Ruins of Central Grozny Photo by James Nachtwey By Erica Barrett

Character ❏ Does not directly face the camera and photographer ❏ Faces the right side of the photo, where most of the dark colors are ❏ Looks down the road, but he does not face it directly ❏ Difficult to accept what is coming and face the future head-on ❏ Only part of his face is photographed ❏ His situation is more important than his identity

Color ❏ Photo is black and white tones, but the main color is gray ❏ A gray street divides white buildings from dark buildings ❏ The world is not clearly split into right and wrong or good and evil; there is a gray area in between ❏ The road also divides the photo into two times: before the bombing (light colors, on the left) and after (dark colors, on the right) ❏ The boy stands in the middle of the gray road and his face is also primarily gray. ❏ The boy faces the right (dark) because he believes the future holds more desolation (darkness)

Lighting ❏ There are white buildings on the left, but the boy is looking away from them ❏ These building are out of focus in the background. The good times are nothing but a hazy memory ❏ Despite the bits of light on his face, the boys eyes remain dark with only a small fleck of white ❏ He sees the grim reality of the situation, but he is innocent enough to have that glimmer of hope

Angle ❏ The viewpoint is in the midst of all destruction ❏ The camera looks down on the boy, illustrating his powerlessness. ❏ He has no control over the recent events or what will come after. ❏ The angle captures the long road behind the character and implies there is a long road to recovery ahead.

Proportion ❏ About 70% of the photo is darkness and shadows ❏ The bombing of the city has engulfed the boy’s life and is all he thinks about ❏ The boy himself only takes up about a quarter of the photo ❏ The individual is not the focus of the photo ❏ Only a small corner of the photo is light ❏ The amount of righteousness in the city has shrunk to a minute amount.

Placement ❏ The boy is at the bottom of the frame ❏ He is powerless against the forces that destroyed the city ❏ Part of his face is cut off because he feels cut off from the rest of the world ❏ He is also incomplete because his home has been destroyed ❏ The buildings tower above the boy, emphasizing there are higher powers that he cannot control ❏ The dark buildings in particular are around the boy, indicating the power of people who want to destroy the city.

Setting ❖ Ruins of central Grozny, Chechnya ❖ The Russians invaded the city in 1994 and 1995 during the First Chechen War ❖ City was bombed and demolished city in an airstrike shortly after the invasion ❖ The majority of the photo is devoted to capturing the destruction; it is dominant in the boy’s life ❖ Nachtwey’s purpose in taking the photo was to share the destruction and the emotions behind it with the world outside of Grozny

Character: The young boy does not directly face the camera and photographer, an outsider who could not completely understand what has happened. The boy faces the right side of the photo, where most of the dark colors are. He can see the dark future looming over him and he knows it is inescapable. Only part of his face is photographed to communicate that his situation is more important than his identity. He is not the only one in this situation; all of Grozny The boy looks down the road, but he does not face it directly. It is difficult for him to accept what is coming and face the future head-on. Color: The photo is black and white tones, but the main color is gray. A gray street divides white buildings from dark buildings. The world is not clearly split into right and wrong or good and evil; there is a gray area in between, blurring the defining line. The boy stands in the middle of the gray road and his face is also primarily gray. He is conflicted about his views of right and wrong. The road also divides the photo into two times: before the bombing (light colors, on the left) and after (dark colors, on the right). The boy faces the right (dark) because he believes the future holds more desolation (darkness). Lighting: Most of the photo is dark gray. There are white buildings on the left, but the boy is looking away from them, suggesting the good times are in the past. These building are out of focus in the background. The good times are nothing but a hazy memory. The boy faces the right side of the photo, where the particularly dark buildings are, implying there are dark times ahead. Despite the bits of light on his face, the boys eyes remain dark with only a small fleck of white. He sees the grim reality of the situation, but he is innocent enough to have that glimmer of hope. Angle: The viewpoint is in the midst of all destruction, suggesting that similar events are everywhere and around everyone. The camera looks down on the boy, illustrating his powerlessness. He has no control over the recent events or what will come after. The angle captures the long road behind the character and implies there is a long road to recovery ahead. Proportion: About 70% of the photo is darkness and shadows. The horrible event that just occurred, the bombing of the city, has engulfed the boy’s life and is all he thinks about. The boy himself only takes up about a quarter of the photo, again illustrating that the individual is not the focus of the photo. Instead, the focus is the city ruins. Nachtwey only allows a small corner of the photo to be light. The amount of righteousness in the city has shrunk to a minute amount. Placement: The boy is at the bottom of the frame, illustrating his inferiority and lack of control over the situation. He is powerless against the forces that destroyed the city. Part of his face is cut off because he feels cut off from the rest of the world. He thinks no one else could comprehend his emotions so he feels isolated. He is also incomplete because his home has been destroyed. The buildings tower above the boy, emphasizing there are higher powers that he cannot control. The dark buildings in particular are around the boy, indicating the power of people who want to destroy the city. Setting: Nachtwey photographed a young boy in the ruins of central Grozny, Chechnya. The Russians invaded the city in 1994 and 1995 during the First Chechen War. They carpet bombed and demolished most of the city in an airstrike shortly after the invasion. The majority of the photo is devoted to capturing the damage; it is dominant in the boy’s life. Nachtwey’s purpose in taking the photo was to share the destruction and the emotions behind it with the world outside of Grozny.