Good news out of New York, where a famous 97-year-old World War II photographer has beaten coronavirus.
Warning: the above video contains graphic images.
Tony Vaccaro is a well-known and respected World War II photographer who began as a combat infantryman. He survived the Battle of Normandy and delivered numerous well-known images of the fighting and suffering, bringing back around 8,000 photos from the war, which would lead him on into a career in photography on the back of such famous images as "Kiss of Liberation." He would go on to photograph Europe's reconstruction before coming back to the United States, going on to work as a celebrity photographer for some of the nation's most popular magazines.
Vaccaro was recently stricken by coronavirus, likely catching it while on a walk in April. The virus has been particularly deadly in New York and among senior citizens, but thankfully, he is now recovering after a two-day stay in the hospital. He said: “I really feel I have luck on my back and I could go anywhere on this Earth and survive it.”
If you have HBO Streaming or Amazon Prime Video, you can watch the 2016 documentary “Under Fire: The Untold Story of PFC Tony Vaccaro" for more on his story.
I'm always amazed when I hear that combat photographers who survive such brutal conflicts keep shooting for the rest of their lives. I always figure they would have seen too much, be haunted by images too much, and would put the camera down. But I realize I'm wrong, and it's very inspiring to hear their stories. I will be watching this documentary tonight. Thanks!
and here I am shooting flat lays on white backgrounds already ready to quit
Don't blame yourself for that. We all are different, if you don't feel like doing things, then don't do them. Take a break, have a rest. Maybe it will help you to work even better!
I don't find it amazing at all. These are people who realize that even though bad things happen, life goes on. Embrace the good, and leave the bad behind. Would you just give up if something terrible happened to you? Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II, and then they had long and relatively happy lives afterwards. The vast majority of the people who experienced it, were able to do so also. They had to. Life goes on.
What an inspiring person and inspiring story. It's so amazing to know that people can go through such awful events and then beat diseases and win more battles on their own!