Pictures of a Difference

     To provide insight to society is perhaps a common goal shared by many photographers who travel across borders around the world to document ongoing issues. As a fellow photographer myself, I will do my very best to approach this subject that is very close to my heart and share what I know as well as what  I think makes these men and women do what they do.

     While generally a very competitive field, making it as a photographer requires dedication, perseverance and most importantly a passion that runs deep in the heart. Probably one of the most challenging role that there is in the photography world is that of a war photographer. While every type of photographer has his own fair share of challenge and obstacles to overcome as well and undoubtedly, their pictures speak a voice just as powerful as those of war photographers. However, an aspect of war photography that is not as prevalent in other fields of photography is the experience that affects the human spirit itself. Armed with only a camera and the human will, photographers who are at the heart of war are to record the horrors of conflict while avoiding the occasional stray bullet.

Omaha Beach landing by Robert Capa

     Born to Dezső and Júlia Friedmann on October 22^nd, 1913 in Budapest, Hungary, Endre Friedmann was just 18 when he left his home to pursue his career when finding that living under the Hungarian regime provided little opportunity for a future. He eventually became a full-fledged war photographer under the name of ‘Robert Capa’. During the Spanish Civil War, he took a photo of a soldier falling to his death in action, attracting a lot of attention though it’s been suspected to have been staged recently. Robert Capa documented the allied forces invasion as they landed on Omaha Beach during D-Day. He was with the second wave of American troops as they landed on the beach to face heavy resistance from German soldiers. While under heavy machine gun fire, Capa took 106 photos of the whole invasion. Only 11 photos out of 106 that were taken during the whole conflict were the only ones to have escaped unscathed after an accident at a photo lab in London. They are known as the magnificent eleven today. He also co-founded Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a renowned photojournalist until today, Capa has left a mark in the photography world that can be felt till now with the ‘Robert Capa Gold Medal’. It is given annually to the photographer who has the “best published photographic reporting from abroad, requiting exceptional courage and enterprise”.

     Perhaps making a difference in the world is the driving force behind men like Robert Capa. The moral obligation that they feel as a fellow human on earth may motivate them to aspire to change the world. A passion for the craft that they practice and their love for humanities’ spirit is a strong combination. It is well known amongst photographers that behind every photograph is a story to be told. What is not mentioned however is that the story of the subject has a relationship with the men and women behind the camera as well. The makers of these photos that has been so clearly etched into the history of men. When you see these photos, you can’t help but wonder how these men and women came about to taking the pictures and the emotions they must have felt at that time. A girl running nude down the road after being burnt by napalm after an attack by the South Vietnamese Air Force. Or the stark mesmerizing eyes of an Afghan girl at a refugee camp. These photos serve as a reminder to us all the atrocities and horrors of war. It also reminds us of the unlimited strength of the human spirit.

Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

     It is however important to acknowledge that photographers in war are naught but an insignificant part in the calamities of that present moment. The men and women and everyone else who are affected by it or whom have a role in the battle no doubt face heavier consequences as compared to a mere photographer tagging along combat squads. The photographers do not at all determine the outcome of the war of who is victorious or not. They are after all only men and women with a camera and an eye for the unseen importance of the obvious. However, it is when the fighting is over and the last of the combatants either return home on their own feet or others that these photographs truly contribute to the world. Forever will the photos be around, in both the digital realm and hardcopy prints. It is an everlasting lesson for the warmongering part of humanity. The photographs become hope for us when we doubt the human spirit to live and also as a stark warning to those so eager to enter conflict with one another. These men and women behind the camera will be there, recording as history is made whether for the better or worse of our civilization.

A pregnant Afghan woman in labour is helped by the photographer, Lysey Addario, when her car broke down by the side of the road.

“There are certain, inescapable images, forever part of our collective consciousness, that influence who we are, whether we are cognizant of it or not.” – Steve McCurry