Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: E.Adams & Vietnam Photo
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:07:40 -0700

Paul Schiemer wrote:
> 
> Have some questions about that particular photo:
> [It's called "Moment of Execution", was taken Feb. 1, 1968.
> The guy pulling the trigger of his hammerless pistol is Chief Brig. Gen.
> Nguyen Ngoc Loan of the National Police, and the photo was made in Saigon
> near the An Quang pagoda. Was run with Associated Press on or about that
> date.]
> 
> My questions are this; I've seen moving picture footage of the very same
> vantage point, where the entire sequence is played out in horrific detail.
> Am I to understand that Mr. Adams AND a motion picture cameraman were
> standing side by side at that moment? Is the single fame we all attribute to
> Mr. Adams (and a Leica) actually a frame taken from a motion picture camera?
> Does anyone know about the 'real time' segment I am referring to? Has anyone
> else seen it? Did E. Adams photo earn a Pulitzer as I am led to believe?
> (and what year was that awarded?)
> Did the 'real time' footage gain equal acclaim?
> 
I think both media was there what I think is part of the historic point of the
shot/event what that the guy who did the shooting was in the frame of mind where
he felt he could do this right in front of the media. He was regardless to the
fact that he was doing a press conference. He simply didn't care who saw him
shoot this guy in the head! That was a big part of the horror of it.
Mark Rabiner