Biopics of Capa and Nachtwey

1. WAR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Social Studies for 10 th E.G.B.
Teacher: Mauricio Torres

2. What is a photojournalist?
Photojournalism is a particular form
of journalism (the collecting, editing, and
presenting of news material for
publication or broadcast) that creates
images in order to tell a news story.
Timeliness — the images have
meaning in the context of a recently
published record of events.
Objectivity — the situation implied
by the images is a fair and accurate
representation of the events they
depict in both content and tone.
Narrative — the images combine
with other news elements to make
facts relatable to the viewer or
reader on a cultural level.

3. What is a photojournalist?
Like a writer, a photojournalist is
a reporter but he or she must often make
decisions instantly and carry photographic
equipment, often while exposed to
significant obstacles.

4. Robert Capa

5. Robert Capa
Real name: André Friedman
Was a Hungarian combat photographer
and photojournalist who covered five
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.

6. Robert Capa
From 1936 to 1939, he was in Spain, photographing the horrors of
the Spanish Civil War, along with Gerda Taro, his companion and
professional photography partner.

7. Robert Capa
Capa originally wanted to be a writer;
however, he found work in photography
in Berlin and grew to love the art. In 1933,
he moved from Germany to France
because of the rise of Nazism, but found
it difficult to find work there as a
freelance journalist.
He adopted the name "Robert Capa”
around this time – in fact "cápa”
("shark”) was his nickname in school and Capa's first published photograph was
also he felt that it would be recognizable that of Leon Trotsky making a speech in
and American-sounding. He found it Copenhagen on "The Meaning of the
easier to sell his photos under the newly Russian Revolution” in 1932.
adopted "American" sounding name and
over a period of time gradually assumed
the persona of Robert Capa.

8. Robert Capa

9. Robert Capa
Probably his most famous images, The Magnificent Eleven are a group of photos of D-
Day taken by Robert Capa. Taking part in the Allied invasion Capa was with the second
wave of troops on the American invasion beach, Omaha Beach. The men storming
Omaha Beach faced some of the heaviest resistance from German troops within the
bunkers of the Atlantikwall. While under constant fire Capa took 106 pictures, but all
but eleven were destroyed in a photo lab accident back in London.

10. Robert Capa

11. Robert Capa

12. Robert Capa
• Capa is known for redefining wartime photojournalism. His work
came literally from the trenches as opposed to the more arms-
length perspective that was the precedent previously. He was
famed for saying, "If your picture isn't good enough, you're not close
enough."

13. James Nachtwey

14. James Nachtwey
Is an American photojournalist and war
photographer.
Nachtwey started working as a newspaper
photographer in 1976 at the Albuquerque
Journal. In 1980, he moved to New York and
began working as a freelance photographer. In
1981, Nachtwey covered his first overseas
assignment in Northern Ireland illustrating civil
strife. He has documented a variety of armed
conflicts and social issues.

15. James Nachtwey
In Iraq, as Nachtwey, along with Time
correspondent Michael Weisskopf rode in
the back of a Humvee with the United
States Army "Tomb Raiders" Survey
Platoon, an insurgent threw a grenade
into the vehicle. Weisskopf grabbed the
grenade to throw it out of the humvee,
but it exploded in his hand. Two soldiers
were injured in the explosion, along with
the Time journalists. Nachtwey managed
to take several photographs of medic
Billie Grimes treating Weisskopf before
passing out. Both journalists were
airlifted to Germany and later to hospitals
in the United States. Nachtwey
recovered sufficiently to return overseas
to cover the tsunami in Southeast Asia of
December 26, 2004.

16. James Nachtwey
Nachtwey was present during the September
11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and
produced a well known related body of work.

17. James Nachtwey

18. James Nachtwey
In South Africa, Latin America,
the Middle East, Russia, Eastern
Europe, the former Soviet
Union, he has been shooting
pictures of war, conflict and
famine, and images of socio-
political issues (pollution, crime
and punishment) in Western
Europe and the United States.

19. James Nachtwey

20. Assignment
• Look on the internet or History books, pictures done by Fenton or
Brady. They were both war photographers during the 1860s
(American Civil War and Crimean War). After that, do the following,
and send it via email:
• Compare their styles with that of Capa and Nachtwey (2 paragraphs).
• Analyze the phrase: “if your pictures aren t good enough, you are not close
enough”. Does it apply to Fenton and Brady? In what way? (one paragraph).
• Use two sample images to justify your answer. One by Fenton or Brady and the
second one by Capa or Nachtwey.
• Brady did some “retouching” to his pictures. What was it?

21. Assignment

22. Assignment