Photo ops don't always go they way they're supposed to, especially if the photograph is taken in dangerous times. In fact, some of the most famous photographs in history are the product of a re-shoot. Sometimes though, the re-shoot still puts lives at risk.
Most of you who are interested in photography are aware that the image of U.S. Marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima is the product of an impromptu or unintentional re-shoot. A smaller flag had already been raised, but U.S. brass coming ashore a short time later asked for a larger, more impressive flag to be flown over the victory. The first flag was raised under fire, the second after the fighting had died down.
Iwo Jima's first flag. Lowery. Public Domain.
Rosenthal's famous image of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima. Public Domain.
Yevgeny Ananyevich Khaldei's image of the Soviet flag being raised over the Reichstag in 1945 is also cited as a product of a re-shoot. The Soviet flag was initially raised in the evening of April 30, 1945. It was far too dark and the fighting too intense to capture the moment on film. Days later, the image was re-shot after the building and surrounding area were finally pacified. Of note, the smoke was added to make it look like the battle was still ongoing. Khaldei also removed a second wrist band from the supporting solider's forearm in order to avoid the claim that the Soviet's would loot from dead German soldiers. If you look closely enough, you can see soldiers milling about on the ground. The photo was staged after fighting in the immediate area had died down.
Khaldei's image of the Soviet flag over the Reichstag.
Returning to the White House with the flourish of a conquering hero, Trump or his staffers decided that his return was worth the risk to both Trump and his staff shooting the images.
After making his way to the balcony and then inside, Trump partially returned to the balcony, surrounded by photographers and camera crews to shoot. Trump is not wearing a mask at this point and is not physically distanced from his staff.
I guess the question here is: will Trump's images become significant enough to justify the risk the photographers had to take?
Trump = clicks and comments and makes people argue and hate each other. I get it, this will get dozens or hundreds of comments. But please, fstoppers, resist the clickbait. Someone is clearly thinking “how can we wedge another Trump post into a photography mold” and it’s bad for the community.
I hear you. I tried to put it into context, and, slot it under news. Most of my articles don't fit in this mold, but, the moment I saw it I started thinking about Iwo Jima and Berlin.
Ha, no! There is one side that is polluting the streets, the news and social media to no end and can't tolerate the other side posting any common sense. Please don't ask the free press to shut up.
And by saying this, so does yours, unless of course you are playing some sarcastic humor
Well you tell me, I ask for fairness and you call me intolerant. You keep coming making my point!
No problem, here it is in my reply to Jeremy above: "Please don't ask the free press to shut up"
I suggest you ask Jeremy to specify what he means in a way that would be more clear to you.
I don't care
Well, it is what it is.
My point is that regardless of however else I feel about Trump he’s undeniably polarizing. The mention of his name makes people on a photography website or any other go at each other like nothing else. This equals more engagement for the site, so they might be tempted to post more about him under some pretty flimsy pretenses. Not always, but often. It’s low hanging fruit for them. So rather than yell at strangers on the internet, I’d rather we all focus on what unites us.
I heard Trump shoots Fuji please write an article about it.
No way. For sure he shoots something that could be made in the U.S., but, that he sources cheaper overseas. This makes me wonder if the whole Kodak investment thing means he will only be shooting Kodak in the future. A new camera? With a special selfie lens adapter, as that is the only images he captures?
Your Kodak comment makes me think that if he really wants to make America great again, then he needs to bring back Kodachrome (135 and 120 format).
I'm all for that! Maybe some instant film for medium format?
I think he'd also photograph Bald Eagles, but with himself also in shot.
Maybe riding one?
Don't know what film he uses but the skin tones seriously lean towards orange.
Trump = "Wheezy Mussolini"... The whole balcony thing was straight out of Il Duce's playbook plus he was gasping like a fish out of water after these images were shot
I can't believe that some of the media compared him to FDR and Churchill. I like your allusion better.
Wait, I thought this was "news" and not political? Dunsmuir, your fraudian (purposeful) slip is showing.
It is news. I found it interesting how it touches on photography and dangers associated with it. Like I said, it immediately made me think of Iwo Jima and Berlin.
My response to a comment is not part of my article. However, I thought that the Mussolini comment was amusing and certain media references to FDR and Churchill appalling. You're right, I suppose that is in part political, but, I also think it has a historical bent, which I also find interesting.
Mark is smart, he made you click.
