Photography analysis

Photography Analysis By ` The photography for analysis was taken from Reuters, a respectable news agency. The article speaks about the latest protests in Brazil against Football World Cup which will start in a couple of weeks. The tension in the country arises as most Brazilians consider that the country cannot afford such an expensive tournament taking into account its social problems and the level of poverty. There is also additional problem of native Brazilians who demand their lands returning from the government.
The photo was taken with digital camera in the process of reportage shooting which demands fast reaction and high quality of pictures. I suppose that the photo was not planned as the photographer found himself in the epicenter of protests and was looking for the most accurate shot. However, it seems that he had several minutes to choose the best composition and perspective. The photographer has picked eloquent and symbolic setting. On the background of the photo there is a new modern stadium, where the final match of the World Cup will take place. The stadium is on fire as protesters tried to show their discontent by the amount of sums spent on the building. And on the foreground we see a native Brazilian with a bow and arrows looking at the stadium. The photo was not physically challenging, it demanded speedy reaction and photographer`s experience.
The photo is made in color, and the light in the shot is natural and calm. It is supposedly an evening time so the colors seem a bit subdued and dull. The colors of the picture are mostly of pastel tones with no bright spots. The photo is very atmospheric it has a lot of free space in it.
There are two major objects on the photo: the man and the stadium which are in the contrast with each other. The contrast is achieved with the help of degree of light of the objects: the stadium is white and brightly lit which results in figure of the man becoming dark and gaining the traits of a silhouette. With the help of this contrast the photographer demonstrates the nature of the conflict: badly developed country with struggling population and hi-tech expensive constructions inappropriate to the place. The stadium seems very bright on the white background of the sky, and the attention of the viewer is drawn to the smoke and fire around it. The man seems to be just a black figure whose pose, lack of clothes and weapon reveal native Brazilian. The viewer may ask himself what the man is thinking about while he is watching the stadium burning. The moment seems to be filled with tension and some kind of desperation. The photo looks a bit absurd: there is no logical reason of fighting against modernity with old and ineffective weapon such as bow; however, it is that absurd that shows the situation clearly. The man on the photo drops his bow understanding that he has no power; however he just still does not know how to fight with this new phenomenon. I think it does not mean that he gives up, the atmosphere of resistance is felt in the air.
After close examination I have also noticed that a tree in front of the stadium becomes an important component of the photo regardless of photographer`s planning it or not. Natural scenery with trees and the native Brazilian with archaic bow make the stadium look even more alien and redundant. As the conflict is also connected to the lands demarcation, this piece of nature reminds the viewer of opposition between urban building and lands preservation. Such composition allows the viewer to see the situation with the eyes of a simple passerby as if occasionally. The viewer is placed in the center of the photo on the same eye level with the photographer.
The photo with minimal elements but accurate composition creates dramatic effect. The photographer has managed to capture the core of the conflict and represent it with minimal resources. It evoked a lot of emotions in me such as anger, discontent, and desperation. And the more I studied it, the more elements and details I revealed.
References
Boadler, A., & Stauffe, C. 2014. Anti-World Cup protesters march on Brasilia stadium, face tear gas, Reuters Agency. Retrieved from: http://www. reuters. com/article/2014/05/27/us-brazil-worldcup-protests-idUSKBN0E72PH20140527