Any image can spark many emotions, but photographs especially bring about many strong feelings along with opinions and beliefs. Every photograph, whether it was taken with purpose or by accident, holds a story. In this photograph, a young boy living in an impoverished country is captured leaping from one pile of trash to another. This photo captures the harsh reality that people face in countries affected by poverty and disaster. I argue that the child in this photo is running in fear from an explosion site, trying to make it to shelter safely and quickly. Many aspects within the depths of this photograph lead to the conclusion that this child lives in a poverty-stricken, potentially extremely dangerous area.

Within this photograph, there are many details that support the argument that this child is running from a dangerous area. For one, the abundance of smoke in the surrounding area brings one to think that there may be a fire or an explosion of some sort in the area. Although the frame of the photograph is not wide enough to show actual flames, the fact that there is smoke in the area indicates that the fire or explosion is close in relation to the child. Also, in the background of the photo, there are many buildings that appear to be old factories, which could easily cause an explosion. Other structures in the further depth of the picture seem to be damaged and destroyed which means that this area may be susceptible to fires or explosions and the area has been affected by disaster in the past.

Another important aspect of this photograph is the lack of other people. If the child was simply playing around, one may expect other children or people in the photo as well. The fact that the child is alone in the frame suggests that he may not have a family anymore to protect him and also that the danger is likely close to him. Since the area appears to be susceptible to disaster, it is likely that people are often killed or injured in these situations. If the child is in danger, one could conclude that he no longer has family because they would most likely be aiding him if there was a potential threat. The lack of any other person in the photograph means that the danger is likely to be near the area and others have most likely already fled to get to safety, which is where the little boy is headed to as well. 

The child’s body language is an important aspect of the photograph as well. First, the child is jumping from one pile of trash to another with his arms reaching out. The child’s feet are still almost touching the pile that he is jumping from, indicating that he just jumped. Also, his body is leaning forward, indicating that he is jumping forward onto the next pile, away from the threat. The child is jumping with open arms, just as a child would do if they were trying to get someone to pick them up, or if they were reaching for something they want. In this case, the boy is reaching out to the next pile indicating that he wants to go there, a further point from the danger. Also, the little boy’s mouth is open because he is screaming in fear and for help from others. Lastly, the child’s ribs and lack of clothing are an indication that he is living in an impoverished area and may not have family to help support him. 

To the left of the frame, there is a damaged, hut-looking structure. Since the child is running toward that structure, one could infer that there was shelter and safety there. The neat piles of trash throughout the frame indicate that people nearby clean up any debris left after a disaster. The two white piles that the boy is between are also neatly piled up. One can infer that under this hut lies a rescue team and that is the little boy’s destination. With the relative location to the neat piles throughout all depths of the picture and the boy, it can be said that this is potential shelter for the child.

At first glance, some may perceive the child to be playing around, rather than running in fear. One may think this because in the frame of the photograph, no danger or threat is visible. Also, one cannot see the child’s face straight-on, so there is no obvious expression of fear or sadness. Another point is that there does not seem to be a certain destination that the little boy is heading for, he is just jumping from one pile of trash to the next, which could be a playful game for him. One question that a viewer may have is who took the photo and why they are not running from the danger, or helping the child, but are instead standing still to capture this child in motion. That question supports the idea that there is no danger, considering someone stood there to take the photo. One may believe that to be true, but there is no way to identify, without doing research, if the photo was taken by a photographer, or on a tripod that was already set up and ready to shoot with the click of a button. Although all of those points are valid, one must look outside of the main point of the photograph in order to evaluate the situation. With the surrounding smoke, lack of other people, the child’s open mouth, along with other factors, there is plenty of evidence that brings about the thought that this child may be running from danger.

By looking at this photograph, many conclusions about the area and the child’s well-being can be made. The child’s lack of clothing, facial expression, and body position show the viewer that he is living in poverty and he is in danger and running in fear. The depth of the photograph shows damaged and destroyed property, a sign that this area is often affected by disaster and there is not enough money to repair the damages. The smoke in the air is the main piece of evidence that suggests that there is danger around. The child is running away from the explosion to nearby safety in the hut. Photographs can draw an abundance of emotions, thoughts, and ideas from the viewers. Photos also allow viewers to draw conclusions from different aspects throughout the frame to create their own story and their own perspective of the scene.