I see, new to the site. I pick and choose what I read. What type of articles keep you coming back?
Mostly lights and business side for me. Lens, no, cameras just a little and for the rest, it's surprise me.i don't have interest in landscape and night photography.
Check out my history. I write many different kinds of articles. Few of them touch on this subject. I found it interesting. It is news and it touches on photography.
.
Wow.
What I meant was most of them are not related to politics.
So, a Canadian photographer tries to compare the risks between photographers working in an active war zone with those shooting images wearing PPE? Then he tries to defend it as "news" and not left wing propaganda? Perhaps he and the community would be better served if Mark focused on his own PM rather than slighting our POTUS? Plenty of news regarding corruption, fraud, and other issues which we Americans don't hear about. From Trudeau wearing "black face" to funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in Canadian tax payer money to his family and friends as "speaker fees," your bosses have a lot of 'splain'in to do. Eh?
I'm a Yank living in Winnipeg and I'm here to tell you that TDS is rampant here. But, in keeping with the 'Canadians are nice and polite', I've only been 'accosted' by one person about Trump. The funny thing is, I had only been here for a couple of months. I was at a photography discussion at a local restaurant. I was sitting with another couple and the lady that tried to give me a hard time asked if she could sit with the three of us.
As the discussion started, she made a snarky comment about Yanks, so the guy mentioned to the lady that I was from the states. She had nothing good to say and was quite nasty. I told her that politics stopped at the door and if she'd like, I'd move to a more civil table. She said she'd stop and she did, but had a scowl on her face for much of the evening.
Human nature...go figure!
Wow David, that's a great approach, offering to leave the table. I'm sorry that she continued to scowl at you. She should have accepted that she couldn't continue and she should have left the table.
There is no accounting for human nature and its many twists and turns. Too many allow politics and all that entails to run their lives. Even though I'm just about as Libertarian as one can be, I really didn't notice any change in my life from Bill Clinton, to GW, to Barrack Obama, then to Trump. My lone protest when Bill Clinton was elected was to place American Flag stamps on any correspondence upside down. :-) Only one person noticed it. She worked in Accounts Payable for the company I worked for and handled all of the stuff sent to the corporate office from my site.
Personally, I am no fan of JT. However, this article is about an event that made me think of other famous photography re-shoots. You're right, those were in combat zones. But, in both cases, after the combat died down.
The photographers and crew in this case are wearing masks, my understanding is that that doesn't protect them. That it protects others. The subject in this case, with the virus, is spreading it to others. I was just curious if the risk was considered, and, curious if the risk was, or will be worth it. Much like those other images I referred to.
What exactly is left wing propaganda?
You have the power to choose not to click and read the article. No need to block is there.
OK, I get it. Trump sucks. Now, is there a place on the internet that I can go to get photography news and updates without politics or massive vote campaigns?
https://fstoppers.com/profile/208560/articles
;)
Thank you for sharing such an expansive resource.
I tease. ;)
Hey I am always a fan of a good sport and, thank you for the kind words on my work.
DP Review eliminated its Off Topic section due to all of the political nastiness. Now all it is is fan bois arguing about stuff. :-)
Hahaha true words.
I guess we are doomed to never have nice things for long.
Love trumps hate, love trumps hate.
More politics from Fstoppers........REALLY. You gotta go there too. I review your site daily and I am a Trumpster. Mainly because of The Swamp.... that you are now forever members of.
of course, ALL famous iconic shots were staged, rehearsed, reworked - at iwo jima even tne first shot was staged - under fire no photographer would have dared to shoot :) masters in the art of retouching were of course the soviets - erradicating ex-leaders from official pictures were they could be seen close to stalin.
nowadays, photoshop & co plus AI deep faking make photography entirely to a fakers job.
as with regards to mr. monster-trump: I always wondered, why his opponents hate him so much... did he abolish obamacare? no! did he build the wall? no! did he close borders to citizens of 'terror-states'? not more than peace nobel obama did.
ah, he did not wage a new war - despite all his war mongering! right? trump is the first POTUS for decades who did NOT engage in new military adventures - like clinton in serbia or obama, who set the whole near east in fire with his support for the misbegotten 'arab spring'.
as with regards to the big risks of photographers shooting pics of an unmasked president - THEY should wear masks to minimize the risk. it should be part of professionalism. whether those rather stupid show of trump ('look! I'm stronger than ever before!':)) will get historical importance or not :))