Robert Capa (Oct 22 1913 – May 25 1954) caught my eye as a photographer not just for his bravery and dedication to his cause but for his efforts to immortalize moments from one of the darkest chapters of human history. Capa not only captured the horrors but the humanity of war, most of us only consider the bigger picture but not the individual lives touched by conflict.

I love these black and white film photos as they don’t just serve as a reminder of our past but are also beautiful in their own right. Capa’s focus on people gives a more intimate insight into the scenes of war and the scars it leaves behind than a black and white, good and bad style of focus often employed when recounting wars. In my opinion, photos and media like this is extremely important for all to see as I naturally tend to try and imagine myself in the position of the subjects of these photos and I think it’s important for people, especially young people to think about this sort of thing as I’d argue many of us living comfortably have become become sadly numb and indifferent to our fellow humans in this day and age, sadly even those who have come from war-torn countries in search of a better life. On this point Capa’s photography is also a reminder to me of the dedication to family and sacrifices made by my own Nonno and Nonna in order for me to even be writing this right now.

To summarise, the way these photos made me feel is what gives them value (as well as being historical records) especially the photo of children smiling among the rubble and bullet holes in particular I found very touching, the sheer contrast of environment and feeling of the subjects makes for amazing photos and again I found it thought provoking when it comes to core human values and priorities in life. I love beautiful looking things as much as the next person, but 9 times out of 10 unless I feel something I’m going to forget them.

I can relate Capa’s work at least to duration, perhaps of relevance or impact because I believe images like these are immortal.