THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WAR PHOTOGRAPHERS

War photography is essentially the ability and capacity to capture images of armed conflict and the effects or impacts it can have on the lives of individuals and societies, in other words, these people are known as conflict or war photographers.

What is a war photographer?

The aim of photojournalists or war photographers is to capture or show the impact of armed conflicts that have occurred or are occurring in the world. They usually spend a good amount of time in different stages and areas of the conflict, which puts them on the front line and therefore risk their lives to bring the most relevant and reliable information of the moment.

How to become a war photographer: What you need to know

The profession of armed conflict photographer is by no means an easy one. In some cases, they have to bear the costs of travel, accommodation, food, and maintenance, and if this isn’t enough, the mental and physical exhaustion they experience takes its toll on them psychologically.

This is why it’s necessary to have some training and a psychological profile to stay in this profession, as they are nothing less than witnesses to the horror of war.

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Training and experience

In terms of training it’s important to have some experience in the field of communication or journalism, this is important because it’s essential to have skills with cameras, and it’s also necessary to have research skills to get the most relevant information.

Another of the most important things is that a good physical condition will always be ideal to stay alive, as there will be many moments where the integrity of the correspondent is likely to be compromised.

Psychological profile

This type of professional needs a certain fascination with adrenaline and risk; it’s certainly a huge risk to immerse oneself in armed conflict. In the same way, they must be able to discern the dangers that exist and be able to make the best decisions to avoid putting their lives at risk.

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The most influential war photographers

As in other professions, some people have marked the history of photojournalism with their exploits and their ability to obtain the best information and the most revealing images of a conflict.

Let’s discover some of the most famous war photographers in the world!

Margaret Bourke-White

This professional, born in the United States, in the Bronx, had the great decision and task of covering the armed conflict of the World War II across Europe.

Most important of all, she was the first woman war correspondent and the first to be allowed to work in combat zones, on the front line where American soldiers were fighting.

By 1930, she had visited the Soviet Union several times to record the structure of Soviet industry, and at the end of World War II in 1945 she was sent to cover the major stories in Berlin after the fall of Germany.

Moises Saman

This Lima-born photographer is considered one of the most renowned war photographers of this generation. Most of his experience in armed conflicts was in the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the subsequent Iraqi civil war. He has also worked in civil war sites such as Egypt, Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria, and increased his experience and prestige by covering the Arab Spring.

He’s the winner of several awards such as the World Press Photo and Pictures of the Year International.

Manu Brabo

This Spanish journalist, born in Zaragoza, won several photography awards, especially during the conflict in Libya. Most of his assignments were on his own, i.e. he was a freelance photographer, which made him a Pulitzer Prize winner.

He was arrested by the Libyan army in April 2011, during the armed rebellion by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, along with 2 other journalists from the New York Times newspaper near Brega.

Ronaldo Schemidt

He’s a Venezuelan journalist who has covered social, political, and sporting events such as the election of President Hugo Chávez in 2013, the subsequent election of Nicolás Maduro, as well as the many protests that took place in that country.

She also covered the World Cup in Brazil and the social conflicts of 2014, the death of Fidel Castro in 2016, and the earthquake in Mexico in 2017.

Sabina Muchart

She’s a Spanish photographer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the time she was a young adult, the third Carlist war, one of the Spanish civil wars of the 20th century, was taking place at the same time. This forced the Muchart family to migrate to Malaga from their hometown in the province of Girona, in Olot.

By the end of the 19th century, his family went bankrupt and opened the photography studio known as “Fotografía S. Muchart” in the Plaza de la Constitución in Malaga. What would give them their place as war reporters is due to a portrait of soldiers in front of the fort of Rostogordo which belonged to the former protectorate of Morocco which was going through the Rif war.

It can be said that she was one of the first female war photographers in the world.