Safely

Author: Sha Fei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: This book is a collection of Sha Fei's works. As a photojournalist with a strong idealistic streak, Sha Fei had his own unique adherence to the authenticity of news photography. He believed that the truthfulness of a photograph was intrinsically linked to boosting morale and achieving victory. Obviously, in his view, using temporary falsehoods to inspire spirits was not a sustainable solution, especially not a way to treat one's fellow soldiers. While wartime propaganda warfare allowed for fabrications for operational purposes, Sha Fei strictly distinguished between propaganda techniques and the professional requirements of news photography. For example, he held differing opinions about post-facto photography. At a meeting in 1947, he said, "I believe that retouching would compromise authenticity, especially as it would cause the troops to doubt and misinterpret our photographic work. I am firm in this position—I oppose retouching and prefer to document the new developments after the event to fulfill my task." This statement by Sha Fei demonstrates his commitment to the principle of journalistic photography being truthful, including the photographer's honesty about their own "absence" at the scene. Yet, he did not let this commitment overshadow his duties as a journalist but instead adopted the method of documenting "new developments post-event" to make up for the loss. This approach was already in practice when he covered the Liaoshan Pass victory. Sha Fei's photographic ethics not only upheld the integrity of news photography but also preserved the dignity of photography.