“People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without
manipulation. They are only half-truths.”
-Eddie
Adams
Introduction
Eddie Adams is recognised in contemporary society as one of the worlds leading photographers.
Born in Pennsylvania, USA on the 12th of June 1933, the American
photojournalist pursued his passion in photography when he was a young
teenager. Shortly after graduating, he joined the United States Marine Corps,
and was assigned as a Combat photographer for the Korean War. Before passing
away on the 14th of September 2004, Adams managed to leave behind a
vast and remarkable set of photographs, which he collected throughout his
lifetime in thirteen different wars. This included one main photograph, known
today as the ‘Saigon Execution’.
About the ‘Saigon Execution’
It was in 1962
when Adams became part of the Associated Press, a multinational nonprofit news
agency. Three years after having been recruited, Adams was sent to Vietnam to
witness and document the events of the war at the time. It was two years later,
in 1967, when the American photographer returned to further elaborate on the
situation in Vietnam. On February 1st, 1968, Adams witnessed and
snapped the Pulitzer-Prize winning photograph, which is familiar to many today
as the ‘Saigon Execution’. This remarkable piece of art in fact has a brief story
behind it. As Adams recalls, “I had no idea it was going to happen.” He simply
raised his camera to snap a few photos of what seemed to be a ‘regular’ rise in
tension between two men, when suddenly one of the men, South Vietnamese
Brigadier General Loan, triggered his pistol and killed the enemy. Despite the
fact that this photograph lists as one of the worlds most influential, Adams
shares what he said after taking the photo, “when I did the picture, I stopped
back at the AP office and I handed them this roll of film and I said ‘I think I
got somebody killing somebody’ and I went out to lunch. It was simple.”
Analysing ‘Saigon Execution’
To begin with, it’s important to note that the photograph is
in Black and White, which helps associate the events of the Vietnam War that
arose in the past. By not using colors on his photograph, Adams has sustained a
more focused and less distracting image. One that focuses on the composition,
texture and without doubt the action-taking place between the two
subjects. The effective use of Black and
White has resulted in aiming the audience towards the crucial elements and subjects;
these include the gun and the two men. Furthermore, by placing the man being
shot on the right side of the frame entitles him to a more prominent role,
because it has been scientifically proven that elements situated to the right
side of a paper, manage to attract human beings attention more than the left
side. In relation to the ‘Saigon Execution’, this actually creates an instant
perception that the man being shot is a poor, powerless and humble Vietnamese
civilian, who has been captured by the ‘dictator’ enemy and killed. What helps
in creating this psychological sense of sorrow towards the man being shot, is
his facial expression and clothing. At first, his mouth seems to be bleeding,
in addition to a terrified look on his face. His clothes on the second hand
resemble a deprived and homeless man, and this of course adds to the sense of
grief towards him.
Political Perspective
From a political point of view, there are several factors
that need to be discussed. At first, the man being shot “had murdered the
family of one of General Loans deputies just hours before, and was a known Viet
Cong conspirator that had long been ‘undercover’.” The ‘Saigon Execution’ after
being published across the globe and specifically printed as the front page of
the New York Times, ignited the American anit-war people, who protested against
their Government, in solidarity with their sons and daughters who were sent to
a war they had no ties to. The
publication of this photograph had other impacts as well. For example, three
months after the image was captured, General Loan got shot and was transferred
for international treatment. He was deported back to Vietnam from Australia; he
was also deported from the US after having escaped there. “Adams carried guilt
regarding Saigon Execution up until his death,” he was never impressed with his
award-winning photograph, simply because of its negative implications towards
the General.
“The General killed the Viet Cong; I killed the General with
my camera.” I personally find the ‘Saigon Execution’ image as one of a kind. It
truly manipulates the audiences’ feelings, whether they should be feeling
sympathetic with the Viet Cong or not. At first glance, I recall being one of
those audiences who despised the General and looked down on him as an evil
dictator-like man. However, having read the events of the story, my perception
and understanding of the whole photograph has actually altered. To me, this is
the picture that tells a thousand words.
Bibliography
- "Eddie Adams." Eddie Adams. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.tufts.edu/programs/mma/fah189/2004/kuok/adams-bio.html>.
- "Saigon Execution": The Consequences of Eddie Adams Pulitzer Prize Winning Photograph." 2014. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://rbp2013.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/saigon-execution-the-consequences-of-eddie-adams-pulitzer-prize-winning-photograph/comment-page-1/>.
No comments:
Post a Comment