Photo credit – Artur Korneyev (1986, Chernobyl)
This photo was influential because of the danger shown in the photo. It unified the danger faced by Ukrainian and Russian citizens during the Chernobyl accident within one photo. At first glance it looks seemingly safe, however, the movement shown within the photo was due to fatally high radiation levels effecting the film of the camera, not a slow shutter speed. The mass of radioactive concrete shown within the photo is known as The Elephants Foot, an unfortunate result of the disaster response to the accident. This object was and still is highly dangerous. This is what makes the photo so influential, it unites the past and the present with hidden dangers.
The photo was shared widely to expose the deeply hidden secrets of the Soviet Union and disable their method of spreading misinformation to cover up the truth by showing the raw image of what was happening within Chernobyl. The aftermath of this photo is another reason why it is highly influential. The situation it captured led to the collapse of the Soviet Union as well as the death and disability of a countless number of people.
There is very little intentional mise en scene within this photo because of how dangerous the surroundings are. The horrific environment of the photo makes up for this by providing an overwhelming sense of danger even though it is implicit danger when looked at by someone who has no knowledge of the photo. The costume the model is wearing is just the standard radiation safety outfit, showing how many normal people were involved within the situation and how it is impossible to know the story of all of them.
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