Photo Analysis

This black-and-white photo shows two young boys standing in front of a pile of rubble and broken bricks. The lack of colour gives the image a serious, emotional tone and makes it feel like it’s from the past - possibly after a war. It helps focus attention on the boys and their surroundings without distraction - the colouring also suggests the boys haven’t had a normal upbringing - this is suggested through the lack of colour, as childhood is meant to be happy and full of colour, instead it’s been striped away by war and the impacts of it.

The two boys are the main focus of the image. One of them is smiling slightly, while the other looks more serious and composed. This shows a mix of emotions, and immune they’ve become to the situation. Their clothes look old and too big for them, which suggests that they may be poor or living through difficult times due to the lack of resources.

The background is full of rubble, likely from a building that has been destroyed. This makes the boys’ calm and still expressions stand out even more. It creates a contrast between the innocence of the children and the destruction around them. This helps show how children are often affected by things like war, even if they don’t fully understand what’s happening.

The boys are placed in the middle of the photo, which draws our attention to them straight away. The photographer has taken the picture at the children’s eye level, which helps the viewer connect with them and feel closer to what they might be feeling instead of a power imbalance/dynamic.

Captions:

“ Post-War childhood, 1940s”

“1940s Britain”

“ Works of Famous photographer ... who passed recently”