A friend of mine recently posted a link to this website on her Facebook timeline. It presents a powerful set of images, which portray a perspective on the current Syrian crisis that is worthy of more attention. That is, the collective perspective of children forced to part ways with their families, friends, and sense of security as a result of civil war. After five years, more than two million children are in this position, and a number of them who are living in European refugee camps were willing to show acclaimed Swedish photographer Magnus Wennman their current living conditions.

Lamar, 5 years old

What struck me most about these photos was Wennman’s use of focus. Typically when I think of tilt-shift, or selective focus photography, I think of wide shots of populated areas, in which the people (subjects) are made to look like toys. In these shots the subjects still are miniaturized, but they appear more helpless and innocent than playful.

Like in the above photo, Wennman blurs the environments surrounding his subjects, while keeping them in full focus. Not only does this immediately draw the eye to the part of the photo that’s in focus, thereby emphasizing that we (the general public) should pay attention to the plights of these children, but also it serves a metaphorical purpose. The young individuals that Wennman photographs are displaced, their futures are uncertain, and therefore the world in which they live is depicted as being out of focus. Only in sleep are they relieved of their struggle to find stability.  

Even without knowing the full context in which these photos were taken, I think Wennman’s editorial choice makes the story clear.