This image makes a social impact by conveying what an area of the world is going through. There was a deadly disease that was spreading and it started in a fishing village in Minamata Japan. Women were giving birth to deformed fetuses, and many people were dying of this disease. Smith was able to bring attention to what was going on with photographs like this.
Smith, Eugene “Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath.” Iconic Photos, 22 Jan. 2017, iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/tomoko-uemura-in-her-bath/.
It was poisoning from chemical waste and Smith’s was injured in a protest when he brought attention to what was happening.