W. Eugene Smith is my biggest inspiration in the world of photojournalism. His World War II photos are breath taking portrayals of war that were taken in a unique and artistic, yet realistic, way. His technical abilities, along with his proficiency in the dark room, set his images apart from other photojournalists of his time. He didn’t just believe in taking a good photograph; he cherished capturing a true experience and environment and having an intimate connection with his subjects, immersing himself in the lives of his subjects. He put himself in dangerous situations and always risked whatever it took to take his photographs. I appreciate his drive and dedication, and how he did what whatever he wanted, as opposed to what was “safest”. He didn’t just believe in the “picture” but also in the experience.
"I was after a set of pictures, so that when people looked at them they would say, ‘This is war’--that the people who were in the war would believe that I had truthfully captured what they had gone through... I worked in the framework that war is horrible. I want to carry on what I have tried to do in these pictures. War is a concentrated unit in the world and these things are clearly and cleanly seen. Things like race prejudice, poverty, hatred and bigotry are sprawling things in civilian life, and not so easy to define as war." - W. Eugene Smith.
(TERI McCANS)
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