History of Photography: Kevin Carter and the Ethical Dilemma of Photojournalism

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history of photography
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
The technology and technique of photography have come a long way ever since it was
conceived centuries ago. Every generation and photographer have faced social changes and
technological challenges. Today, photography is seen as both art and a profession, and it has
become a multi-billion-dollar industry. One cannot ignore the visual impact and psychological
effect of a photograph which is created with a scientific instrument and carries an artistic
expression. Looking back in history, one comes across photographers and their works that have
made a lasting imprint in the realm of photography. Kevin Carter is one such photographer
whose photographs and works underwent many criticisms. His photographs are important as they
showcase the horrors of the African towns as well as raise ethical concerns.
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter was born in 1960 in Johannesburg and descended from middle-class white
English immigrants (Famous Photographers, 2019). The South African photojournalist became a
pharmacist after completing high school and also worked as a radio jockey. He later worked for
some time in a camera supply shop, and it was from here that he developed an interest in
photography and gradually drifted into journalism, as asserted by Macleod (2001).
The award-winning photographer was brought up in the midst of Apartheid and was
influenced by the historical misfortune of the Afrikaner mainstream. (Famous Photographers,
2019). He frequently saw black people being detained and beaten by the police. What disturbed
him was the lack of struggle to the tyrannical regime and the laid-back position towards the issue
of his broad-minded Catholic family. His family accepted apartheid casually, and this was when
Kevin started to detest apartheid question it openly (Macleod, 2001).Carter became world

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famous once he won the highest acknowledgment, Pulitzer for his work. However, he committed
suicide about two months after getting his Pulitzer, and his suicide note stated that the pains of
life are much bigger than the joys (Macleod, 2001). He was under great stress while
documenting the most horrific faces of the planet.
Kevin Carter’s work
The most famous photograph by the Carter is of a starving Sudanese girl shows a vulture
lurking behind her. There is hardly any flesh on the tiny body of the girl as she bends down, her
head on the ground. When the photograph that captured the Sudanese famine and suffering was
printed in the New York Times in 1993, there was an intense reaction to it. Most people
criticized Carter for being insensitive and inhumane. Others felt that he should have helped the
starving girls rather than clicking the pictures with his camera. The controversy only grew when
he was given the Pulitzer Prize for the photo (Neal,2014). People wanted to know who the girl
was, what happened to her and if Carter helped the girl. Carter was one of the first media
photographer to capture the famine-stricken Sudan (Kim & Kelly, 2013). It is indeed a disturbing
image of a Sudanese child getting trailed by a vulture.
Carter explained that he photographed the girl who was on her way to reach the feeding
center of the United Nations. She was taking rest on her way, and he got interested when a
vulture landed nearby. He said that he had to wait for twenty minutes for the vulture to get close
enough to the girl photo (Rare Historical Photos,2018). Later, he slowly approached the scene
and took the shot. At that time, he was not aware that he was creating one of the most debated
images in the history of photojournalism. The picture became an instant symbol of Africa's
anguish.