Pessimism will engulf the environment in one moment if the world allows it to do so. The media is so quick to flood the minds of every individual with images of poverty, despair, and injustice; but when it comes to good news of achievements and success it has to be searched for. Unfortunately,  many photographers have given up their careers of capturing inspirational images for a collection of images evoking fear and turmoil to a world of lost people. In Andrew Biraj's photograph, featured  in the Len's Blog he uses symmetry, contrast, warm colors and a powerful focal point to illustrate the powerful theme of optimism amidst oppression.

In Biraj's photograph, the proportion of the piles of waste in comparison to the rest of the photo is massive. As the photographer, he uses symmetry with the sizes of waste piles to illustrate the massiveness of each and every day struggles. The waste piles massive size embody the size of the struggles the viewers face on a daily basis. The photo portrays life as if it is one equally overwhelming situation to the next. The small child in the middle of the piles is illustrating how the viewer of the photo can be optimistic all the while they are facing an overwhelming mound of tribulation. This photo prompts the viewer to decide will they freely jump into their next challenge or will they to succumb to their surrounding environment? Though the piles are both substantial in size, and though the viewers current endeavor may seem overwhelming, it is up to each  individual to decide how to spend their life. 

The photographer also evokes inspiration to  the viewer through his exposure of contrasting colors in the sky. The contrasting colors in the sunset among the clouds of  pollution serves to illuminate beauty amidst agony. The pollution in the sky directly illustrates the negative impact of humans on the natural environment. The array of colors in the sunset serve as a appealing representation of the entirety of life. Although people in the surrounding environment have the power to affect the life of an individual, this photo conveys the opportunity individuals have to see beauty amongst the many clouds of pollution. The sunset in this photo is also intentionally portrayed as the background of the photo. The piles of waste, represent the closeness of everyday trials, but the sunset as a background, serves to portray that life envelopes more than our present struggles. The radiance of the sunset peering through the pollution and the piles of waste conveys the viewer's choice to be optimistic rather than oppressed.

Although viewers have the choice to be optimistic or pessimistic, Biraj uses a display of warm colors to persuade the viewers, and ultimately to encourage optimism. Warm colors in a photograph tend to advance towards the viewer whereas cool colors recede away toward the background (Handout 1). The warm colors in the photograph are present through the child in colors of brown and red; while the cool colors are apparent through the piles of waste and an un-developed city. The warm colors illustrated through the child inspire the viewer to draw close to the same decision the child has made to be confident in his/her decision to chose optimism over oppression. The aura of colors on display highlights the importance and the benefit of having an optimistic perspective in the middle of various circumstances.

The focal point of this illustration spotlights the choice individuals have to control the perspective of  life. The focal point is the small child wearing red pants. In this photo the child is freely jumping with his arms wide open, from one pile of waste to the next. The child itself is a representation of optimism over oppression, demonstrated through his red pants. The color of the child's pants is paramount when considering the message the photograph is conveying. Red, the color of the pants, is a color not only associated with danger and war, but also with desire and passion (Web 1). His pants serve as a representation of his surrounding environment of war and danger, but his arms wide open symbolize the desire and the decision to live a better life. This focal point of the photograph conveys the decision to be an optimist although the surrounding environment may give an individual all the reasons not to be.

Andrew Biraj's photograph is beautiful display of the surrounding world and the decision individuals have to control their perception. He includes symmetry to illustrate the size of present trials, contrast to demonstrate the entirety of life, warm and cool colors to inspire optimism, and a powerful focal point to convey perception is in the eye of the beholder. It is through these elements that it answers the question, "Why is the child so happy?" Despite the waste and pollution of the environment, this photograph illustrates the beauty of choosing a perception of optimism amidst oppression.
