Dying Child in Africa
South African photographer Kevin Carter had been awarded a Pulitzer prize for this incredible picture in 1993. As soon as it was published in the New York Times, hundreds of people asked what had happened to the child. Carter didn’t know. Here is Time’s description of how he took the photo:
"Seeking relief from the sight of masses of people starving to death, he wandered into the open bush. He heard a soft, high-pitched whimpering and saw a tiny girl trying to make her way to the feeding centre. As he crouched to photograph her, a vulture landed in view. Careful not to disturb the bird, he positioned himself for the best possible image. He would later say he waited about 20 minutes, hoping the vulture would spread its wings. It did not, and after he took his photographs, he chased the bird away and watched as the little girl resumed her struggle."
Before Carter came to Sudan; he was desperate for a good picture that could put him in the limelight. When war and famine in Sudan broke out he jumped on a plane. And Lady Luck was on his side: as soon as he stepped off, he saw a baby being stalked by a vulture. What a great photo! So many rich people in America donated to their favourite African charity when they saw it!
The sad coda to this story is that Carter was driven to drugs and desperation by the bloody mayhem he photographed in his career. Just weeks after receiving his Pulitzer, he gassed himself to death. "I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain," he wrote in a suicide note.
South African photographer Kevin Carter had been awarded a Pulitzer prize for this incredible picture in 1993. As soon as it was published in the New York Times, hundreds of people asked what had happened to the child. Carter didn’t know. Here is Time’s description of how he took the photo:
"Seeking relief from the sight of masses of people starving to death, he wandered into the open bush. He heard a soft, high-pitched whimpering and saw a tiny girl trying to make her way to the feeding centre. As he crouched to photograph her, a vulture landed in view. Careful not to disturb the bird, he positioned himself for the best possible image. He would later say he waited about 20 minutes, hoping the vulture would spread its wings. It did not, and after he took his photographs, he chased the bird away and watched as the little girl resumed her struggle."
Before Carter came to Sudan; he was desperate for a good picture that could put him in the limelight. When war and famine in Sudan broke out he jumped on a plane. And Lady Luck was on his side: as soon as he stepped off, he saw a baby being stalked by a vulture. What a great photo! So many rich people in America donated to their favourite African charity when they saw it!
The sad coda to this story is that Carter was driven to drugs and desperation by the bloody mayhem he photographed in his career. Just weeks after receiving his Pulitzer, he gassed himself to death. "I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain," he wrote in a suicide note.
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