More than just a War photographer, W. Eugene Smiths ability to adapt his skills in any given environment made him one of the great photojournalists of his time. His photographs always seem to give off a dream-like quality to me, not so much the war images, but his later works. Many of the images he captured, although very gritty and very real, seem like they are set in some kind of fantasy.
His war photography is often brutally vivid. However this picture of a U.S. marine and a baby is a heartbreaking reminder that war effects everyone from brothers to sisters, mothers to fathers and helpless children have all been victims of global conflict. It's such a simply effective message that screams out of the frame at you.
Smith seemed to get right into the action with his camera and there's no escaping some of the horrors of this war. At least we can simply look away. Smith himself didn't escape without harm as he was injured by mortar fire before returning to America.
Marine Demolition Team Blasting Out a Cave on Hill 382, Iwo Jima, 1945 simply shows the immense destructive power of war. I love the way Smith captured this explosion at exactly the right second. The way the soldiers are shielding themselves from the blast makes this photo. The composition and bleakness of the black and white film make this an unforgettable image.
Below, The Walk To Paradise Garden is perhaps the most dreamy of Smith's compositions. I just love the way the two children are heading 'into the light'. It has been said that this image captures the whole life cycle in one shot. I can see why. It's like the children are on their way to some kind of heaven. The way the surrounding trees and bushes frame the subject's makes this a perfect shot. This kind of compliments the above shot. Dont get me wrong, the subject matter is completely different, the man in the photo above is a worker in a detergent factory. Somehow, Smith makes this basic image of a man working in what must be horrible conditions look as beautifully poetic as the bottom picture. I get the feeling that the above worker is escaping to his own personal heaven. At least until his next shift anyway.
"I am a compassionate cynic, yet I believe I am one of the most affirmative photographers around. I have tried to let the truth be my prejudice. It has taken much sweat. It has been worth it." -
W. Eugene Smith
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