Visual Rhetoric
Our image is that of an orphan from Haiti. The content of this image is simple: a small boy, standing nude in a dark place, alone. His face, is most prominent in this picture, with the focus resting on his eyes. Through this photo, the photographer has been able to send a message of hopelessness to anyone viewing this work, especially when it is very well-known how much turmoil is taking place in Haiti.
The image’s frame is a dark, fuzzy border. The only thing that is truly crisp and clear about this image is the child’s face. There is an empty space next to the child, implying that someone could be standing there, helping or guiding the child. Instead, that space remains empty. The child is also leaning against an inanimate object that is covered in some type of dirt or mud. The texture of the image implies that this object would be sticky or slimy.
The focus of the image is on the child’s face, or more importantly, the child’s eyes. The way that the photographer has chosen to focus this image implies that the audience needs to pay attention to the helplessness exhibited in the child’s face. The picture is taken at an angle that puts the audience above the child, looking down at him. This could be the photographer’s way of making the audience feel as if he or she is bigger than the child, therefore more able to help the child than the child is able to help himself.
This image speaks to the public concern of the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Media across the world has reached out to citizens and asked to donate and help the earthquake victims. This picture is a perfect example of the type of images the media is putting on their networks in order to encourage their viewers to extend a helping hand.
