Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Miller  Having read some of the articles linked to the earlier thread I fail to understand how anyone can censure the victims that may have chosen to escape the choking inferno, and a certain terrible death, that they faced by jumping from the building. It is important that such pictures are taken, and not hidden; for we should not be permitted to forget the evil that occasioned this further example of man’s inhumanity to man. |
After reading the article posted by Jim Chinn I understood that the 'censure' was coming mostly from the families (and those concerned for the families) - some of whom saw the way the people chose to die as suicide - many people have a powerful belief that suicide is a sin, and that the suicide of a loved one is a kind of betrayal (however forced upon the person it might be).
Also, the article made clear how terribly painful the photograph, in particular the search for the identity of the man in the photograph, was to many families.
It also pointed out that the photograph was one of a sequence, and the whole sequence gave a very different picture from the supposed elegance (and iconic nature) of that one frame.
I do sometimes wonder if there are other ways that convey experience more accurately and more powerfully than such a single image in time. I found the article itself far more rounded, and more powerful - sometimes photographers forget the power of words over images to convey harsh and complex truths. I also think documentary moving film can, at times, do far more for truth and understanding than a single image.
edit: here's a quote from John Steinbeck I've grown rather attached to recently..
"I hate cameras. They are so much more sure than I am about everything." ~John Steinbeck
I wouldn't say I hate cameras, but I see his point.