Congratulations for addressing the 'exaggerated' aspects of this story. And for pointing out the infeasibility of the lab accident story. There are, however, several points that do need to be addressed here. - Capa was not one of just four cameramen chosen to cover the D-Day landings. He was one of four cameramen in the civilian Ground Still Photo pool for the American Beaches. There were pool photographers at the British and Canadian Beaches, as well. There were also many other military cameramen present, some of whom landed earlier than Capa. In fact, virtually all of Capa's photos that day were duplicated by military photographers, still and motion picture, often showing the exact same scene at the exact same time. And showing better technical quality. Yet everyone ignores them. The image of Capa as the lone photographer in the forefront of the invasion is a fiction sustained by those who don't understand the scale of the photographic effort for D-Day. You also fail to mention the three other photographers (two military, one civilian) on Omaha Beach whose film from Omaha Beach made it back to London before Capa's. - The Falling Soldier photo from the Spanish Civil War was a staged fake, as were the several other photos taken that day. The second photo of a different soldier falling at the exact same spot, in the same pose, framed identically, just moment later is a good clue. Further, that sport was geolocated in 2014 and was many miles behind the lines when the photos of 'combat' were staged. It was merely crass propaganda. - The statement that on the 106 photos he shot that day, all but 11 were lost in a lab accident is wrong. No fewer than 60 photos he took with his Rolleiflex camera that day also 'survived' several of which can plainly be seen in your images of the Life magazine spread (all taken after he retreated on the LCI or back aboard his attack transport ship). - As for the magnificent 11, only 10 photos have even been seen. John Morris said there was one more, but it wasn't worth printing, which makes no sense. There simply is no 11th photo, yet people insist on pretending there was and it was 'magnificent'. - In two places (0:22 and 8:40) you inserted an image taken by Coast Guard cameraman Robert Sargent (part of a larger landing sequence) as if it were taken by Capa (perhaps in the belief it was the 11th photo?). It was not. The better quality of Sargent's photo, taken earlier in the landings (40 minutes earlier) and at a point where the assault troops took far greater casualties, merely points to the poor technical skills of Capa, who landed later (almost two hours after H-Hour) at a point on the beach which was lightly defended and saw significantly fewer casualties. People who look at Capa's photos and infer that their poor quality was a result of intense combat are reading into the photos what they want to see or feel. It is simply misplaced symbolism based on an incorrect context. This is a good cautionary example of not letting oneself get carried away by by a caption or context someone spoon feeds you.
Thanks for all those points, it’s some really good feedback. I think you’re right on most fronts - Capa himself admitted he liked to paint a picture of himself as the gallant war photographer that wasn’t always true!
Congratulations for addressing the 'exaggerated' aspects of this story. And for pointing out the infeasibility of the lab accident story.
There are, however, several points that do need to be addressed here.
- Capa was not one of just four cameramen chosen to cover the D-Day landings. He was one of four cameramen in the civilian Ground Still Photo pool for the American Beaches. There were pool photographers at the British and Canadian Beaches, as well. There were also many other military cameramen present, some of whom landed earlier than Capa. In fact, virtually all of Capa's photos that day were duplicated by military photographers, still and motion picture, often showing the exact same scene at the exact same time. And showing better technical quality. Yet everyone ignores them. The image of Capa as the lone photographer in the forefront of the invasion is a fiction sustained by those who don't understand the scale of the photographic effort for D-Day. You also fail to mention the three other photographers (two military, one civilian) on Omaha Beach whose film from Omaha Beach made it back to London before Capa's.
- The Falling Soldier photo from the Spanish Civil War was a staged fake, as were the several other photos taken that day. The second photo of a different soldier falling at the exact same spot, in the same pose, framed identically, just moment later is a good clue. Further, that sport was geolocated in 2014 and was many miles behind the lines when the photos of 'combat' were staged. It was merely crass propaganda.
- The statement that on the 106 photos he shot that day, all but 11 were lost in a lab accident is wrong. No fewer than 60 photos he took with his Rolleiflex camera that day also 'survived' several of which can plainly be seen in your images of the Life magazine spread (all taken after he retreated on the LCI or back aboard his attack transport ship).
- As for the magnificent 11, only 10 photos have even been seen. John Morris said there was one more, but it wasn't worth printing, which makes no sense. There simply is no 11th photo, yet people insist on pretending there was and it was 'magnificent'.
- In two places (0:22 and 8:40) you inserted an image taken by Coast Guard cameraman Robert Sargent (part of a larger landing sequence) as if it were taken by Capa (perhaps in the belief it was the 11th photo?). It was not. The better quality of Sargent's photo, taken earlier in the landings (40 minutes earlier) and at a point where the assault troops took far greater casualties, merely points to the poor technical skills of Capa, who landed later (almost two hours after H-Hour) at a point on the beach which was lightly defended and saw significantly fewer casualties.
People who look at Capa's photos and infer that their poor quality was a result of intense combat are reading into the photos what they want to see or feel. It is simply misplaced symbolism based on an incorrect context. This is a good cautionary example of not letting oneself get carried away by by a caption or context someone spoon feeds you.
Thanks for all those points, it’s some really good feedback. I think you’re right on most fronts - Capa himself admitted he liked to paint a picture of himself as the gallant war photographer that wasn’t always true!