What a shocker to get a call early Friday morning of a fatal shark attack off the coast in Solana Beach, CA. This is an area where there is virtually no seal or sea lion activity or basically any reason for a 12 -20 foot Great White shark to be searching for a meal. David Martin, 66 a seasoned tri-athlete was swimming early that morning when he suffered on large bite across both legs which caused him to bleed to death. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I got several letters from around the country stating how tacky it was of me to exploit these family members agony(above photo). As a photographer, it is not something I I enjoy doing but I think it's important to put a human face to this tragedy. It shows readers in far away places that real people were being affected and not just some tabloid fodder.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Shark
What a shocker to get a call early Friday morning of a fatal shark attack off the coast in Solana Beach, CA. This is an area where there is virtually no seal or sea lion activity or basically any reason for a 12 -20 foot Great White shark to be searching for a meal. David Martin, 66 a seasoned tri-athlete was swimming early that morning when he suffered on large bite across both legs which caused him to bleed to death. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I got several letters from around the country stating how tacky it was of me to exploit these family members agony(above photo). As a photographer, it is not something I I enjoy doing but I think it's important to put a human face to this tragedy. It shows readers in far away places that real people were being affected and not just some tabloid fodder.
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2 comments:
Sandy, your photo of the grieving family of the victim of the shark attack in Solana Beach is very visceral and far from tacky. Much of what is seen in the news and in print has been so watered down that the readers or viewers dont get the impact of the situation. This is not exploitation, it is what anyone would see if they were there sharing the experience, as painful as it may be. Dont let sensitive types dissuade you and stay truthful in your photojournalism.
Your breaking news picture of grieving family members leaving the Solana Beach Lifeguard Headquarters, where the body of shark attack victim David Martin was taken after rescue attempts failed, helps define an important moment in history. Your work will stand the test of time. Job well done.
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