The photo is very simple and looks like it could have been taken by anyone, not some professional photographer, in fact it probably was taken by a normal policeman. The photographer has not used light to add effect to the scene, and has not zoomed right into Rachel but instead has captured the whole side of the room she is in. It is blatantly obvious that this is no ‘arty’ style of photo but that does not matter as the body and the room set the atmosphere.
Rachel was killed by an excessive amount of drugs but it was not for another few days that she was found by police this is when the photograph was taken. She looked in pain on the photo while she lay dead on the floor in her room.
If anything good came of her death it was the fact that the photo can have such an impact on people that it would prevent them from taking drugs. The photo is mainly shown to the school audience, trying to make them see the horrors that can follow drug abuse. It shows how you can lose hope of ever leading a normal life and that an addiction can eventually lead to the inevitable, death.
Rachel’s story shows how people can be mislead if they do not have all the facts about drugs. She was heavily influenced by her boyfriend who was already a drug abuser, seeing someone use drugs everyday must have made her think that she could at least try them. It took her years too finally leave her boyfriend and only after a few weeks of separation she died. More recent evidence suggests that Rachel was murdered. Maybe she was bullied into the whole idea of drug abuse like other people might be. The photo can help open peoples eyes to the sensitive issue of drug abuse.
The picture could be used in several different ways in different art forms. For example the story of Rachel’s life from when she first turned from a perfect child too a drug abuser could be told in some kind of documentary for drama, this would then tell people the facts. I think the song ‘the drugs don’t work’ by the Verve could be played while the picture of Rachel dead on the floor could be shown. The poem that Rachel wrote before she died could be recited while the image of her on the floor could be shown at the same time. Finally the dance swan lake because it creates an image of pain could be used while an image of her is projected on the stage
In conclusion I think that the picture is very graphic and can definitely be used to get the message of not abusing drugs across to its target audience, I doubt many people who saw the photo and knew her story would start drug-abusing.
