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OT: Is this inappropriate?
Paul Alesse, Photographer
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Centereach | NY | USA | Posted: 11:09 AM on 05.11.10 |
->> When not behind the lens, I teach sixth grade Math in a middle school. A student of ours brought in a disturbing photo today to show to her teachers and other students. This was not part of any assignment. She explained that her father received it in an email and her father thought it would be a good idea to show for "show and tell". The caption beneath the photo along with the demise of the photographer was also included in her photograph.
Am I right in thinking that this is inappropriate to bring to school?
Here is the link:
http://www.orugallu.net/vinDu/?p=135 |
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Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 11:22 AM on 05.11.10 |
| ->> I only hope that one day my child cares enough about his fellow man to be moved enough to share this, or a similar, image with his friends. Is it appropriate to bring it to school, absent a specific assignment, and share it with the class without prior permission from school staff? Probably not. Would I be quietly proud of my kid if he did? Yep. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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| | | Posted: 11:26 AM on 05.11.10 |
| ->> I'm with Brian on this one. |
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Richard Uhlhorn, Photographer
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Chelan Falls | WA | USA | Posted: 12:09 PM on 05.11.10 |
->> I am also with Brian on this one. I agree that it would probably be best to ask the teacher, but our children are way to insulated and isolated from world events. While this photograph is sickening in its message, it illustrates exactly what no one wnats to think about.
I teach an AFTERS class on digital photography to kids from the fourth grade to eighth grade. I try to introduce all forms of photography to them inluding photojournalism. For that I show the older kids the speech and slide show that James Nachtwey gave to the TED group. It is powerful and gives them a huge understanding that there is a world out there they don't even know about.
It bothers me that kids are becoming desentized to violence because of television, movies and the video games that promote it. |
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Eileen Blass, Photographer
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer
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Coeur d'Alene | ID | USA | Posted: 12:52 PM on 05.11.10 |
->> The subject matter might be a bit heavy for middle school, but certainly not inappropriate.
In my opinion, the sooner that children learn that all is NOT happy in the world, learn how fortunate we are here in the States, the sooner that they will appreciate what they have and be more compassionate for others.
/I teach high school photo and have shared this exact photo with students. In fact, I might have this link be my class blog post for tomorrow, and ask my students what they think/feel about it. I have shared Nachtwey videos as well as the movie Dying to Tell the Story and no one has complained about them. |
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Max Waugh, Photographer
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Bothell | WA | USA | Posted: 1:49 PM on 05.11.10 |
| ->> I remember being bombarded with images and news about the famine in Ethiopia while I was in elementary school in the 80s, so to me middle school doesn't seem too early for something like this. |
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James Madelin, Photographer
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AKL | Auckland | New Zealand | Posted: 1:28 AM on 05.18.10 |
->> that's one of the most incredible images made in the 20th century, i think, by one of the greatest photojournalists. to read a much more accurate account of the making of the photo, you ought to read "the bang bang club", a book about kevin carter and his contemporaries.
my knowledge of the circumstances are very different to the caption in your link paul, which i suspect are unsubstantiated. from memory of first-hand accounts from the book, the feeding station was very close by and there was no indication that the vulture was preying on the child. the image's strength lies more in the suggestion of prey and desperation.
i certainly think it is a very appropriate topic of discussion in schools; famine, charity, society, photography, the media. i could talk to a class for hours about all the relevant issues this photo raises. |
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Andrew Fielding, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 2:40 AM on 05.18.10 |
| ->> I wish I could add more but I agree with Brian that I'd be very happy if any children I were to have cared enough about others to bring this photo in. It may be shocking to a sixth grade class but it is the world we live in. Our world is everything on earth, not just in our neighborhood, city or school and photos like this show us how fortunate we are and children should know how fortunate they are so that they care about their fellow man. |
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Kathleen Hinkel, Photographer
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Vancouver | BC | Canada | Posted: 4:50 AM on 05.18.10 |
->> I do think this photo(and most war photographs) are appropriate to share and discuss at the middle school level. I think war photographers put their lives on the line to raise awareness of the issues going on in our world, such as famine, and every time these images are shared, people are educated and understanding is heightened.
