This is one of the most powerful and most tragic pictures that i’ve ever come across. The image was taken by Kevin Carter in 1993 while covering the famine occurring in Sudan. The Pulitzer Prize winning image shows a girl who was exhausted and taking a break while on her way to a feeding center. Kevin Carter took about 20 minutes to get the shot of the vulture and the baby in focus without scaring off the vulture. In that time, Kevin Carter was moved so much at what had transpired that he later took his own life. Kevin Carter was 33 years old. In his suicide note he wrote…. “I am depressed … without phone … money for rent … money for child support … money for debts … money!!! … I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain … of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners”. Kevin Carter was heavily criticized for not helping the girl and therefore the question is, at what point do you put your camera down and stop being a photographer and you start being a human?

Below are some of the comments made,

October 15, 2009 at 9:58 pm | #1 Reply | Quote Hey, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…, I”ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work!

- Marc Shaw


Frank Scurley October 15, 2009 at 10:43 pm | #2 Reply | Quote I don‘t know If I said it already but …Hey good stuff…keep up the good work! I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)

…, Frank Scurley



Savannah October 16, 2009 at 11:33 pm | #3 Reply | Quote Awesome blog!

I thought about starting my own blog too but I’m just too lazy so, I guess I‘ll just have to keep checking yours out.
LOL,



the revelation painting October 24, 2009 at 6:46 am | #4 Reply | Quote I use this life altering image for the inspiration which pushes me forward as an artist to complete my massive painting. It is a part of my everyday life, a reminder of just how utterly fragile life is. Due to the impact this photo has on me personally, a portion of the revenues from the painting are without doubt for human spirits like this little girl.
Thank you for the story behind the photography. If I had had a chance to meet the man which was able to see and feel so deeply, I would have dropped everything in that moment to do so. It is obvious that his destiny was served and he returned to heaven as it should be for the angels who walk amongst us.



Joel June 22, 2010 at 11:10 pm | #5 Reply | Quote i don’t have any pity or respect for the man. he waited twenty minutes to get a photograph, while a child (his subject) lay in excruciating pain and was literally dying before his eyes, and his first thought was to take a picture. And he didn’t help the kid get to feeding center after he was done! good. kill urself



Enabulele October 22, 2010 at 8:58 pm | #6 Reply | Quote A Spanish TV called Cuatro investigated the photo and they said the picture is FAKE. That famine stricken child was not crawling towards the United Nations camp, or like you said; “exhausted and taking a break while on her way to a feeding center.” Rather the child was pooing close to her house… What a human being can do to get fame! It’s a shame and also a pity to see some journalist manipulating the TRUTH! Do you now understand why Kevin Carter committed a suicide? May God forgive you Carter!



Zankir Khan November 4, 2010 at 6:42 pm | #7 Reply | Quote Whatever the case maybe. Carter killed himself as it seems that he was in debt and in depression. It would have been great if the picture was of him giving a hand to the the frail and poor child, regardless of whatever infection etc you may catch from the child, it would have not matter as it shows your human side…but it wasnt to be and the actions had consequences which resulted in him killing himself……,

HHmm touching, really sad. The Carter guy wanted cheap fame, bc we now know the child was just pooing and not crawling to some far-end feeding centre. On the other hand, journalists, some of them, can be sooo inhuman sometimes in their bid to get the perfect picture or video. And sometimes, the footage won't be used if the news station knows it was got under false circumstances. So in the end, it's a waste. And most importantly, how did things get so bad in Sudan, Africa?? I am so ashamed, esp of the Western world. How did they let it get to this stage, look at the girl, skin and bones. Shame!

ragdollz:

HHmm touching, really sad. The Carter guy wanted cheap fame, bc we now know the child was just pooing and not crawling to some far-end feeding centre. On the other hand, journalists, some of them, can be sooo inhuman sometimes in their bid to get the perfect picture or video. And sometimes, the footage won't be used if the news station knows it was got under false circumstances. So in the end, it's a waste. And most importantly, how did things get so bad in Sudan, Africa?? I am so ashamed, esp of the Western world. How did they let it get to this stage, look at the girl, skin and bones. Shame!

I believe also the picture was fake,good for Cater because he couldn`t get what he wanted and so bad he got more criticism than what he bagained for.

Poverty, Poverty , Poverty, why is it so much in Africa?

Yes, Kevin got his coveted prize for this picture but he paid dearly for it because a phone-in critic later pointed out that he (Kevin) was the other vulture that day because he was more interested in getting his picture than helping the child, which point so weighed on him that he committed suicide.