I recently went to an exhibition in Verona which had a collection by photojournalist Robert Capa. Capa spent the majority of his life documenting wars, but unlike many others he is particularly noted for his up close shots and photos of children. He believed that war was an emotion which he aimed to capture in the expressions of those affected by it. Born in 1913 in Hungary, he covered at least 5 different wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II across Europe, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War. He died at age 40 in Vietnam where he stepped on a land mine in 1954. I was so moved by his work I wanted to share a few of his photos in my blog with you.
"If your photos aren't good enough,
then you're not close enough"
Japanese Boy Soldier
Probably Capa's most well known photo taken during his time documenting the Sino-Japanese War.
Taken during the Second World War in Naples. A Neapolitan man is pointing out the direction in which the German Soldiers went to an American Soldier. I love this photo because I see the same acts of kindness and helpfulness in Italy today, although they are usually pointing out the directions of train stations than soldiers.
Women crying at funeral of twenty teenaged boys who had fought the Germans before the Allies entered the city. This is clearly an example of Capa's ability to capture an emotion and make felt by the viewer.
After the liberation of France from the German occupation those women who had collaborated with German soldiers had their heads shaved as a sign of humiliation. This women is carrying a baby which she had with a German soldier and is being marched back to her house.
Spanish Resistance Soldiers using the corpse of a horse as a barricade during fighting.
French Resistance Soldiers hiding behind an army truck.
Robert Capa spent over 20 years documenting the effects of War all over the world, and eventually his dangerous lifestyle got the better of him when he stepped on a land mine, ending his life prematurely.
"The pictures are there, and you just take them."
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