Photographer sells photo of girl killed in tornado -

[zaneyzoo]

What are your thoughts on this?  There are no photos - just the story


www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/18/storm-chaser-photo-of-dying-girl-stirs-controversy/10829247/

His whole demeanor to me is off-putting.  I understand documenting things but he sounds like an arrogant pompous asshole that didn't really think about how his actions would affect others.  But I could be way off base.  It's become a huge debate on my FB feed.  

[berbles]

Jun 19, 2014 11:17:54 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

This is an age-old debate, one that is not at all black and white, and certainly won't come to any tidy conclusion on Facebook (or here, for that matter).

Word.  I took a media law class in college and we spent a couple weeks discussing this issue.  It's very complicated.

I hope the AP just holds onto the pictures.  No need to publish them.

[ijack]

H (who is a professional photographer) and I have discussed this many times and I'm not sure we'll ever see eye to eye.
ETA - I just read his comment about needing storms - that is disgusting.

[eb777888]

Wrong.

[eb777888]

Jun 19, 2014 11:27:55 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I think his attitude is what makes it unacceptable for me.

And if I was the parent of that child, I'd be devastated that this would be her legacy, for all time.

Exactly.

[Deleted]

Disgusting. He's not a photographer. He's a thrill-seeker with a camera who made a buck off a family's tragedy. Now when/if that mom wakes up, she'll have to wake up to a picture of her child dying.

He has a lot of balls to compare himself to professional photographers. He should donate the money to tornado relief and try to remove himself from this situation because he seems like a total asshole.

[zaneyzoo]

Jun 19, 2014 11:27:55 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I think his attitude is what makes it unacceptable for me.

And if I was the parent of that child, I'd be devastated that this would be her legacy, for all time.

All of this exactly.  If he wasn't such a asshole about it, then *maybe* but the whole comment about needing a storm, then talking about her face and light fading from her eyes, etc etc - fuck him

[ECB]

A:
"I need some highly photogenic and destructive tornadoes to make it rain for me financially," he wrote.

"I'm a freelancer and that's how I make my living," he said on Wednesday. "And if I can't do my job, I don't get a paycheck."

B:
Farnik was adamant that money is not his primary motivator.

"I'm in this for my passion for photography and passion for people," he said.

****

So basically, he's talking out both sides of his ass? 

[redheadk]

I have no idea about the legal side but it seems highly unethical to photograph and share photos of dead children.

[Deleted]

His attitude is completely disgusting.

[karmasabiotch]

I think it's awful

[PinkSquirrel]

I think it's important to document even the hardest of things and can see the value in it, but if you're going to be the person documenting those things you have to understand the gravity of what you're doing and how important it is to do it with respect. This guy is a fucking asshole who had no business taking a picture like this and selling it.

[autumnfire]

His attitude is what makes this completely wrong IMHO. His post a week before. It just makes it hard to see his intentions as pure and as a service.

I did go and look at the photo (I was curious and hate to formulate full opinions without it). The only photo I was able to see wasn't gruesome or showed anything other than what looked like a hurt girl, that was very dirty from debri. I saw worse photos from the Boston bombing in news articles in terms of seeing actual gore. The photo I saw had none of them and to me showed compassion (from the paramedics)more that the paramedics were helping a girl in need. It did hit my heart seeing any child hurt and knowing the outcome The photo he sold to me wasn't bad, at least certainly not what I thought at all. But again his attitude is what turns this into an entirely different beast and that's where it becomes wrong in my book.

ETA: When you read the article the photos he took was of the girl when she was living not of her dead body. (not that it makes it right just clarifying)

[toepick]

I found the photo and found it very moving. Some times we need to see horrible things to understand the gravity of what happened. Like the famous photo of the injured girl being carried out of the OKC bombing by the firefighter.

I was recently thinking about Newtown and wondered if we (the American people) should have been forced to look at the photos of the 20 executed children BEFORE deciding that the 2nd Amendment trumps dead kids.

