#30 A firefighter gives water to a koala during the devastating Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, Australia, in 2009
This is exactly the message that this photograph gives out as we see a firefighter feeding water to a cuddly and helpless koala which was probably injured during the devastating bushfires that marked Black Saturday in Victoria State of Australia five years ago in 2009. It is truly a touching photograph and shows human compassion at its best. Giving water to a tiny koala may have been the last thing on the fireman’s mind, given the magnitude of the disaster but he never failed in his duties towards a living being. The parched koala sure seems relieved at this gesture no doubt.
#29 Starving boy and missionary
The missionary’s hand reaches out to aid the famine victim, a child who is starving and so malnourished that his hand has a ghastly look about it. One gets the initial impression that it is the hand of a human fossil or emaciated mummy and the missionary, in keeping with the true Christian spirit of aiding a fellow human being shows his ample compassion at the little boy’s infernal sufferings. Missionaries are the apostles of God, it is often said. And here too, the message comes out loud and clear. The little boy’s hand, which is skin and bones, finds solace in the strong and gentle hand of the missionary.
#28 Heart surgeon after 23-hour-long (successful) heart transplant. His assistant is sleeping in the corner.
Service before self is the true motto of this surgeon who after a marathon twenty three hour successful heart transplant surgery sits by his patient lying on the recovery table. His fatigue clearly shows as he sits hunched on an operating room stool while his exhausted assistant crashes out in a corner of the operation theatre. Surgeons again are the instruments of God as they help heal and alleviate suffering. It was probably a challenge to him to restore the patient to good health and he has certainly met it. It shows his sense of responsibility and his commitment to his noble cause.
#26 Diego Frazão Torquato, 12 year old Brazilian playing the violin at his teacher’s funeral. The teacher had helped him escape poverty and violence through music
Diego Frazão Torquato sheds a tear as he plays the violin during his teacher’s funeral. The teacher was responsible in helping this twelve-year old Brazilian to battle poverty and escape violence through his music. All seems lost to this young adolescent and his grief seems immeasurable. A true tear jerker of a photograph that amply captures the poignancy of the situation and sure proves that a photograph is worth a thousand words. There could not have been a better way to pay tribute to a teacher who had helped him see the better half of an otherwise brutal and cruel world.
#25 Christians protect Muslims during prayer in the midst of the 2011 uprisings in Cairo, Egypt
n a world torn by religious strife, this photograph sure brings a ray of hope for the suffering millions who are a victim of it. During the Cairo uprisings in 2011, Christians protected Muslims during a prayer session to express solidarity against President Hosni Mubarak’s government. It was as if the whole nation had risen as one to oust the man who had done more harm to Egypt than good and the masses wanted him out at any cost. It was a time when religious differences were forgotten and the whole of Cairo rose to the occasion, fellow feeling at its best.
#24 Indian homeless men wait to receive free food distributed outside a mosque ahead of Eid al-Fitr in New Delhi, India
An Indian homeless man receives a plate of curried meat being distributed free outside a New Delhi mosque just before Eid ul-Fitr in India I this photograph. Both the hunger and gratitude show on the man’s face as eid among Indian Muslims is a time for charity and display of fellow feeling. His mates also stretch their hands expecting a plateful and there seems to be plenty for all. Such scenes are common in India where beggars line up outside temples and mosques waiting for alms which are regularly handed out by devotees visiting them and is considered to be auspicious for the donor.
#23 Mommy’s Back!
She may be a battle hardy soldier who’s ever ready to pull the trigger on the enemy but at heart she is a mother. Terri Gurrola weeps unashamedly as she hugs her toddler after spending seven months in defense duty in Iraq and her emotions clearly show in the photograph. This is truly a touching scene as Gurrola in battle fatigues and army boots grips her daughter in a bear hug as if she will never ever let her go. The reaction must have been spontaneous as she kneels on the floor and the photographer too, did not miss the moment.
#22 The Last Fall
This is perhaps one of the most touching scenes of the 9/11 tragedy with a man jumping to his death, head first. It was the photographer’s alertness which has preserved for posterity one of the most poignant scenes of a dastardly act that shook the world when it happened so suddenly. The photograph was captioned “the falling man’’ and bears witness to the desperation of the victims who were trapped in the infamous building on that fateful day. Nothing is dearer than life; the man seems to prove, even if it means escaping from death by jumping out of the window.
#21 Heart Wrenching Anguish
The young man beats his chest in sheer anguish as he receives the news of his brother’s death while the policeman in uniform indifferently looks on. In fact, the young man’s grief is so overpowering that he sits on the street, where his brother was killed and which has been cordoned off with red police tape. These scenes may be common to cops who are often witness to them but to the lay man, they are simply gut wrenching. The young man’s expression as he cries out has been captured most perfectly. A truly great example of professional photo journalism.
#20 Blood Ties
The six or seven year old son strains every muscle in his body to tug at his father’s tee shirt trying to get him on his feet in what seems like an impoverished neighborhood but the father is so drunk that he is completely unaware of his offspring’s efforts. In fact, in his drunken stupor he sits with his legs spread out unable to stand on his feet. The little fellow nevertheless, tries to drag him home so that at least he can have a meal and a place to rest before he comes to his senses. Great shot that.