I also think it is interesting that many people quickly judge Kevin Carter for taking his time composing this photograph and choosing a nice long lens to compress the distance between the child and the vulture. He was simply doing what photojournalists do and his result was an image that opened the world's eyes to famine... and this image is still being used to raise money for food banks and famine relief worldwide... an example of this was in the original link posted. So while it seems cruel to take a picture of a suffering child, I think that it is important to remember that thousands of people, possibly millions of people, have seen this photo and as a result may be more aware and more compassionate towards people suffering on the other side of the globe.
I also agree with James that the circumstances surrounding this picture are extremely different than those outlined in the caption on the link that was posted. It has been several years since I read the 'Bang Bang Club' written by Carter's colleagues Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva but I remember this book offering in depth insight into the circumstances of this photo and the events leading to Carter's death. Below is a link to an article on Kevin Carter that gives a more comprehensive assessment of the circumstances surrounding the image and the events going on in Carter's life at the time of his death. This article more closely mirrors what I remember reading in "The Bang Bang Club."
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/photography/articles/2845/title/kevin-carter-co... |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 7:24 AM on 05.18.10 |
->> Richard said it exactly right, Paul. Not only is the photo appropriate, it should be required for discussion in every middle school classroom.
I am a bit of a grump on these things. We desensitize ourselves and our children via TV and other forms of mass media. How many middle school kids have had to experience dealing with death? Understanding that no one is guaranteed tomorrow? The world has much beauty, but much horror as well.
In my opinion, many of the problems our culture faces is a direct result of trying to ignore the realities that make us "uncomfortable". If people in our culture really understood that suffering and death are things that CAN and DO happen, do you think this might be a different world?
Sorry for the rant. I believe the photo is totally appropriate and relevant. If it makes people squirm, so be it. That's why it won a Pulitzer Prize. |
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Brad Barr, Photographer
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Port St. Lucie | FL | USA | Posted: 9:15 AM on 05.18.10 |
->> +1 to all the above.
I think moving images of this sort ought to be shown if for no other reason than because they are so moving....and unfortunately so real. |
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Will Powers, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 9:32 AM on 05.18.10 |
->> Though I was a little older than the 6th grade, photos from the Viet Nam era war were a daily staple, and influenced my desire to work as a photographer. There are some powerful, seriously more violent and "inappropriate" photos from that era. The photos effected change in the way many people thought of war, as this one does poverty.
I am of the opinion that we should talk about issues in an age appropriate discussion. Many schools talk about social issues, but it seems like it is always "over there." I have to give credit to local Catholic schools that teach children charity and show them opportunities to help the local community and the world community. |
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Tim Gangloff, Photographer
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Knoxville | Tn | USA | Posted: 2:12 PM on 05.18.10 |
| ->> I guess I would say that maybe you take a day off from math and could teach a bit about the human condition around the world. I think the children would be better off for it and you can drill them extra hard in their next math class. It's not like these 6th graders don't see these kind of images, or much worse on the internet, TV or in the movies. I think taking a few minutes to discuss this image in an age-appropriate manner would be a good thing. For the most part, we are extremely lucky to live in the US. And remember, somewhere, some 6th graders are living in the conditions shown in the photograph. |
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David Seelig, Photographer
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Hailey | ID | USA | Posted: 4:41 PM on 05.18.10 |
| ->> No offense but this might be the best thing ever brought to your class. We are privileged in this country. The aim of school is to learn. |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 7:40 PM on 05.18.10 |
| ->> Seeing what children all over the world are exposed to, I have no problem with revealing how amazing and appalling the world can be to children. I think really its our mindset to keep them innocent for as long as they can for OUR benefit that our society gets so wound up on what is good and bad for them. |
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