Photos That Inspire

When asked to think of a photograph that inspires me, two very indelible images come to mind, and for two very different reasons. I could not decide which one means more to me, so I'll discuss both of them here.


The first photo is one of the most memorable images in photojournalism. It is by Eddie Adams, taken while he was on the ground in South Vietnam. It went on to win a Pulitzer Prize. He captioned it: "General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Viet Cong officer." It was one of many remarkable images coming out of Vietnam, and it reinvigorated the power of photojournalism. It inspires me because it espouses all the values that a good photojournalist should have, values I try to keep in mind whenever I am on the field or working for the Hatchet. You need to have your eyes open to everything around you, constantly aware of your surroundings, and constantly analyzing the situation trying to predict when an amazing image will happen. Because when that moment occurs, you will have less than a second to capture it. You never know when that moment will happen, so you need to always be ready. Adams saw that the soldier was about to be executed, and he successfully captured that split second moment right before the shot is fired. In the chaos of this war zone, Adams makes this scene seem tranquil, almost peaceful, when it so obviously is not. He froze the scene at the exact right time to convey the message he wanted to get across. The image also inspires me because it conveys the depth of human emotion that is so rarely seen in everyday life, and so hard to capture in photography. War can push men to their limits. The image shows us this: the hardened attitude of the executioner, the frantic and panicked emotions of the victim, and the complete disregard everyone else around them is showing towards the situation. This image demonstrates the instinct that every photojournalist needs to have, one that I aspire to attain.


The second image is one I found while wandering through Flickr, looking for inspiration. The image at first is so jarringly simple, and then suddenly so amazingly complex. And that is why it inspires. While the first image appealed to the photojournalist in me, this image reminds me of the creativity and, for lack of a better word, magic that photography can create. At first glance, it is a starkly minimalist photo. A bright blue background. A black tee shirt. And a white liquid that appears to be milk. And then the photo's creativity shines through. The shape created by throwing the milk is so organic and so fluid. It appears completely natural, but still leaves you wondering how such a shape can be created spontaneously. The image makes me feel like a child again, when my mom first took me to New York for Take Your Child to Work Day, and how the grandeur of the city literally left me awe-struck. Another aspect of the image that inspires me the timing and the luck. As with all photography, any great image always involves a little bit of luck: taking your photo at just the right time when life around you is moving faster than you can keep up. Not only is the shape so magical, but the liquid also manages to cover the subject's face, so that the portrait becomes one solely focused on the liquid and its shape. The image stimulates my creative senses and leaves me wondering how else I can use my camera to create such amazing images.