"A man throws a dead body at the morgue of the general hospital, Port Au Prince, Haiti, January 15, 2010, following the 7.0-magnitude quake on January 12. First Prize General News Stories, Olivier Laban-Mattei, France, Agence France-Presse. #"
This photo is horrifying. Just want to say that right at the outset. This photo was taken by Olivier Laban-Mattei of France's Agence France Presse. I saw it on the Boston Globe's Big Picture section. They often post pretty amazing pictures. This is one of the winners of the 54th World Press Photo Contest.To see the rest of the photos, visit http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/02/world_press_photo_winners.html.
What gets me about his is first off the shocking nature of it. It's a man throwing a dead child's body. I have heard NPR reports of the crisis in Haiti for months. It all sounded sad, and the stories painted a picture of a nation in shambles. But, not until I saw this photo did I really lose it. I get it now. Photography can do that.
The other thing that is amazing about this photo is the story in this one image. This man works in the morgue. Most people in public morgues, I assume, are caring people. So, to see him throwing a body unceremoniously into a pile says that he has gone past the ability to care about these people. He's closed up to protect himself emotionally from this horror. You'd have to in order to keep doing your job.
The point of photography to me is to make people feel something. About 99% of what's out there passes by without notice. It's utility photography selling you a new car, or a boring portrait. This photo is arresting. It immediately made me feel sorrow for the people of Haiti. This photo made me cry. What about you?
Nice blog, Ian. I will subscribe. -cb-
ReplyDeletei see the practical nature of humans at work, here. you do what you have to do (and you even get good at whatever it is...). the body in flight looks like it is headed for a bin of some kind and he is clearing the bodies from that platform. there. that is his job: clear the bodies that pose an imminent threat of deadly disease. he might even feel satisfied when he is done, and head home for a good meal with his family, like we do.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad for the suffering people in Haiti, too. Charity, education, engineering can maybe make this guy's job unnecessary someday...
Sorry to be a couple of years late here. I posted this and then life got in the way. Thanks for your thoughts mavenj. I hear what you're saying. But, it couldn't always have been like that for this man, right? So, he has somehow been able to compartmentalize his feelings to get good at this job, right?
Deleteever step on ants when you were a kid? when it comes to this kind of devastation how different are we than ants? should i have posted this? if no please tell me i'm sorry i don't feel good now
ReplyDeleteDon't take my late reply as any judgment here. I posted this and then life caught up with me. :) Do you mean that when Mother Nature gets fired up we are like ants getting stepped on? I can see that.
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