I've surfed a lot of big scary waves over the past 20 years, but Andrew Buckley's shot of Kerby Brown is nuts. I wouldn't dare ride the wave OR shoot the photo. posted by blaneyphoto at 8:11 PM on December 17, 2008
If you haven't seen these already, you must watch them. It will help you understand the people who live on my planet. posted by twoleftfeet at 8:17 PM on December 17, 2008
Picture number 7 looks like a real bad photoshop job to me. posted by jtoth at 8:48 PM on December 17, 2008
This one looks like somebody was playing silly buggers with the gravity in Garry's Mod. Floaty blue barrels ahoy! posted by turgid dahlia at 8:58 PM on December 17, 2008
I'm going to be that guy.
I'm sorry.
These photos are great. But really, don't we all have the Big Picture bookmarked by now?
This is like the 43rd post of the Big Picture blog.
Don't let the other newspapers get hold of those photos.. they'll shrink them down to 200 x 100 pixels. posted by crapmatic at 9:04 PM on December 17, 2008
@twoleftfeet - yeah, I know what you mean. It always seems like the most powerful photos are often the most difficult to see, and I want to avoid turning The Big Picture into 'disaster central' as much as possible. I keep joking with my co-workers about finding a newsworthy series of photos featuring cheerleaders holding kittens... but I'm still looking for those photos :)
@jtoth - the backlighting makes ronaldinho look pasted in. Here is a detail from the larger version of the photo to help see it's probably not photoshopped. posted by kokogiak at 9:14 PM on December 17, 2008
ok, so that wave picture...my jaw is still dragging on the floor. dude surfed a TSUNAMI. posted by supermedusa at 9:36 PM on December 17, 2008
Alan, please keep looking for those cheerleaders with kittens photos. The world needs to see them. posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:37 PM on December 17, 2008
The one of the Chile volcano looks like Gamera or Megalon is about to emerge from its smoking center at any moment. posted by Ruby Stevens at 9:40 PM on December 17, 2008
Also, photo 14 of the baseball. Damn. posted by vernondalhart at 9:45 PM on December 17, 2008
This is like the 43rd post of the Big Picture blog. >
MeFite insideriness aside, what's your point? Only one blog ever gets to post stuff now? posted by dhartung at 9:55 PM on December 17, 2008
As a photographer I find it hard to look at what our society deems as photo journalistic. I've many times set the camera on the ground to capture the yards of fallen pecans, my friend's cool shoe, or a cat approaching... but setting something up to capture the hand of a dead person after an earthquake, almost impeccably set up... I both admire and despise these photo journalists. They bring to the masses powerful images, but they bring to people like me a scary omen if I ever decided to go into photo journalism.... getting excited about a shot of a still-living person in some debri from a bombing or collapse of sorts.
Anyways... sure the topic's been brought up before but that's my two cents. posted by hillabeans at 10:01 PM on December 17, 2008
We really need to be able to fave these pics. posted by roger ackroyd at 10:11 PM on December 17, 2008
I might be just stupid, but where are parts two and three? posted by afu at 10:46 PM on December 17, 2008
hillabeans, I can't help but think it comes down to the photographer's intent. If he was thinking "hot damn, this shot is my Pulitzer, thanks for lying dead there mister", then he's despicable. If he's thinking "I need to communicate the power and horror of this place, this moment, because that's my job", then he's admirable. I also can't help but think that the empathy to create a such a shot is more likely to be found in the latter sort of person. posted by George_Spiggott at 10:49 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]
I might be just stupid, but where are parts two and three?
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posted by Artw at 7:42 PM on December 17, 2008