Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
No doubt you’ve seen some images from the earthquake and tsunami like these here from the NY Times/AP. The devastation in Japan is horrific, as is the state of affairs, the deaths, missing people, damaged lives and immeasurable property damage. Unthinkable sadness.
The photos too are extremely powerful. In kind, in their quietness, in scale. In short, they are completely surreal. The ability for a photograph to tell a story in a single moment is undeniable. This is journalism, but were it not for a natural disaster, the subject matter of the images reads like a fine art of destruction.
The world’s head and heart are with you Japan. More shocking and surreal images captured by AP reporters in Japan after the jump.
Kyodo News, via Associated Press
Kyodo/Reuters
Kyodo News, via Reuters
Kyodo News, via Associated Press
To see a dozen more of these images, visit the Asia Pacific photo gallery here at the NY Times.
[Images from AP and NYTimes via the respected agencies cited below each image. Post inspired by Rachel’s over at A Photography Blog. Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to Japan tsunami relief or click here.]
Surreal it is! The magnitude of the the disaster and the way it was photographed takes away for me the horror from this a catastrophic event. However we are reminded in many ways that it is real and this fact returns the horror to what are very beautiful and disturbing photographs
How do you explain these images of devastation to your children?
“Images seen on TV are sometimes impossible to remove from your child’s mind – they can last a lifetime. Words said by the parent can be softened and carefully chosen so their child can understand, but not feel too anxious.” Dr. Robert Pressman
http://bit.ly/hTKVm9
It’s heart wrenching to see what’s enfolding here in asia (i’m from Malaysia). There is a uneasy lull through this storm…and these photos speak so strongly…our hearts are out to Japan…perfect title Chase!
Very powerful photos indeed.
It’s a shame that most of the photographers behind these images have lost their moral rights as artists and have gone uncredited by the New York Times.
Chase: Out of curiousity, did you need permission to reproduce these images here?