This photo really strikes me as an important photo due to the relatability and the emotional impact that it has. The elderly man sitting on the bench is isolated in what appears to be the middle of the street, and the photo is very well composed. It has a powerful dichotomy: the standing half of the bench and the broken half are split perfectly down the middle of the frame. The sleeping man seems to be in a very peaceful state, while even the place where he sits is falling apart. I can imagine this being used for a multitude of artucles, such as one about the economy in decline, or about possibly homelessness issue (I don't know if he is homeless or not, I could not find the article this tied to).
This picture is another powerful image, with a very clear intention. This image is a very emotional one, using the power of children and homelessness to entice readers to create an emotional bond with the story. The girl is one of many who are homeless and living out of motels. I especially like the how the girl is both framed by the doorway and the stairs and exit sign. It gives a sense of hopelessness and "no exit" to the young girls situation. The shadows also add some contrast to the photo, making an overall strong image I would defiantly use in the article I was laying out.
This images strength comes from its use of color. Everything is bleak and dreary except for one tree in the first third of the photo, correctly executing the rule of thirds to make the focus of the photo that tree. from there, you see the two people under the tree, giving scale to the image, and showing that there was a human toll that was exacted by the disaster. In the last third of the photo, the dead trees also provide a strong contrast from the still standing tree, and give a sort of life/death division that makes this photo stand out among the others. I would have loved to have taken this photo myself, and would certainly use this in any article I layout.
Wow. This image is just stunning. It comes from the "intimacy" of the moment: this is the instant when this person died (or at least was seriously hurt). It has a similar effect as the burning monk in protest (but not to the same extent) and the recent photo of the man laying on the train tracks just before he died. People always love protest photos as well, and this is one of the best, most enticing ones I've seen in a long time. Added on top of that how tight this photo is one the subject, this is a hell of a good photo, and I would take this kind of photo first pick, every time.
Of the protest photos I picked, this is defiantly the weaker of the two. However, that does not discredit the impact of the photo. This art effectively uses some interesting framing in order to put the center of the photo (both literally and content wise) into perspective. The photographer also used very effective cropping (or framing, but most likely a crop) to make sure that the "welcome" on the sign was clearly visible. The irony is that this is a protest at the boarder, and the protesters are, in fact, not welcome. This is a very well composed photo and I would gladly use this to fill out my layout for a piece about protests.
