Powerful photos *warning: sensitive subjects*

[Peanuts]

Okay, I can't find any background history on the original image, but I would be interested if anyone can confirm/prove my thought wrong.

Regarding the picture of the Vietnamese girl, Kim Phuc, I actually had the oppurtunity to listen to her speak at my school when I was in grade 3. I can still see her say, "Do you see what appears to be clothes falling off my cousin's back?" As an image of her grandmother carrying a young boy came up on the screen, "Those are not his clothes. That is his skin." I believe he died later that day. Even at such a young age, those images were just as powerful as they are to me today.

 

[deanimator]

Okay, I can't find any background history on the original image, but I would be interested if anyone can confirm/prove my thought wrong.....

Which image are you referring too?

 

[Bear]

Made my eyes swell. One of the best feelings in the world w/ ur board over the edge.

What makes an image powerful is its connection to the audience. To many the endless vertical drop is either unexciting or ridiculous, to me it is heaven. Im swelling up just thinking of it.

The reason the horrible pics are so powerful to everyone is because what is horrible is more universal. Just about everyone has a general fear and hatred of torture and death. When it comes to a feeling of powerful joy it becomes more of a preference.

 

[Corry]

Made my eyes swell. One of the best feelings in the world w/ ur board over the edge.

What makes an image powerful is its connection to the audience. To many the endless vertical drop is either unexciting or ridiculous, to me it is heaven. Im swelling up just thinking of it.

The reason the horrible pics are so powerful to everyone is because what is horrible is more universal. Just about everyone has a general fear and hatred of torture and death. When it comes to a feeling of powerful joy it becomes more of a preference.

That is a wonderful post, thank you. You've got some good points there.

 

[usayit]

Kiss on VJ Day

What a well known photo to celebrate a nation welcoming its service men home!!! One less known fact about that famous photo... it was posed.

 

[deanimator]

Read Susan Sonntag´s classic discussion on photography for some excellent insights to this question.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOULD HAVE READ THIS...!!!

Really

 

[deanimator]

What a well known photo to celebrate a nation welcoming its service men home!!! One less known fact about that famous photo... it was posed.

I´d heard otherwise...that it wasn´t faked. A quick Google turned up this

That day in August of 1945, Eisenstaedt was simply walking among the crowd that had gathered on the streets of New York. One of the people he noticed was a sailor who was kissing his way through the crowd. He followed him long enough to see him grab the woman whose outfit in white brought the contrast of the sailor's blue to his keen eye. At that moment, Eisenstaedt snapped the picture.

 

[usayit]

I didn't say it was faked....

I simply said it was posed... it was a solder and a woman of that time and day. He had asked them to pose for the photo kissing..


Apparently there is a bit of mystery into the story behind the photo and Life Magazine did a good job covering the truth up.

http://www.georgekoch.com/articles/sailor.htm

 

[deanimator]

Can you post evidence please?


(although this is getting off-topic actually...faked, posed, set-up or whatever, or not, is really another topic)

 

[Peanuts]

Which image are you referring too?

The original image of the mother and her child. For some reason my head is registering this one with an event that was not (or not solely) the holocaust. The Red Army perhaps? Not certain.

History is my worst subject - obviously!

 

[Corry]

The original image of the mother and her child. For some reason my head is registering this one with an event that was not (or not solely) the holocaust. The Red Army perhaps? Not certain.

History is my worst subject - obviously!

It could be...I really do not know. I'm more focused on the affect the image had on me, rather than where it actually took place.

Though it would be nice to know the facts on teh photo, as well.

 

[deanimator]

@ Peanuts Click this Google link http://images.google.com/images?q=soldier+shooting+mother+child&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

It will take you to a series of sites that all refer to it being a German soldier killing a Jewish woman and her child.

 

[usayit]

Can you post evidence please?


(although this is getting off-topic actually...faked, posed, set-up or whatever, or not, is really another topic)

sheesh.. man... I don't have evidence... I'm not debating. I'm simply stating what I heard. Sheesh...

 

[deanimator]

About the question of posing, Eisenstaedt himself never admitted to it being posed, and as the article referred to and other articles mention, something like 11 different men came forward over the years claiming they had been the sailor, and 3 nurses...
Nothing was therefore ever proven.

It was the same problem with the other very famous "Kiss" by Doisneau. A great photo too...posed or not. Many claimed to be the couple, and he denied for years that it was posed. Finally he produced the model release in response to a court order...So, his was certainly posed.

The list of great photos that some claim were posed goes on. Some were and some were not. Check this out...
http://ldesign.wordpress.com/2007/0...ate-famous-faked-photos-and-how-to-make-them/

 

[The_Traveler]

Read Susan Sonntag´s classic discussion on photography for some excellent insights to this question.

What Sontag piece are you referring to?