Horst Faas- Octavia

Photographer: Horst Faas

Brief Background:

“Born in Berlin, Germany, Faas began his photographic career in 1951 with the Keystone Agency, and by the age of 21 he was already covering major events concerning Indochina, including the peace negotiations in Geneva in 1954. In 1956 he joined the Associated Press (AP), where he acquired a reputation for being an unflinching hard-news war photographer, covering the wars in Vietnam and Laos, as well as in the Congo and Algeria. In 1962, he became AP’s chief photographer for Southeast Asia, and was based in Saigon until 1974. His images of the Vietnam War won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1965. In 1967 he was severely wounded in the legs by an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) and used a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 1972, he collected a second Pulitzer, for his coverage of the conflict in Bangladesh. Inside Bangladesh, photographer Rashid Talukder considered it too dangerous to publish his photographs and he released them more than twenty years after Horst's photographs had appeared.

Faas is also famed for his work as a picture editor, and was instrumental in ensuring the publication of two of the most famous images of the Vietnam War. The notorious "Saigon Execution" photograph, showing the summary execution of a Vietcong prisoner by Saigon police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan, taken by Eddie Adams in Saigon on February 1, 1968 was sent under his direction. Nick Ut's famous "Napalm Girl" photograph caused a huge controversy over at the AP bureau; an editor had objected to the photo, saying that the girl depicted was naked and that nobody would accept it. Faas ordered that Ut's photo be sent over the wire.

In September 1990, freelance photographer Greg Marinovich submitted a series of graphic photos of a crowd executing a man to the AP bureau in Johannesburg. Once again, AP editors were uncertain if the photos should be sent over the wire. One editor sent the images to Faas, who telegrammed back, "send all photos."

In 1976, Faas moved to London as AP’s senior photo editor for Europe; he retired in 2004. In retirement he organized reunions of the wartime Saigon press corps and ran international photojournalism symposiums.

He produced four books on his career and other news photographers, including Requiem, a book about photographers killed on both sides of the Vietnam War, co-edited with fellow Vietnam War photojournalist Tim Page.”

                                                                                                                        - Wikipedia

Title of work: 

Location: Binh Gia, Saigon

Time: January 1965

1. What was your first impression when viewing the photo?

When viewing this photo I immediately thought of the different perspectives present in this photo. There are five men in focus facially, with their body language also revealing a story.

2. What does the work look like to you?

This photo looks like a war photo, due to the uniform and weapons taken during midday.

3. What is the subject of the photo?

There are numerous subjects in this photo but there are five main characters in focus.

4. What textures, colors, and shapes are there?

The photo was taken with black and white film, with the sun creating a lighter section casting over the subjects.

5. What about line, forms and space?

The lines are not only formed by the trees, but the natural light coming through them, and the form and space is created by the five men.

Analysis:

1. What stands out and draws your eye in this photo

In this photo, I am immediately drawn to each of the subject’s facial expressions and the sun seeping through the trees.  

2. How is the photograph organized in terms of design elements (line, space, etc)

Considering the line, form and shape the photograph is organized well, diagonal lines are created by sun rays, the soldiers and the trees create vertical lines, and each subject is naturally spaced.

3. What about contrast, rhythm, balance, proportion?

The top of the photo is a lot lighter than the rest of the photo because it was taken on a sunny day, resulting in a significant difference in contrast for the lower portion of the photograph. I think the rhythm is maintained.

Interpretation

1. What is the photo about

The photo is set during the Vietnam War and it portrays what appears to be an average day during a time of war.

2. What is the message of the photographer?

For the photographer, he may be communicating a false sense f reality, where there’s no danger, a reality where the calmness of the sun relaxes them, not having to be on constant alert. The reality is that there is no calmness, moment of peace and they are constantly on alert.

3. Does the photo have a purpose?

This photo, like most of his work was taken to reveal the tragedies, doubts and courage that comes up during times of war.

4. What feelings do you get from the photo?

From this photo I feel a strong sense of curiosity, I’m curious about the various perspectives represented in this photo. Each individual tells his own story through his facial expression & body position.

5. Does it remind you of something?

Nothing in particular.

Evaluation

1. Did your first impression change, and why?

My first impression of this photo has not changed.

2. Do you think it is a successful photo?

I think this was a successful photo because it captures multiple perspectives in the way that the sun highlights the hidden story of each individual.

3. Is it unique?

While this photo resembles many other war photos, this photograph is unique because it captures incredible light during a dark time.

4. Could you do it better?

Excluding the location of the photograph, I could possibly replicate this photograph because it’s not a photo capturing a woman running away, there’s not much action but I couldn’t improve upon it.

5. Can you readily understand the subject matter, and do the design elements (space, form, line, shape, color, texture) help you to do so?

Yes, I think I readily understand the subject matter because the design elements like line, shape, and color creates a particular message and set the tone of the photo.

6. Was the photo well planned, in your opinion?

In my opinion the photo was not planned, it appears to be natural because it was a casual day where the soldiers were not yet facing any immediate conflicts or dangers.

7. Would you buy it or hang it in your home?

I would buy it, but not hang it up in my home.

8. Have you learned anything that you could apply to your own photography?

In terms of my own photography, I think I should take more advantage of the sun, manipulating it, where I create an angle that is in between the possibility of being overexposed and underexposed. This evident in the way the trees shelter some of the light.

9. Does the photo inspire you?

The photo does not inspire me because it does not directly relate to any of my experiences but I understand how this photo can recreate a sense of hope.

Source: http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2012/05/15/photographer-collection-horst-faas-vietnam/5689/