Robert Capa
Robert Capa
We have all heard the old Chinese proverb “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and like all great proverbs, this is as relevant today as when it was first coined.
A photograph can cross all ages, intellects, language’s, and creeds, and reveal something of the human condition to all of us.
A true photojournalist can objectively tell a story that remains as timeless as a proverb, pierce as deep as a bullet, and make a profound lasting impression on the viewer, all at the click of a button.
So hear is a salute to some of my favourite photojournalists of all time. Enjoy!
Robert Capa
Widely regarded as one of the fathers of photojournalism, Robert Capa was a 20th century combat photographer who adopted the belief that “if your picture isn’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” Using his camera as his weapon of choice in five different wars, his work came literally from the trenches as opposed to the arms-length perspective that was the precedent previously.
Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death
The Falling Soldier
This photo, showing a Loyalist Militiaman who had allegedly just been shot and is in the act of falling to his death, brought Robert Capa worldwide recognition and is generally regarded as one of the most famous war photographs of all time.
Many authors and photographers have claimed that the photo was staged, while others have spent decades gathering information which they say can prove that the photo is indeed authentic. Whatever the case may be, this image has become a symbol of the Spanish Civil War and one of the most memorable photographs of all time.
Robert Capa’s next job for life magazine would cement his name at the top of the photojournalism hierarchy and show him as a man with little fear to put his art ahead of his physical safety. When he arrived on Omaha beach on D-Day to a hail of German machine gun bullets and sordid steel obstacles piercing up from the water, Capa managed to unload 106 shots showing the terrible scene going on around him. From these, only 10 reels survived due to a grave mistake made in the darkroom by a young technician. Those that remained were blurred, surreal shots, which sufficiently conveyed the chaos and confusion of the day.
