In the twenty-two seconds Han frantically struggled to escape no other witnesses attempted to help him. No one offered assistance. No one reach out their hand or coat for him to grab a hold and pull up. In this time of year when giving is better than receiving, no one bothered to give to Mr. Han. In fact, no one seemed to care at all. Except for one man, R. Umar Abbsi.
You see, Mr. Abbsi is a freelance photographer who works for the New York Post, and was in the subway that day waiting on the very train that took Mr. Han's life. According to Abbsi, out of the corner of his eye he saw Han fall onto the tracks and began racing toward him, all the while snapping pictures of the tragedy.
One of those pictures landed on the front page of the Post the follow day.
Post freelance photographer R. Umar Abbasi captured the dramatic moments before Ki Suk Han was struck by a downtown Q train
Now I ask you. Is this Photojournalism at it's best? Or just wrong?
Clearly Mr. Abbasi was not charging toward the victim to help him. He's a photographer. His job is to get the shot. That's how he puts food on his table.
We have become a society that wants to see the unthinkable. We like train wrecks, bearded ladies, and dudes with three eyeballs. We like horror flicks; seeing someone saw off their own leg, and deep down we want to lift the sheet up and peak at what's underneath. So is he just giving us what we want? Is he just doing his job?
Was this guy merly running towards an accident to help and happened to take pictures, or was he taking pictures as he ran toward the accident in hopes of getting the ultimate shot?
He was wrong in my opinion. He gave some excuse as the was trying to warn the drive by flashing his camera flashers. Bull! He should have grabbed the man's arm and pulled for all the was worth. He is shit in my book.
ReplyDeleteCP~ Yeah he said he was trying to warn the driver. You're right, I think that is crap too. You gotta try to save the dude right??? I mean c'mon.
ReplyDeleteI agree - wrong. And I thought the same thing about the "camera flash warning" - knowing camera equipment, that is total BS. Who would think that would work? Isn't human instinct to drop everything in your hands, start waving your arms and shouting at the top of your lungs while running toward him to HELP??? Cameras can be replaced, human lives cannot.
ReplyDeleteHe would have been more famous if he had just ditched the camera and b lined it for the guy and saved him. Sad that he took the picture at all.
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