The first thing I notice when I look at this photograph is the sentence written across the building. The words catch the eye at first sight. The powerful words cause you to stop and think before taking in the rest of the picture. The next thing I notice is the painting in the bottom corner. It draws the eye in and makes you wonder what it is supposed to be. There are several cracks in the sidewalk, which make the viewer think it is old and has been through a lot. The worn-out look makes me think that this was once a popular part of town, where many people used to walk and congregate, but it is now dilapidated and deserted. The breaks in the sidewalk are covered with flowers that have been placed there. It looks as though memorials have been placed there. There is an orange cone between the two groups of flower memorials. This type of orange cone usually means that you are not supposed to be in a particular area. It makes me think that it is there to keep people away from that area so that it can stay a sacred area. The flyers and things posted to the building and windows all have a positive message on them. It makes me think they are posted there in memory of the people that are buried there.
There are two elements to the structure of this image. The lines of the windows, walls, and doors cause the eye to work its way from top to bottom. The words written on the wall of the second story as well as the words written on the door create horizontal structure to the photograph. The blending of the two structures creates a grid-like impression. This makes it possible to analyze each aspect of the picture independently.
This is a first person point of view because you see it through the eyes of the photographer. From his vantage point, the photographer can see the many different elements of the picture, which add to the main them of life and death.
The quote written across the building, “when you take someone’s life you forfeit your own,” is a metaphor that means going to jail is equivalent to death. The sign to the left of the building that says “guilty” and “life in prison” is a metaphor for death and prison as well. The memorials are another sign of prison equaling death.

http://frylake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/prison.jpg