Controversial Photos

12 years 1 week ago #225700 by warrense123
I'm fascinated with history's controversial photos. Not really gory ones necessarily, more like photos that caused a stir.

Here is one example from 9/11 by Thomas Hoepker:




The controversy here is obvious, they look like they are enjoying a relaxing day in the sun while disaster strikes. In one article I read a man in the photograph came forward saying the photo is misleading, that they were in a state of shock and horror but that doesn't come through in a photograph. I find it interesting. What would we have them do? Scream and cry and feign sadness like the North Koreans when Kim Jong Il died? No. Everyone handles grief or trauma in their own way, and some people are very quiet and introspective about it.

I would love if there were other photos to be shared!


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12 years 1 week ago #225731 by john_m
While I can totally see where your are coming from, I cant help but to feel the photo was meant to detract from what really happened and IMHO is tasteless. Also, it doesnt, even remotely, appear that anyone of them are in a state of shock.....Dont get me wrong, I do like combat photography though. Any way this is just my .02 and your milage may vary...

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11 years 11 months ago #227698 by mclayton
I get the idea of the shot but I would've scrapped it. Stirs up too much emotion.


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11 years 11 months ago #227713 by John Landolfi
Which raises the question of the purpose of photo reporting, whether it is to produce feel-good images, or objectively report a story. Don't you believe there were people on that day who were that unconcerned and unresponsive. Would you prefer not to know? The image makes a strong point, and carries a meaningful story. That it is uncomfortable seem to me subjective and irrelevant.


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11 years 11 months ago #227732 by John37
Given the discussion this photo has generated I'd say it is a "successful" capture. No one is sure about the state of mind of these individuals. And their expressions, caught in a nano-second, lead the viewer to think oe way, which causes tension.
Whether the photo is liked or not, it has grabbed the attention of the viewer for one reason or another. :)

"The most endangered species? The honest man!"
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11 years 11 months ago #227746 by icepics
Good point. And at first glance I reacted to the photo thinking they were hanging out having fun. But after another look, I thought, maybe the photographer happened to catch a group of people who saw the smoke and stopped to see what was happening, and maybe didn't yet know the whole story of what had happened across the river.

Or it could have even been a moment in time where they were talking or watching and wondering and just happened to be all be turned looking at the person talking. There might be photos that capture a split second which makes something appear different than it is.

Sharon
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11 years 11 months ago #227763 by Darrell
Great shot, this is 1/300 th of a second of time frozen, it likely didn't look like this 1 second before or after..,

You will not be judged as a photographer by the pictures you take, but by the pictures you show.
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11 years 11 months ago #227773 by warrense123

mclayton wrote: I get the idea of the shot but I would've scrapped it. Stirs up too much emotion.


I can't post the original article yet but it's from Guardian and says the photographer didn't release it until 5 years later.

But.. aren't photographers supposed to stir up emotion?


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11 years 11 months ago #227774 by warrense123
At least, photo journalists...


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11 years 9 months ago #242948 by prophotobiz
Was browsing several topics and came across to this discussion, I cant stop myself to post considering that this is way too late, I would really love to read the entire article about this photo. Until up to this time I still don't have a solid impression about the photographer and the photo. Can anyone share the article?


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11 years 9 months ago - 11 years 9 months ago #242981 by icepics
I remember this, it says it was in the Guardian, not sure if you searched there if you could find it or not.

Capturing a split second of time, that makes it appear that the people were talking and relaxing and ignoring what was happening behind them when in reality it seems that they had been watching and apparently just happened to be talking to each other and not looking at the time the photo was taken.

I don't remember why the photo was released several years after the fact.

Sharon
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11 years 9 months ago #243587 by Joves
Well at least they are not sitting there with a cooler full of beer and drinking them. As others have said they are merely caught in a fraction of a second of time. I bet had I been in the NY area I could have caught someone smiling with the towers in the background. Now they could have had the look of panic before and saw someone they knew, and were happy they were safe, but I could have shot it so you did not see that.


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11 years 9 months ago #245475 by warrense123

prophotobiz wrote: Was browsing several topics and came across to this discussion, I cant stop myself to post considering that this is way too late, I would really love to read the entire article about this photo. Until up to this time I still don't have a solid impression about the photographer and the photo. Can anyone share the article?



Here is the original article for you. Controversial 911 Photo


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11 years 9 months ago #245512 by aldyn
I think it's a striking, thought-provoking photo. The people sitting and conversing (seemingly) casually is such a contrast to what is going on in the city skyline behind them. The events of 9/11 are arguably the most emotionally charged events to occur in this country's history, so the juxtaposition is fascinating to me. Do I think these people didn't care what was going on? Of course not. I think this was a split second on that day. I think these people gathered to bear witness, I doubt they even know each other. I don't find these people callous or uncaring. I give props to the photgrapher for taking such a memorable image.


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11 years 8 months ago #248083 by warrense123

aldyn wrote: I think it's a striking, thought-provoking photo. The people sitting and conversing (seemingly) casually is such a contrast to what is going on in the city skyline behind them. The events of 9/11 are arguably the most emotionally charged events to occur in this country's history, so the juxtaposition is fascinating to me. Do I think these people didn't care what was going on? Of course not. I think this was a split second on that day. I think these people gathered to bear witness, I doubt they even know each other. I don't find these people callous or uncaring. I give props to the photgrapher for taking such a memorable image.


Whether they are callous or not (I don't think they are either), the photographer saw a moment and captured it. And it is indeed a fascinating photograph. It's a shame he waited so long to release it, though I really can't blame him for it.


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