Andrew Biraj snapped this striking photograph for a news article in Reuters. The New York Times also picked up the photograph for a slideshow highlighting photography, video and visual journalism. Biraj’s original article stated that the photograph was taken in a “slum area of Hazaribagh,” which may look like a dump or junkyard, but is actually the site of production for luxury leather items that are purchased globally. This image does indeed portray the message of the article, but it also portrays so much more than that. By looking at color, line, and type of shot used within this photograph, we see symbolism for danger and strength, embrace of a struggle, and an increased relation of the audience to an innocent child. This is significant as these elements serve to depict a greater narrative than that described in the article. This image captures the fact that a child will always have a sense of innocence and fun-loving nature, no matter how bleak his surroundings or desolate his condition is. 

When viewing this picture, my eyes were immediately drawn to the only subject within this photograph due to the contrast in color. Biraj smartly chose a bland background, consisting of neutral colors, which makes the character, who is darker than the background, with bright red wrapped shorts stand out. 

The red of the child’s shorts is highly symbolic within this image. Not only is the child surrounded by what appears to be a shantytown’s dump, which is dangerous and no place for a child to be found playing, but he is also literally wearing danger, as represented by the color red. In addition to meaning danger, the color red also symbolizes strength and power within this image. While this child is in danger, his facial expression and the red of his shorts show that he is embracing it. He is still ecstatic for the chance to be a kid and just jump around and play. The fact that he is able to still enjoy himself, even in these conditions, shows the power and strength of his personality, symbolized through the red shorts. 

The two piles of garbage, which are in fact tanned skins of cows, are another prominent feature of the photograph. Their colors are important, as they are a mix of grey, tan, and soiled whites. This mix of colors symbolizes many different concepts. Immediately, these colors lead the viewer to understand that the setting is dirty, dull, and dingy. All of these qualities are not what one would hope for a child to be associated with in any way. Yet, here it is. Grey can also affect the mind by inducing unsettling feelings. Within this photograph, this could not be more fitting, as viewers may feel a sense of protection over the child, wanting to save him from the distasteful environment he is currently portrayed within. 

The color grey has an association with loss. There is a cloud of black smoke that lays heavy within the background of this photograph. Together, these two colors further accentuate the death, sadness, and mourning that is evident within this image. The greys and black portrayed within this environment accentuate the smoke and pollution that is evident in Hazaribagh, which means that the life longevity of the people who live there must be cut short. This speculation can in fact be confirmed by reading the supplementing article, which sites a Human Rights Watch study finding that the workers, including their children, were “exposed to hazardous chemicals and often injured in horrific accidents.”

The lines used within this image cannot be unnoticed due to the emotional effect they have on viewers. In this photograph, Biraj uses the diagonal line of the child’s body to lead viewers further into the image and direct their attention towards the main subject of the photograph. This line communicates a sense of action and creates a dynamic image that almost appears in real-time, as the viewer can envision the child landing into the next pile of dirty cow skin. Instead of the child just standing vertically on a pile of tanning, the diagonal line of his body portrays the child-like playfulness that he posses, despite the depressing environment that is his home.

The line of the child’s body, along with his open arms, demonstrates that even in these desolate circumstances, he is embracing the struggle and making the best of his situation. The forward lean of his body displays him as leaning into his future destiny of probably working in this tanning factory, just as his parents did before him. 

The type of shot used for this photograph is meaningful. Biraj chose to use a long shot, for a variety of reasons. The child’s entire body is captured within the photograph, as is his direct environment (junkyard type dump) and the surrounding shantytown even further behind him. This long shot reinforces the vastness of the child’s location, making him appear so small in contrast to the dingy and desolate environment that surrounds him. Not only does he appear small, but he also appears isolated- a small beacon of hope, symbolizing innocence and child behaviors that appear to be slim and few within Hazaribagh. 

Even though the child appears tiny and isolated, at the same time, within the frame of the picture, he also seems so up close and personal, with the desolate town in the background. This allows the viewer to directly connect with the child, while still understanding the circumstances that he comes from. 

Because the piles of cow tanning materials are in the same field of view as the child, their form and texture can be clearly analyzed. They are random, tattered shreds of various sizes that engulf most of the picture. These piles are so much larger than the child, making it seem as though he is completely surrounded by the tanning. It is his world. There is no escaping it for him. 

Through the analysis of color, line, and type of shot employed within this image, much can be seen. The photograph transforms from a mere addition to an article, to its own piece of art. The image does portray a hazardous environment that many are forced to live and work within, but beyond that, it captures the essence of child beauty. The ability of a child to play, be happy and carefree, no matter what situation they forced to be in.
