Dussinger+L+1RA

This is one of Robert Capa's bravest, most thrilling photographs. Here he has captured the American coastal landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. This is photograph captures the hurried chaos of the invasion but to me is most remarkable because of Capa's proximity to danger.

The audience for this photograph has changed somewhat overtime. Initially the audience viewed this image as being extremely contemporary. For the audience it represented a small dose of the horror the troops depicted experienced. I imagine the photograph elicited a more visceral response upon its release. For a modern audience however, the photograph has become a piece of Americana. Far enough removed, we recognize this image as symbolizing the glory America captured in its war with the Axis powers.

I do not believe this piece stands as a metaphor.

The identification, in this photo, as with, I presume, much combat photography lies with the soldiers depicted. By viewing this image and following the trajectory of the soldier's march we understand that up the beachhead lies an entrenched deadly enemy. Understanding the tacit danger causes the audience to identify with the soldiers depicted.

The ethos I see conveyed through this is a broad yet incredibly subtle challenge to the concept of impersonal warfare. The grainy images of the young men wading to their death could perhaps pose an ethical question to the audience, as to the necessity of this degree of regimented bloodshed.

The pathos here is more straightforward: fear. The emotional tactics employed by this photograph inspires fear by presenting a terrifying situation.

The Falling Solider is one of Capa's most famous images. This depicts a Spanish Loyalist at the precise moment of his death in battle. This is powerful for its visceral reality and its almost unbelievable composition.

The audience of this photo is similar but more niche's than the above photo. This soldier being a Spaniard not an American limits that. But the photo serves more as a piece of art than a piece of photojournalism.

The identification is similar to the D-Day landing because the soldier draws the identification of the audience.

The ethos here is staggeringly powerful. This photo questions the ethics of a heroic death in war. Comparable yet more powerful to the ethos of the D-Day image, The Falling Soldier highlights the humanity of the soldier.

The pathos here is one of pity. The soldier is a tragic figure the audience is made to feel pity and imagine the feeling of being shot dead.



This photo is far more atmospheric than the other two. Still, it manages to capture the desperation war brings. Though rather dark, the photo has incredible depth.

The audience for this photo is the same as the others.

The metaphor of this photograph is one of futility. The woman is trying to put out a massive fire with a small splash of water. Her home has been hit with an incendiary bomb. The metaphor shows the futility of attempting to avoid the consequences of war. It also perhaps could demonstrate the way war destroys lives.

The ethos here is less prominent than the pathos. The ethos makes the audience question whether a war of consenting soldiers that has such a staggering effect on civilians can be justified.

The pathos is one of sympathy. The audience is made to feel the desperation and loss experienced by the woman. This is an emotion plea exhibiting the suffering of an innocent woman.

Photos and descriptions added 2/10/12

Notes on context, metaphor, identification, pathos and ethos added 2/17