This is the seventh post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.

Welcome back to my photo review series! I know I know, it’s been a while. I’ve been in hibernation mode on the photography front for the past couple months while I wait for the weather to warm up a bit. But it’s getting there, and so we’re revisiting this series!

Today we’re looking at what I think is a great example of photojournalism at work. According to Icon Photography School, Photojournalism is the process of storytelling using your camera and photos, instead of pen and paper. The story is the key thing that sets photojournalism apart of other types of photography.

So what is the story being told in this shot? That what we’re going to focus on today. Here are the elements that, in my mind, play the largest role in telling the story in this photo.

The Police

The bright yellow vests are the first thing you see when you look at this photo, and the police presence means that trouble’s afoot. The police aren’t in normal uniform, though; they’re wearing helmets and sporting shields… a sign that they’re here to contain a riot.

The Girl

Standing against the police in this photo is a girl, and everything about her makes a statement. Take a look at her clothing. Leather and chains everywhere. Her hair, standing upright in a mohawk, suggests the girl is a contrarian. Her posture confirms it – she stands bolt-upright, defying the authority of the police.

The Face-Off

The composition of the shot places the tension between the lone girl and the riot police at center-stage, giving the viewer a clear signal about the story this photo is trying to tell. It’s not just any old riot; it’s a protest, and this photo pits the protesters and police against each other.

The Background

Take a look at the building in the background. It raises the question – where is this protest happening, and why did they choose this place? It’s a big building, and looks something like a bank or government office. So this protest is likely about big business in some way, shape or form.

Wrapping it Up

We have no caption, no background, and no information on this photo. And yet we were able to walk through a pretty clear picture of what’s going on in the scene being depicted. That’s photojournalism. Some photos are made for art. Others are made to capture a memory. Photojournalism is made to tell a story, and we walked through a great example today.

Stay tuned for the next post in the series, where we’ll walk through a relatively new genre of photography, aerial photography!