Visual Review: The Taking of Elian

The Pulitzer Prize winning photo I chose to write about was taken by photographer Alan Diaz. This photo was taken on April 22, 2000 and it was awarded in 2001; it’s called The Taking of Elian. The image shows U.S. federal agents bursting into the room of a Miami home, after locating Elian Gonzalez. Elian had been rescued from a raft off the coast of Florida months before the image was taken. He was five years old when he was sent to the United States on a raft from Cuba with his mother and her boyfriend. By the time Elian arrived to The United States, both his mother and her boyfriend had drowned. Two fisherman found Elian and had a difficult time handing him over to U.S. Coast Guard. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for dehydration and minor cuts. Elian had family in Miami and temporarily stayed with them, before being taken away by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. After this photo was released, people around the world were outraged. Elian remained in the United States, while his Miami relatives tried to figure out their legal options. On June 1, 2000, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Elian was too young to file for asylum. On June 28, 2000, The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the decision, meaning Elian would have to return back to Havana, Cuba.

When looking at the photo I’m immediately drawn to the expression of Elian’s face. It’s a very emotional photo. The man holding Elian has his arm in front of him, as a way to protect him from the guns being pointed at him. This image is a medium close up shot. Some objects in the image appear to be closer than others, making the focus on objects such as the gun. The gun takes up a lot in the photo, making it look like the gun is the center of the photo. This is an eye-level photo with some headroom. This image isn’t overly edited. I wouldn’t say the image has high contrast. The highlights are pretty neutral and there’s a range of tones. In my opinion the photo contrast is a little dull in terms of color. I think the story behind the photo is more interesting than the way it was edited.

I think this image caught my eye, simply because of the emotion being reflected from each person. Elian’s facial expression shows fear. He’s staring at the soldier holding a gun and screaming out of fear. The soldier holds a gun close to Elian, creating a feeling of uncertainty; will he actually use it aggressively towards Elian or is he just trying to show dominance? The man carrying Elian, appears to be protecting him. He’s using his arm as a defense mechanism to protect Elian from the armed soldier. So many people were surprised to see this type of treatment directed at a child. I think the emotional response was far greater than what people expected it to be like.