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, tells 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 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 indicating the area’s susceptibility to fires or explosions and that 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, the viewer 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. This also may be an indication that danger is near. 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, the viewer could assume that he no longer has family because they would most likely be protecting him if there were 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 already fled to safety, where the little boy is fleeing 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 reaching for something they want. In this case, the boy is reaching out to the next pile suggesting 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, the viewer 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 and the boy, the viewer can conclude that this hut is potential shelter for the child.

At first glance, some may perceive the child to be playing around, rather than running in fear. The viewer 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 visible 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 photograph. That question supports the idea that there is no danger, considering someone stood there to take the photo. A viewer may believe that to be true, but there is no way to identify, without research, if the photo was taken manually by a photographer or automatically with the click of a button. Although all of those points are valid, the viewer must look outside of the main viewpoint 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, viewers can draw many conclusions about the area and the child’s well-being. 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 they lack the 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. They also allow viewers to draw conclusions from different aspects throughout the frame to create their own story and their own perspective of the scene.
