War Correspondent - Kapa: War Correspondent

Author: Alex Keays
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Capa's photographs make one feel the importance of technique, but rather reveal a courage that can only be exchanged with life. This spirit of great bravery makes his photos revered as classics by people of all factions. No one would criticize whether he expressed himself sufficiently delicately, conveyed his message powerfully enough, cropped tightly enough, or whether the shutter timing was perfectly apt, or if the tones were rich. Robert Capa (1913–1954) was more qualified than anyone else to speak on behalf of war correspondents, expressing the mindset and sacrifices of exchanging life for images. He is one of the most famous war correspondents in history. His photography career was as perilous as gambling, in various war zones during World War II—Spanish Civil War, Japanese invasion of China, North African War, Italian War, D-Day, and the Liberation of France. Amidst gunfire, he risked his life to exchange for each sheet of film in his Leica camera. He never withdrew his bet at the last minute, always holding the of "win or lose," gambling all in, fighting fate, waiting for the roulette ball to land on that number. Capa won war photographs that remain unmatched to this day, yet in a tiny gamble on May 25, 1954, he lost his life—stepping on a landmine, reduced to nothing. Robert Capa, this soldier of images who lived and died, is forever etched in people's hearts. His photographs have become symbols of humanity and war. He hated war all his life and wanted to use images to awaken people's conscience, to stop them from killing each other. His death was humanity's final plea. Looking at his photographs, one can almost hear the whizzing of bullets and the rumble of explosions. Every frame is a testament to human stupidity.