Many individuals do not experience or understand the hardships that occurred in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri. Thankfully, we have photographers like Scott Olsen, who can capture and provide the powerful images given in the photo essay, Ferguson: Uncensored. The facial expressions allow others to take a little closer look and think about the injustices that occur in America.  Though these images show different aspects of the protest in Ferguson, they also share similar themes of emotion in multiple shots and allow outsiders to see through his eyes the pain and tragedy of that day. 

In the image “Turned Away”, a woman is shown holding a young child and being turned away by the police. This image stands out from all of the other shots in this essay for many reasons with one being the fact that she is not African American.  The anger she appears to be feeling as revealed in her facial expression is that of disgust at the situation. The focus of this camera angle is on her and her child, which shows that anyone can take a stand against racial inequality. It shows that there are more forward thinking people in the world and though it remains present, racial inequality is an issue that all people are willing to stand against.  

When looking closer, there is also pain and distress on their faces in this shot that catch the eye; the facial expression of the mother and child as well as the words written on their bodies. Both the woman and the child look as if they could burst into tears at any given second and show the fear they are facing in the uncertainty of the event. This allows the audience to connect with the woman and child and allows them to feel how distraught the mother appears to be at the death of Michael Brown. The letters on the center of the woman’s chest read “FTP”, which is the acronym for the infamous “Fuck the Police” saying. When focusing more intensely on the child’s arm, one can depict that it reads “NO JUSTICE”. The combination of these two aspects of this image are a representation of the people of Ferguson. They do not feel that these misfortunes were justified and they are tired of the discrimination. 

The picture “Under Attack” also uses facial expressions to make the viewer feel what this individual is feeling through pain and heat exhaustion. This is a close up shot of a woman receiving help in flushing the tear gas from her eyes with water. Her face emotes pain from the tear gas she was caught in, yet also relief from the gas being washed away by the water. This image is able to capture both the strong yearning for liberation from the gas and the moment where she actually feels the pain slowly start to unravel. This shows that sometimes the cause you are fighting for may be difficult and agonizing, but the outcome will be all worth it.  

Not a single picture in this collection is as powerful as “Lesley McSpadden”. This mid-range shot is angled slightly upward so that one can see the strength of a woman, even in a dark time as she raises her hands in praise. Though she looks as if she were crying and seeking comfort in being at church, the main emotion on her face is pure power. She is empowered through her faith and will not stand for the terrible actions that have been enacted around her towards her community or her family. Another key factor in the picture is the big hanging cross in the background, which could display strength through faith in God that the people of the community may cling to in desperate times such as these.  Despite these terrible instances in her life, her facial expressions reveal strength in times of controversy and peace that comes through her faith in God.

The images selected by the writer allow the viewer to convey feelings that stir up emotions so that those who do not “see” or experience racial inequality can catch a glimpse of the intensity of emotion that it provokes. It is evident that inequality is a strong presence when events such as this occur, however, the reality of this is that it is actually present, even when there is not a camera to record it.  In the midst of a tumultuous situation, people of all corners of the city united for what they believed in.  They stood together for changes they want to see in their community, however even in their unity, there is anger and uncertainty on their faces.  Their expressions show hope for change and peace in the midst of times in which they are completely out of control. 

The repeating visual motif is facial expression; finding a way to make the audience feel the sadness, pain, and power that these individuals are feeling. The face is usually the first thing one looks at in a picture to attempt to reveal not only what the subject has experienced but also what the photographer is trying to capture. Most of the images shot from the events in Ferguson show pain, anger and turmoil, however, those that show the fear in a child’s eyes allow the viewer to empathize on a purely child-like level.  So many emotions and feelings bring out the human side of good and bad situations and only the best photographers can capture such imagery as Mr. Olsen has.  