O’Neill, Claire. “Charles Moore, Photographer Of The Civil Rights Movement, Dies At 79.” NPR, March 16, 2010, sec. Daily Picture Show. https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2010/03/charles_moore.html.
In this photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is being arrested in Alabama in 1958 for protesting Civil Rights. The photographer, Charles Moore, said “I don’t wanna fight with my fists,” he said. “I wanna fight with my camera.” It is clear that the importance of this photo was to capture the emotion, and show this image to the world -a photo for change. The photo is extremely significant because of the context, but also because of the composition. The man on the left, and closest to the camera is blurred, indicating quick movement. However, we can see that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is not blurred, and is in fact remaining very still and calm. This dynamic created by the aperture of the photo is a key part of why this photo is so successful, because it represents the dynamic of the Civil Rights movement at the time; African Americans peacefully protesting, and white policemen frantically retaliating. In addition, the side profile of the woman on the right is powerful, her chin is high, and she stands straight and strong which inspires hope and calmness. Moore’s photo brought attention to the Civil Rights movement, and also inspired African American people during such a terrible time.