Picture Analysis! Yay!

The picture above, from the World Wildlife Fund, has an elephant whose body is crumbling into a pile of sand at the forefront of the picture. The elephant is surrounded by what appears to be inescapable darkness. The process of the elephant’s body becoming a pile of sand is likely a metaphor for desertification and its effects on wildlife. The picture illustrates that when nothing is done to stop desertification, it is able to reduce an ecosystem teeming with life into nothing but piles of sand. An elephant was specifically chosen for this picture because it is a powerful animal, showing that not even the large, majestic elephant is safe from desertification. Elephants are also well liked by the public and help evoke sympathy from the viewers. The elephant’s face is contorted as if it was screaming in pain to show that desertification is a painful process for the ecosystem and wildlife that it affects. The darkness surrounding the elephant emphasizes the animal’s dreadful circumstance and suggests that the elephant has no means of escaping its fate.  There is a small beam of light coming from the top right corner of the picture. As the viewer looks at the picture and feels sympathy toward the animals affected by desertification, he/she becomes that small beam of light, or the last hope that these animals have of ever surviving. 

In the bottom right hand corner, it says “Desertification destroys 6,000 species every year.” This was typed small and in the bottom corner so that it was read after the viewers saw the rest of the picture and was able to interpret it for themselves. This factual statement was used to drive home how impactful desertification is on wildlife. It is important to note that the one line statement does not explicitly call the viewers out to action. However the viewers still understand that there is something that they can do to help the situation. This leaves the viewers to decide for themselves whether they want to help or deny these organisms help from desertification.

 By using an image of a dying elephant, the picture attempts to appeal to the emotions of the viewer. It speaks to the generally caring nature of human beings to strike sympathy with the elephant and the animals affected by desertification. By doing so, World Wildlife Fund hopes to spur the viewer to action and do something to make a change. The picture uses a morose tone to emphasize the need to take action against desertification. By depicting desertification as an evil that needs to be ended, viewers who don’t take action are left feeling guilty.

 Though the picture is of an elephant whose body is crumbling into a pile of sand, it is actually about desertification. The subtle details in the picture really help reinforce the idea that desertification is a harrowing process for the animals involved. The contortion in the elephant's face, the lighting, and the color scheme all come together to give the image a resonating effect.