Freedom means different things to different people, depending on his or her perspective. Some people long for, and desire financial freedom in their lives, while others may seek true political freedom. In a nation, such as The United States of America, that was built on the foundations of justice and liberty for all, different freedoms can be found in different aspects of everyone’s lifestyle. Some people might view freedom through a lens that varies from another’s, skewing the meaning of what is seen, however not all forms of freedom can be misconstrued. In various countries, and even cultures, people experience a range of freedoms other than those in the United States because of laws, and beliefs. These freedom can be expressed to people in a variety of ways including through symbols, colors, and ceremonies, while at the same time, freedom can be misinterpreted based on the same factors, especially in photography. Complete liberation in one person’s perspective, may bring upon oppression in another’s and when dealing with messages through photography, perspective becomes a key element to deciphering what is being portrayed. Otherwise, someone may find freedom in areas that don’t truly have it. The photos and illustrations found in the photo essay titled “Freedom” by Cole Barker communicate many actual freedoms, each in their own unique way as well as challenge the perception of the freedoms that Americans are privileged to have, through his use of symbols and colors.

The first image of the Freedom Tower, also known as One World Trade Center, demonstrates a particular view of freedom through the form of a symbol, the building itself. As the 1776 foot high structure fills the gap in which the original World Trade Centers once stood, it casts an aurora of many different freedoms, all of which are granted to the American people by the United States Constitution, all of which the US armed forces fight to protect. With the building now forever standing, erect along the New York City skyline, its symbolic message of hope and liberty is broadcast throughout the entire world through the powerful history of the building. The particular image captures that message in a way different than another image may be able to, such as a photo taken from in front of the tower. This image is a long shot, with a wide frame which not only captures the whole building in all of its glory but the area of downtown Manhattan that surrounds it as well opposed to just a portrait of just the one tower. The photographer chose to include these surroundings to help to communicate the message of freedom in a clearer way, by showing the clear contrast it has to the rest of its neighborhood. He also uses the sky and its bright blue color to bring the happy sunny feeling to the viewer as they look at it. This contrast contributes to the idea of freedom by telling the viewer that in the face of terror, freedom, and the will to protect it is more powerful than the desire to destroy it because of how the light is shining off the building, surrounded by the rest of the cty. After the tragic events of 9/11, confidence within the United States was low, and the concept of freedom was being threatened. However, now with the aurora of freedom restored to the city, shown by the image of the powerful building towering over the prosperous, bright blue New York skyline, the feeling of power and freedom is restored as well broadcasted to all those able to see it especially through Barker’s photograph.

Barker’s next image gives a new view of freedom by capturing a piece of a ceremony, celebrating the arrival of personal freedom and the displaying the symbol that represents it. The image shows the author receiving his High School Diploma at his graduation ceremony, and artfully captures the importance of the moment. With the name of his now former school in the background, it is shown to the viewer that this part of his life if is now metaphorically and physically behind him and that there is more to come, represented by the empty foreground. Some cultures have different forms of celebrations for accomplishments such as completing four years of schooling, however this one in particular does so through the formal gifting of the symbolic, yet official, diploma. The full body shot captures the exact moment in which Barker was granted total freedom from the New York City education system and received his diploma, releasing him into the world of adulthood. The diploma in hand shows a culmination of four years of work and the official bestowment symbolizes the new and complete freedom to apply that knowledge in a whole new realm of life. Barker’s second image uses a new symbol, the diploma, in order to illustrate different meanings of freedom and the history which led up to it. The photo shows the effort put into achieving the standard of education required of US students and the new ability to take life and education in any direction one pleases.

The following image shows the basics of a typical “road trip,” where one embarks on an agenda-less journey through unfamiliar regions of the world. Theses trips are represented by the image of open roads and motorcycles in the photo, which themselves are symbols that represent freedom of motion,  untethered to any others, and the freedom to access any pathways in life. With this photo of fully packed motorcycles, a bright blue sky, beautiful landscape and a wide open road; it is communicated to the viewer that the riders of these vehicles are indeed free in its most rudimentary sense. They can freely stop wherever they would like, and in this instance it seems to be the side of this open road. The fact that this image shows two bikes, and no riders,  stopped shows that these people have no rush, and are able to live without responsibility, upon their own desires in the bright blue world ahead of them. The fact that you can not see who these ‘Free’ people are, gives the idea to the reader that it could be anyone experiencing this liberation. Barker’s image is showing freedom at its truest form. 

Barker’s second to last image starts to challenge the perception and understanding of freedom by showing an illustration of an encaged animal. The illustration depicts two bears sitting within a wooded enclosure and a mother and her child standing on the outside, pointing in. The deep green of the trees and bright blue small pond within the enclosure make the viewers and the bears believe that they are free to roam in the woods, when in fact there is another fence behind them. The happy colors and blissful child gripping his mothers arm help to paint a picture of a stereotypically peaceful, joyous scenario, however, the image is only shown through the eyes of someone standing with the people in the picture, not the animals. The author begins to portray the idea of a false freedom. The bears are being made to believe that they are in the wild, free and able to do as they please, but these helpless animals are trapped without knowing what that means, when the humans are free to look at them whenever they want. Barker then shows a deep green and black U.S. Army patch with the words “DEFENDERS OF OUR FREEDOM” in big yellow letters. The connecting colors and themes of these two images,  then brings up a dichotomy between being trapped versus being free. Barker wants to communicate through the use of symbols and colors that freedom may not always be what it seems. The bear thinks that it is free when in fact it is not, and the patch provides the implication that the people of the United States are free, however this author is suggesting that they in fact are only being made to believe so by including these similar photos together at the end of his essay. Barker’s use of the Army patch challenges what the army stands for by making his audience think about how true the freedoms that they fight for are. 

Barker went from showing his audience what freedom looks like as well as what it means, through his images of achievements, and use of joyous colors and symbols within them, but then starts to poke holes in that very idea. The addition of the caged bears, so peacefully sitting as if they were in the wild throws ideas of illusions into the concept of freedom, and makes the reader doubt the other things in which they have seen. He defines to all that his goal is to make his audience think, “what really is freedom?”, as he is explaining it all at the same time. 
