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Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby? You said you'd be coming back this way again baby. Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, baby, I love you...


Here you can the the little bloke crossing the vast expanses of the living room in search of water. Callously, both Henry and Jen refuse to help. I - in a rather pale imitation of the moral quandary of Kevin Carter's shocking image from Sudan in 1993 - am the photojournalist, intervening would destroy the authenticity of the shot. It's a tricky notion, the idea of objectivity and photojournalism, as I'd imagine that the presence of another person armed with a camera is going to undermine the notion of "real life just ticking along".

Carter's story is well worth following up, the HBO documentary The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club is one I've been wanting to see for a while.
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KL said…
How did you create this shot? Using photoshop or some other software? The background is B&W and Ezra is in full-color. A very very nice shot.

Ok, I know I should not be asking this, quite a bad manner on my part. But what is that big black thing in the middle of the room? Is it a baby push-chair (parambulator)? Because of the contrast in color in the photo, it honestly looking a martian miniature space-ship :-).
7 February 2009 at 23:40
Kurt said…
Sometimes there's a photo that makes me wonder why the photographer didn't put down the camera and help the person.
8 February 2009 at 01:12
Bergson said…
An infant developed with brio
8 February 2009 at 03:12
Unknown said…
I love the colours in this photo, or lack thereof in many places... it brings the focus right to Ezra! The little trooper just trekking along!

Sometimes I wonder how photojournalist can just be so objective... I understand not becoming part of the story, but when you look at life through the lens only... don't you loose something, a part of your humanity if you do not help those in need?
8 February 2009 at 07:10
Kris McCracken said…
KL, messing about with Photoshop really. I wanted it to seem that Ezra was the source of all colour in the world.

Asking questions is not bad manners at all, the thing in the middle of the room is a bouncy chair that Ezra sits and bounces in. It was Henry's first, but now Ez uses it.

Every child that has visited our house and sat in it has slept. Neither of our kids has ONCE. They're too busy bouncing like maniacs.
8 February 2009 at 09:22
Kris McCracken said…
Kurt, that is the over riding question with regards to Carter's shot. I suspect it is one that stayed with Carter too, give then nature of his death.
8 February 2009 at 09:55
Kris McCracken said…
Bergson, he is a vigorous lad!
8 February 2009 at 09:57
Kris McCracken said…
Uncertainhorizon, I am sure that you must, although I can see the logic behind thinking: "I want the world to see what is happening, and if I stop this particular tragedy at this particular moment, the world will be none the wiser and only one person will be helped at the cost of helping more".

It must be a difficult choice, and I'm not sure that I'm equipped to make it. That's probably not too big a flaw in my make-up though.
8 February 2009 at 10:02
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