After the horrible events in Boston yesterday, images began flooding the television and internet. I quickly found myself feeling so conflicted. Here I was looking online for any information about the attacks, wanting to know what was going while at the same time, as details emerged I felt as though I was violating the privacy of those most directly affected.
In particular there was one very graphic photo of an individual that had lost a limb being rushed to an ambulance. It was a horrific image that caused me to cringe at the site and the imagined pain that the victim was enduring at that moment. Their face had been blurred out, and it occurred to me that it is only a matter of time before the blurring is removed and the victims identity will be known. Not only will he have to live with the physical scars from this day, but this horrific image of his injuries will forever be out in cyberspace. Millions of people around the world will now be privy to one of the most vulnerable and raw moments of his existence, and as he struggles to comes to grips with what happened to him, this photo will serve as a constant grizzly reminder of exactly what happened.
Then I saw video of photographers snapping photos of the injured almost immediately after the explosions. One moment they were there to photograph something great about the human body and human spirit, people pushing themselves to run 26.2 miles and the next moment they were thrust into a role of reporting the news and a key event in our nations history. But then I saw as they lifted their cameras over barriers and started photographing the injured and I started to wondering how much is too much.
I will add this disclaimer: Since I do not derive my entire income from photography, I do not consider myself a professional photographer. That being said, I have covered professional sports and other important events and injuries are always something I struggle with. Yes capturing those images is important as it pertains to the storyline of the game but at a certain point I feel as though I am prying into these players lives. I liken it to standing on the field or ice right next to them, staring at them yet providing no assistance or comfort and so I feel uncomfortable in that space. I refuse to pontificate about what those photographers should have done, or what I would have done in their place, because any attempt to do so would be complete and utter BS. From 1,000 miles away I have no idea what I would have done when the bomb went off or when I saw the extent of the injuries. This is merely a hypothetical question that I will throw out to readers and friends.
How much information is too much information. At what point do we cross the line from covering the event and enter into the sensationalism of it all. I think we all know when we see something that crosses the line, but would we know in the heat of the moment? Please chime in...all thoughts are welcome as long as they are respectful.
Finally, to all those affected in Boston and around the world, my heart goes out to you and your loved ones. Certainly there are those killed and physically injured by the events of 4-15-2013 but watching news reports and hearing tales of those that were there, this is something that is going to affect a huge number of people for a very long time.
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