Kenji Nagai was fatally wounded in Yangon by the soldier in the photo.
He continued to take photos of his killer as he lay dying.
Uganda - Story and photographer unknown
Why I picked these photos:
1. I picked the first photos for several reasons. It shows the risks photojournalists take to do their job and it is an example of a situation where a photojournalist became part of the story rather than remaining an observer. The poor guy certainly does not lack dedication.
2. This tragic photo was interesting because of its simplicity. I was looking for examples that showed the PJ artsy stuff we talked about in class and this caught my attention. While it may not show a face or facial expression or any direct emotion, I think it conveys it very effectively. It certainly is an interesting, attention grabbing moment from an uncommon perspective. Graphically, the lines in the hands are reinforced by the shadows behind it. This photo creates such a strong reaction in me that it is very difficult to look at it objectively.
The risks that some conflict photojournalist have to contend with are incredible. Losing your life in a combat or conflict zone can happen at any time. But you can also sustain injuries and mental trauma that can take a toll for the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteTwo recent examples are Joao Silva and Emilio Morenatti. Joao was a member of the famous "Bang, Bang Club" out of South Africa. And Emilio has made a full recovery and is back to shooting in hot spots around the world.
You can check out their stories below.
Joao Silva
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/299365
And Emilio Morenatti
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/behind-41/
And like we talked about in class, sometimes you can evoke emotional responses and inject emotion without showing emotion.
The image you posted kind of reminds me of James Nachtwey's image of famine back in 1993.
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/jn/slides/g22.html
Wow.
ReplyDeleteSome might say, and maybe even I have had this attitude before (I got my first camera, a point and hoot, about a year ago), that photography is not as important as other things, such as being a soldier or writer or whatever. And spending crazy amounts of time and money on the equipment/traveling is a bad use of resources...
I want to practice medicine overseas in situations like the ones portrayed in these photos. So the work and personal danger these photographers willingly put themselves in is very meaningful to me. Their work gives me a view into real situations like the ones I aspire to help alleviate at some point in my life.
Thanks for posting:)