[autumnfire]

Jun 19, 2014 12:59:12 GMT -5 toepick said:

I found the photo and found it very moving. Some times we need to see horrible things to understand the gravity of what happened. Like the famous photo of the injured girl being carried out of the OKC bombing by the firefighter.

I was recently thinking about Newtown and wondered if we (the American people) should have been forced to look at the photos of the 20 executed children BEFORE deciding that the 2nd Amendment trumps dead kids.

I agree with you and the pp. I felt it was a very moving photo.

From the heading of this post and the article. i was expecting after all of that (although I was hoping I didn't see) to see a very hurt girl possibly deformed from her injuries.

I was a bit shocked to see what I did.

[Deleted]

Jun 19, 2014 13:07:24 GMT -5 kooshball said:

I just found the photo and could feel the love and caring from the responders. I didn't read anything about the photographer but found the photo moving. The big picture and other newspapers regularly publish pictures of war violence with dead kids and adults. It can be touchy but I think it's important to document.

I think I distinguish between photos of people who have died from war/human created violence and natural disasters as very different things.  I'm "ok" with the first but not the second.  I don't think you need to add the shock value of seeing a child who died from a tornado to understand how devestating that was.  But people probably do need to be reminded of the human cost of wars and terrorist acts and so that seems more appropriate (for lack of a better word), those are things we could prevent/change.

[autumnfire]

Jun 19, 2014 13:36:07 GMT -5 @randomcdn said:

Jun 19, 2014 13:07:24 GMT -5 kooshball said:

I just found the photo and could feel the love and caring from the responders. I didn't read anything about the photographer but found the photo moving. The big picture and other newspapers regularly publish pictures of war violence with dead kids and adults. It can be touchy but I think it's important to document.

I think I distinguish between photos of people who have died from war/human created violence and natural disasters as very different things.  I'm "ok" with the first but not the second.  I don't think you need to add the shock value of seeing a child who died from a tornado to understand how devestating that was.  But people probably do need to be reminded of the human cost of wars and terrorist acts and so that seems more appropriate (for lack of a better word), those are things we could prevent/change.

Honestly, for me this photo shows the rescue efforts and helping those in need after such a disaster. I didn't ever get a shock value from this photo. The article hyped it up like it was, but looking at it at least for me there was no shock value to it at all.

[isabel]

I haven't read the article, but this reminds me of that photographer who took a picture of a starving boy in Africa. There's a vulture with its wings spread a few feet from the boy and he is in the fetal position on the ground. Apparently the photographer walked away and didn't even try to help.

I don't know if I have formed an opinion on this yet, but it makes me think of that photo.

[BaliHai]

Jun 19, 2014 12:05:28 GMT -5 PinkSquirrel said:

I think it's important to document even the hardest of things and can see the value in it, but if you're going to be the person documenting those things you have to understand the gravity of what you're doing and how important it is to do it with respect. This guy is a fucking asshole who had no business taking a picture like this and selling it.

This is where I am. Also what LHC said about this little girl's legacy.

[eb777888]

Jun 19, 2014 12:59:12 GMT -5 toepick said:

I was recently thinking about Newtown and wondered if we (the American people) should have been forced to look at the photos of the 20 executed children BEFORE deciding that the 2nd Amendment trumps dead kids.

What? No. What about the families? And those pictures aren't going to change anyone's mind. if anything, it's "we need MORE guns."

[toepick]

Jun 19, 2014 14:00:30 GMT -5 eb777888 said:

Jun 19, 2014 12:59:12 GMT -5 toepick said:

I was recently thinking about Newtown and wondered if we (the American people) should have been forced to look at the photos of the 20 executed children BEFORE deciding that the 2nd Amendment trumps dead kids.

What? No. What about the families? And those pictures aren't going to change anyone's mind. if anything, it's "we need MORE guns."

I disagree, but see where you are coming from.  I think seeing actual dead kids would make it a reality instead of an abstraction for people.  Much like pictures of concentration camps actually make people understand what happened there.  

