The shot that nearly killed me.

July 6, 2011 10:11 PM

In pictures: the life of a war photographer (There are some graphic images in here; not for the squeamish, though for most would be SFW for most workplaces).
posted by smoke (11 comments total)

Wow, that was a great article. I liked that this one included different perspectives.
posted by Krazor at 10:34 PM on July 6, 2011

Powerful stuff. Thank you.
posted by Rangeboy at 11:08 PM on July 6, 2011

I really liked the recent film "The Bang-Bang Club", I was surprised it wasn't better reviewed. A couple of photographers from the article, Greg Marinovich and João Silva, were main characters in the film.
posted by bobo123 at 11:52 PM on July 6, 2011

Re: the photo with the combatant holding a human hand in his left hand; I'm not entirely sure what he is holding in his right hand. Gruesome stuff.
posted by buzzman at 4:37 AM on July 7, 2011

It's a penis, Buzzman.
posted by smoke at 5:03 AM on July 7, 2011

Those photos are like a baseball bat to the kneecaps; the photographers' reflections are moving and insightful.

Great post.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:07 AM on July 7, 2011

meanwhile... (...)
posted by delmoi at 5:33 AM on July 7, 2011

Powerful stuff. Thanks.
posted by odinsdream at 7:56 AM on July 7, 2011

"Sarajevo was the most dangerous place I have worked on a long-term basis. But I could leave. The occupants of Sarajevo couldn't. That was one of the strange things about covering it – it was so close to London. You could be back at Heathrow in a couple of hours. People would pass carrying skis, or off to the Caribbean, and you'd feel like screaming, "Why don't you understand?" You become a terrible dinner guest."


""No pictures," someone yelled. I told them I'd stop shooting if they stopped killing him. They didn't. As the man was set on fire, he began to run. I was framing my next shot when a bare-chested man came into view and swung a machete into his blazing skull. I tried not to smell the burning flesh and shot a few more pictures, but I was losing it and aware that the crowd could turn on me at any time. The victim was moaning in a low, dreadful voice as I left. I got in my car and, once I turned the corner, began to scream. You're not just a journalist or a human being, you're a mixture of both, and to try to separate the two is complicated."

Thats enough to drive anyone mad.
posted by shesaysgo at 7:59 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this post. And, that AskMe thread is insane. That one really pushes the boundaries of crazy shit I've seen on the nets.
posted by photoslob at 8:45 AM on July 7, 2011

Found this searching for a double; this set is amazing. Though I figured an image from Dom McCullin's Nikon F that stopped a bullet would have been included.
posted by Mitheral at 10:04 AM on July 14, 2011