Photography Thailand Forum

[bjorn slis]

Photographer Joe Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/21/obit.rosenthal.ap/

[Marc Schultz]

A sad loss, but sounds like he lived a good, long life. I had once heard that photo was staged, but even if it was, it doesn't change the strong symbolic power of that image. Thanks for letting us know.

[David Salmanowitz]

Mark--I had read the same thing about the photo being staged, still a strong, classic image. I also read how that classic Alfred Eisenstadt image of the sailor kissing the girl in Times Square after the end of World War 2 was also staged--still find that one hard to believe, and it still is a classic photo.

[Renato]

An article about him appeared in the Bangkok Post today, interesting and historical indeed.

[David Salmanowitz]

Read an obituary today in International Herald Tribune where Joe Rosenthal had denied staging the photo "as some skeptics have suggested over the years". He said "I would, of course, have ruined it" by choosing fewer men and making sure their faces could be seen. It was the 2nd raising of the flag that day and perhaps that is what led to the charge of it being set up. Whether set up or not set up, it is apples and oranges, as a great image is a great image.

[bjorn slis]

I'm sure that if they woud have had photoshop in those days the photo would have looked different

[David Salmanowitz]

Yes, Photoshop surely could have made it much different. The b/w image with the flag in full colors might have been nice.

[Marc Schultz]

Hi David. I think Bresson, The Decisive Moment, also admitted recently for having staged one of his famous photos in the train station of the military man embraced in that famous kiss with his girlfriend.