tragedy

Covering the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl Journey, From Ecstasy to Horror

While I photograph the Kansas City Chiefs' home games during the season, I don’t go along if they make the playoffs or Super Bowl. But that doesn’t mean I’m finished doing assignments involving them. This year, for instance, I was hired to cover their departure from Kansas City to Las Vegas, then the big downtown watch party the night of the game, and finally the victory parade and celebration that went from ecstatic to horrific.

The Thai Nursery Massacre and the Ethics of Reporting on Tragedies

“First do no harm…” Sometimes I think that there should be a Hippocratic oath for journalists due to the extremely sensitive stories that we sometimes encounter, and if there were such a text, it should start with those preceding four words.

Young Chinese Couple Found Dead Near Iconic Iceland Photo Spot

A young Chinese couple in their early 20s was found dead last week near the famous DC-3 plane crash site in Iceland: an iconic photo spot frequented by photographers and tourists alike. Authorities say there was no sign of foul play, and believe inclement weather is to blame.

Instagram’s Facade of the Perfect Life Has Made Us Lose Our Empathy

Last week, it was reported that 3 Canadian YouTube vloggers had died while swimming at the top of Shannon Falls in Squamish, British Columbia. The trio were part of content creation channel High On Life, which has a current following of 560,000 subscribers, and a further 1.1 million followers on Instagram. As the tragic news broke, so did the influx of comments across news sites and social media.

NPR Photographer David Gilkey Killed in Afghanistan

The photo community is mourning the loss of one of its best and brightest today. Yesterday evening NPR confirmed that 50-year-old photojournalist David Gilkey and his colleague, 38-year-old interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna, were killed in a Taliban raid on their convoy in Afghanistan.

How Photography Saved My Life After I Lost the Love of My Life

My name is Fernando Krasovitzky, and I'm a nature and landscape photographer based in Miami, Florida. My story is one of tragedy followed by good fortune. It is the story of death giving birth to life and of the power of photography to make it happen.

Famed South Korean Photographer is Chief Suspect in Tragic Ferry Accident

On the 16th of April, 2014 the South Korean Ferry Sewol, which was carrying 476 people from Incheon towards Jeju at the time, capsized. Of the 476 passengers, most of them secondary school students from Danwon High School, only 172 survived, making this the worst ferry disaster in South Korea since December 14th of 1970.

All of this you probably know from international news coverage of the tragedy a couple of months ago. So, why are we talking about a ferry disaster on a photography website? Because it turns out one of the chief suspects the government wants to bring to justice in regards to the disaster is famed South Korean photographer Ahae.

These Pictures Are Not For You

As photojournalists, we live the good life, getting the rare chance to make pictures for a living. While that is all fine and good, being a human first is always most important. There is no exception -- especially in the case of spot news.

When a square mile of earth swept west into Oso, Washington, leaving 36 (and rising) dead, media from local and national outlets hastily mobilized to the rural area to cover one of Washington’s most catastrophic natural disasters. In times of great sadness, tragedy and personal loss to others, a journalist’s job is to clearly, accurately and respectfully report the story to an audience, keeping dignity at the forefront. While “clearly” and “accurately” smack of journalism school requirements, “respectfully” is often passed over.