I have a request for you. If you ever happenstance come across and accident that I was involved in, and it is obvious that my survival isn’t dependent on your immediate response, take a photograph. Better yet, make a photograph. Grab your 8×10. Use a tripod. Make long exposures so that the smoke looks dreamy. Anything, just make it awesome.
I imagine that a lot of people when stumbling across a scene of carnage will sheepishly take a quick, terrible photograph and move on, if they take one at all. Even though all the human instinct in the world makes them want to stare and keep shooting, they still might feel that their action might make them a douchebag for exploiting my misery and suffering for their gain.
Consider this. My car is totaled and my insurance premiums are about to go up. I might have some broken bones that will never set properly giving me aches for life. My insurance provider may rule that since I had the sniffles once in sixth grade, that they should drop my coverage for rehabilitation leaving me in financial ruin.
The check for my misery is already in the mail. If someone were to be on the sidelines and managed to make a really excellent piece of artwork out of the misery that I can’t back out of, I’d be happier knowing that at least one small good thing came out of the situation.
If you’ll do this for me, than I’ll do the same thing for you. Just don’t try to charge me if I want a copy of the print. Then you’d be a douchebag. It cost me a lot to set up that scene for you.
9 Archived Comments
I know you weren’t making a game out of hunting down accident scenes. I could definitely see the humor in what you were saying. I kind of wanted people to see the flip side of this too. I think what you did was very tasteful. I’ve witnessed the worst of the worst in what photographers are capable of at accident scenes.
Heck, way back in my college art school days, we used to get a carload of people and spend the day taking pictures of roadkill. Some people would object to that.
I much prefer being out of the business and taking pictures for myself. I’m trying to like photography more than what I did when I did it professionally.
Keep up with what you’re doing, you’ve got some nice work that you are producing.
Thanks for the reply Dalzell. I imagine the situation of being a journalist and having to visit many situations in order to get paid can take a different toll compared to others (myself included) who only happenstance come across a scene maybe once a year.
And just to be certain, I’m also not advocating hunting out this stuff and trying to make an art career from it. The only scenes I’ve ever shot is stuff that happens to happen within a block of where I just happen to be. I have people call me from time to time telling me what they just saw, and that I should grab my camera and go shoot it. I’ve never once responded to those calls. I don’t care to make it my main photographic subject, but also won’t shy away if it happens right in front of me.
If it were also a meat-filled blood bath, I’d probably pass as well.
See, I’m probably just the opposite viewpoint. I know there is some attempt at humor with this post, so don’t think I’m being too terribly serious. But I photographed scenes like this for 20 plus years as a photojournalist and it’s one of the main reasons I left the business. I’d prefer you move on and don’t look back. I can’t stand it when people come to a crime scene or accident and watch. I’ve seen parents bring their children like it’s some sort of vacation. Those are the same people who gave me a hard time for being their taking pictures.
So move along you looky-loo and don’t look back.
I just rolled the dice and went for an “Acceptable” condition hardcover version of the book for $35. Lets hope whomever rated the book is a generous as the KEH when they mark a camera as bargain.
Ideally that just implies that the shrink wrap has been torn.
I was about to write “shades of Sternfeld” before seeing that others had made the same comment already. But very reminiscent of the elephant shot anyway. American Prospects is essential no matter the price, and with the recent reprinting copies can be found here and there.
Wait… I thought ALL photographs are about accident, aren’t they ?
nice post Kip.
Ahhh. Paperback version of Prospects still can be obtained at the $50 level.
I was thinking of Sternfeld while writing this. The 8×10 line was a subtle reference. I need to get my hands on American Prospects. Wish I had snapped that one up before it seems to have jumped into collector’s prices. Perhaps I shall have to start a hunt.
Joel Sternfeld had some terrific ‘horrible accident’ pictures in American Prospects, the cutest is escaped elephant, and the last picture of beached whales is a heartbreaker.