[eb777888]

I guess it seems that when pro gun people get fearful, the answer is always MORE GUNS. Like all of the "arm the teachers" arguments we heard after Newtown (and actually I just saw more of that shit on Facebook yesterday). I understand why people think releasing the pictures might make a difference because it really should, I just completely disagree that it will.

[underwaterrhymes]

Jun 19, 2014 13:53:09 GMT -5 isabel said:

I haven't read the article, but this reminds me of that photographer who took a picture of a starving boy in Africa. There's a vulture with its wings spread a few feet from the boy and he is in the fetal position on the ground. Apparently the photographer walked away and didn't even try to help.

I don't know if I have formed an opinion on this yet, but it makes me think of that photo.

In addition to what @evelynrichards said, Kevin Carter was also instrumental, along with three other photographers, in showing the world what was happening in South Africa during the fall of apartheid.

He was a tremendously gifted and troubled person who struggled a lot over what he saw both in South Africa and Sudan. This little girl, in particular, really stuck with him and made him think of his own daughter. Although there is a certain amount of desensitization that has to take place with photojournalists, Kevin Carter was not a callous person.

[cinnamoncox]

Oh my goodness I'm sick after reading his re telling of that poor little girl's story

Why did I read that? Her poor mom in the coma, imagine her heartbreak when (if?) she comes out of it

[berbles]

Jun 19, 2014 14:17:35 GMT -5 toepick said:

Jun 19, 2014 14:00:30 GMT -5 eb777888 said:

What? No. What about the families? And those pictures aren't going to change anyone's mind. if anything, it's "we need MORE guns."

I disagree, but see where you are coming from.  I think seeing actual dead kids would make it a reality instead of an abstraction for people.  Much like pictures of concentration camps actually make people understand what happened there.  

You would think/hope.  But there are still Holocaust deniers.  And Newtown deniers.

And your last line made me think of this picture, which is almost more horrifying than any pics of Holocaust victims.  (I didn't want to post the pic in case people want to decide whether they want to see it, but it's not graphic)

[toepick]

Jun 19, 2014 15:18:25 GMT -5 berbles said:

Jun 19, 2014 14:17:35 GMT -5 toepick said:

I disagree, but see where you are coming from.  I think seeing actual dead kids would make it a reality instead of an abstraction for people.  Much like pictures of concentration camps actually make people understand what happened there.  

You would think/hope.  But there are still Holocaust deniers.  And Newtown deniers.

And your last line made me think of this picture, which is almost more horrifying than any pics of Holocaust victims.  (I didn't want to post the pic in case people want to decide whether they want to see it, but it's not graphic)

People should have to see - really SEE - that picture.  And think about what happened, so that it won't ever happen again. 

[berbles]

Jun 19, 2014 15:23:50 GMT -5 toepick said:

Jun 19, 2014 15:18:25 GMT -5 berbles said:

You would think/hope.  But there are still Holocaust deniers.  And Newtown deniers.

And your last line made me think of this picture, which is almost more horrifying than any pics of Holocaust victims.  (I didn't want to post the pic in case people want to decide whether they want to see it, but it's not graphic)

People should have to see - really SEE - that picture.  And think about what happened, so that it won't ever happen again. 

I agree.

I just wish it would have the intended impact on the people who need to see it most.  Sadly, that's usually not the case.

[isabel]

Jun 19, 2014 13:59:10 GMT -5 @evelynrichards said:

Jun 19, 2014 13:53:09 GMT -5 isabel said:

I haven't read the article, but this reminds me of that photographer who took a picture of a starving boy in Africa. There's a vulture with its wings spread a few feet from the boy and he is in the fetal position on the ground. Apparently the photographer walked away and didn't even try to help.

I don't know if I have formed an opinion on this yet, but it makes me think of that photo.

No. Kevin Carter won a Pulitzer for taking a photo of a vulture stalking a starving child, yes. He also scared the bird away after taking the photo, and then later committed suicide.

Oh. That's sad. I didn't know he committed suicide. I was definitely not trying to compare the situations though.