2007 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography

CanadianMe · Apr 13, 2008

Astounding set and very tragic and but with some very loving and powerful images.

Mike_E · Apr 13, 2008

bapp · Apr 19, 2008

This is quite clearly a heart wrenching journey for everyone in question. What a terrible thing to cope with.

I am just concerned that there is an essence of exploitation by the photographer.

Should this journey not be taken in private?

Ajay · Apr 19, 2008

That's a very good question. I'm assuming the family was ok with the photographer being there or they would have said no to the whole thing. Whether or not they regret it now...I can't imagine you'd ever want to get the photos out and look at them again - especially the more heart wrenching ones. I'm sure on the other hand that the mother appreciates the shots that show her son enjoying being a kid - I bet there were a lot more than what just went into the final product.

As a photographer - any of you - do you think you'd be able to photograph something like this?

bapp · Apr 19, 2008

It's something I think I would find exceptionally difficult, as "should" most people.

The problem I have with this series of images is that it seems to be nothing more than an exercise on tugging of heart strings.( In the photographic sense, obviously not for the people involved)

If i was to take on a documentary of this type there would need to be a reason behind it other than, to create a series of powerful images.I would want to bring awareness to a lesser known illness or a plight of a community that has been shunned by conventional media.

The fact is that millions die of cancer every day and is the largest funded and publicized disease in the world. As heart wrenching as this story is, what separates it from all the other unfortunate people that suffer and die from it.

If you look at the work of John Kaplan another Pulitzer prize winner, you may get a better understanding of what I mean.

In particular his set on The Russian Youth and Surviving Torture in Sierra Leon. (We rarely if ever here of these atrocities on CNN)

http://www.johnkaplan.com/pages/torture1.html

As for the Mother looking through these images again, I can;t imagine it would cause anything but heart ache, would you not wish to remember your son when he was healthy and happy as apposed to being in pain and suffering. I'm more of a celebrate their lives than a mourn the death person... But thats me!