Brittany Wall Blog #1

This photograph immediately caught my eye while going through the lens blog. Not only did it reach out to me because of the recent tragedy in Japan, but also because of the real and raw emotion you get just from viewing the photograph. It brings home the fact that even though you do not know this man, you can still feel his pain.

The way this photograph is taken also adds to the content. Although this man is shot to the left of the photo, he still remains the focus. However, while he is still the main focus of the composition, the background rubble and snow supports the theme. It shows not only the man's suffering, but why he is suffering. The damage gives the viewer an eye into how truly devestated Japan was, and allows people around the world to experience a little of what the Japanese people are experiencing. The lighting in the photograph also seems very dismal, and adds to the somber effect of the photograph. While I believe that this photograph is a very powerful display of the hurt Japan is going through, I believe that the caption of the photo is necessary. It gives the viewer even more information, and lets the reader know exactly what they are looking at. For me the caption made a big difference in that it also shows the massive loss of family and friends in the destruction. I also think that while this photo and caption are quite strong on their own, that it would tell a more complete story in a series or book. With a series or book, the captions might not even be necessary because it might be able to fill in the blanks simply with the images.

While going through the lens blog, this photographs was one of the first I saw, but I passed by it and kept looking for others. However, I knew there was something about this photo that kept bringing me back. No matter what other photo I looked at, I kept thinking about this one because of the way I felt emotionally. It opened my eyes as to not take anything for granted and be grateful for everything I have in my life. The people of Japan did not expect anything like a day like that, and we can not take for granted how lucky we are to have our health and safety. It also puts into perspective how important our family and friends are, and we should make every day count with them as you never know what could happen. This photograph is not only an excellent and powerful display of loss and tragedy, but also a moment in history captured. I think that this photograph is a memorable one because it will continue to be seen for years to come.