What constitutes a staged photo?

UWB

The following photo was taken by Photographer Kevin Carter and won him a Pulitzer price in 1994






I've seen the photo before. And many of you surely have seen it too.

What brought this particular photo again to my attention was a recent essay I read in a Norwegian newspaper.

The picture was used as an example of 'staged photos' - apparently Carter waited for more than 10min for the vulture to come and sit down as the girl was bending over on the foreground. The point that was stated in the essay, was that if one has to come this far for the point of showing the drama of human suffering - in this case hunger in Sudan,  then we should really question the integraty of the so-called photo journalists. Since the ultimate outcome for such 'manipulation' or 'stage' is to draw most of the viewers sympathy and empathy as a human being towards others. Should people still feel the urge of giving if they know the picture was 'staged'? Is this >right<??


To me, first of all.. this photo doesn't count as 'staged'. The photographer had no say in what are supposed to be in the photo. Yes he waited for more than 10min to take the shot. But that is a world of difference to someone says you you and you stand there and you at the front, turn your head to the right.

btw, Kevin Carter died a year later (1994) at the age of 33 by committing suicide (CO poisoning).

mofun

这副照片看过几次，也听过类似的批评。
因为没有学过记者的原则，不知道他等在那里是否合理。
我肯定是拍不出类似的照片，因为救人在我是第一位的；摄影只是业余爱好。

UWB

这个就是我想问的，其实。

"不知道他等在那里是否合理。"

现在要上班了。有时间码下字。。

问题多

从人道主义角度看，需要看到的是，在当地，这样的孩子不一定是个别现象。你最多也就是给那个孩子点吃的。别的实际上什么也做不了。那孩子也不会因为你一时的举动境遇好到哪里去。这个感觉在印度乡村旅行的时候也有。从外形上看，那孩子是很难受，但是也要考虑那是孩子生活的常态。通过这个人的照片，把这个信息传递给外面的世界，让全世界的人都关心处于饥饿中的孩子，比当时自己在那里无能为力地救几个人重要性不小。

mofun

记得一部国内电视剧（名字记不得了）里有一位摄影师，摄下了毒打一人致死的场面。
他想把照片送出国外发表。后来警察质问他为什么不干涉制止，他说摄影师的责任是不干扰被摄对象。

问题多

这个够缺，他应该是有能为力的吧。

原帖由 mofun 于 2008-8-11 23:27 发表
记得一部国内电视剧（名字记不得了）里有一位摄影师，摄下了毒打一人致死的场面。
他想把照片送出国外发表。后来警察质问他为什么不干涉制止，他说摄影师的责任是不干扰被摄对象。 ...

UWB

这是一个非常灰色的地段。。　到底人有多少“干涉”的义务/权利？照相是不是也是一种干涉？你记录了，存档了。让其他无数人都可以看到。你，也是一部分了。记得MAGNUM的原则了也说，作为新闻摄影，照相是你的职责。你的任务是展露面前的场景。救人不是首要，不照更要不得。当然照了之后有能力却不救人是胆小鬼。

我还想问的另外一个就是关于他这张照片到底有没有做场子的嫌疑。。　救人放在一边，他等了十分钟，是不是就不真实了？我觉得不是。　如果他晚来了十分钟，不就。。JUST IN TIME? 莫名其妙的理论。。我当时看了很生气。加炮击之后的烟火，NOW　那可是大大的不对。