograph to clearly and quickly show that the focal point of this picture is the child. The way the background of the photo is somewhat hazy, unclear, and unfocused and the way the child is so sharply contradicting this makes your attention immediately drawn to the child. This is interesting because the background of this picture tells a lot more details to the viewer such as time and place, but more emphasis is put on the boy. This clear focal point allows viewers to get a clear idea of the picture’s purpose of depicting poverty’s effect on children. The alignment of the child also draws your attention because viewers can see that he is propelled in the air, bringing concern to the picture because people tend to be very protective of children. Seeing this child not safely on the ground can bring a sense of distress and concern into the photograph. The child being the main focal point in this photo allows viewers to realize the true effects that poverty has on children and their lives.

The angle of the photograph is used to depict an image of a child playing alone in what seems to be an area of poverty and warlike happenings. From what viewers can see, there is nobody behind or around the child, and the photographer’s camera is pointed in a direction in which the photo will capture the tarnished buildings in the background. This creates a sense of a dreary, saddening area for those who view the picture, but it may be not as barren as we think. There is a possibility that there are people behind the photographer and that the place is not deserted other than the lonesome child. There is also the possibility that the background would not look as it does from a different angle. From a different point of view maybe the picture would seem less barren, giving the picture a much different overall mood. The picture is also taken on the ground at standing level and not on top of the tans as the child is. This portrays the child at a higher height, comparable to the type of angle you would see a picture of a child playing at a playground. This gives the idea that the child is using this area as a playground, which puts a slight spin on the overall dreary mood of the picture because it shows a child in a way that they should be portrayed. The upward angle gives hope that this child will overcome the challenges that are ahead. It is at this angle especially, that viewers notice the bright red color of the boy’s shorts. The shorts stand out so strikingly against the dull background and give the picture a more playful tone. The bright color reminds viewers of the young age of the child and allows them to see a sense of hope in the photo.

Through the contrast, repetition, alignment, and angles within this photograph, viewers gain a better understanding of the pictures main goal to depict what life is like for a child who is growing up constantly surrounded by poverty and war. These key elements help to make this photo so impactful on those who see it and something that stays with people in the back of their minds. The picture forces you to feel something for the child and about the place and situation. It affects peoples mood and causes them to think for a second about how much they should be thankful for, and the very difficult lives led by those not as fortunate as them in countries tarnished by the effects of war and poverty, especially that of children. 