#19 Embracing couple in the rubble of a collapsed factory
Some photographs can really make you think. They have the ability to make you stare at them and make you also feel the emotion of the moment. Some can make you even weep and feel helpless. This photograph of a couple in what might be called, ‘Their final embrace’, is one such moving picture. This is indeed a very touching image of a couple who were found embracing with rubble, metal and dust strewn all around them. This couple, who had perished in factory collapse in Bangladesh, is seen clutching each other as they breathed their last. The woman is almost doubled backwards, as the man has his arms tenderly wrapped around her.
#18 Sunset on Mars
This picture shows the view from Mars as the sun is setting. The sun appears much smaller than it looks when it is seen from our planet Earth. One might wonder how this wonderful and rare picture was taken. This stunning view as the Sun appears to sink below the Guseve crater on the planet Mars, was taken my NASA. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit actually took this panoramic camera mosaic in the evening. Science teams need the pictures of twilight and sunset images to do some research on the atmospheric dust and ice clouds formed above the surface of the planet Mars. Although the photograph is for purely scientific purpose, its aesthetic beauty is immense.
#17 The Little Smoker
There are several pictures taken all over the world every single day. Some of them are so powerful that they immediately make a mark. We all know smoking is injurious to health and it is more injurious to the health of the weak and the young. This picture is of a five year old boy, a gypsy, seen smoking at New Year’s Eve party in 2006. This boy belongs to the gypsy community of St. Jacques, at Perpignan in South France. The others in the photograph, including an older girl is standing there and watching him smoke. The fact is that, it is quite common for little boys in St. Jacques to smoke. They are allowed to indulge in this not very healthy practice.
#16 Hhaing The Yu
Some photographs are so poignant that they mean more than the others. This is one such picture, where Hhaing The Yu who is just 29 years old is seen holding his face in his hands and weeping. The rain is seen relentlessly falling on him and on the structure next to him, which was his home. The structure is actually the devastated remains of his home. This was taken near Rangoon (Yangon), the Capital city of Myanmar. In 2008 in the month of May, a cyclone called Nargis struck the country and left a million dead and a couple of millions absolutely homeless. This heartrending picture should remind everyone that the world can always use a bit more compassion and love.
#15 A faithful dog named “Leao”
There were several photographs taken after the landslides and floods in Brazil in 2011. This picture is perhaps one, which sums up the loss the floods caused. The floods and mudslides devastated the landscapes all around the area. A loyal dog called “Leao” refused to leave the muddy grave of its owner near Rio de Janiero. It sat there for a second consecutive day, when this picture was taken. Leao cut a very pitiful figure as he mutely sat next to the grave of its master, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana who perished in the natural disaster. A picture is said to be worth a thousand words. And this image reflects the worst part of human experience.
#14 “Wait For Me Daddy,”
‘Wait for Me, Daddy’ is an iconic photograph taken by Claude P.Dettloff in 1940 on the 1st of October. This picture shows The British Columbia Regiment marching down an avenue in New Westminster, Canada. The boy in the picture is Warren “Whitney” Bernard, who runs away from his mummy to his dad, Private Jack Bernard. This poignant picture taken 73 years ago of a little child trying to reach his uniformed father, who is marching off to a war, received extensive exposure worldwide. It also shows other ladies behind the child’s mother whose faces reflect concern for their loved ones who are going to another meaningless war. This photograph is to be cast as a memorial in bronze soon.
#13 An Old War Veteran finds his Old Tank
This photograph is one of the most gripping and poignant pictures ever to be taken. This picture shows a very old World War II Russian tank veteran, who finally found the old tank he had used in the war. It is the same tank in which he passed through the entire war. The tank was standing in a very small Russian town as a war monument. It was his home during the weary days of war, when his mind would have gone through the whole gamut of emotions. Finding the tank again, in days of peace, has made the old war hero bow before it because the tank was perhaps some kind of succor, a kind of a long lost friend to the old veteran.
#12 Missing Report
This is a very touching photo of an advertisement for a missing child at the age of 12. Her date of birth is 17th February 1957 and now she would be 57 years old. She went missing on 17th June 1969. The original picture shows her photo at 12 years of age and the one next to it, is a picture which shows how she is likely to look at her current age. It is done by a technique called photo age progression. The parents who might well be in their 70s or 80s are still looking for their child, who has been missing for a long time now! This photo clearly shows the faith and conviction the parents still have, of finding their missing daughter.
#11 Graves separated by a wall but holding hands
This picture will leave everyone absolutely speechless. The photo shows the graves of a catholic woman and her protestant husband in Holland in 1988. They were married in 1842. He died before her and was buried in the cemetery belonging to the Protestants. In 1888 she died and she wanted to be buried next to her husband. In Holland there was a form of political and religious segregation being followed at that time. Hence according to the law the wishes of the woman could not be fulfilled. So she was buried on the other side of the wall and the grave was made to look like they were holding hands above the wall. This was the closest she could get to her beloved husband!
#10 Greg Cook hugs his dog Coco, relieved to find him alive
Greg Cook, an Alabama resident thought he had lost all when a devastating tornado tore across his home and the surrounding areas. His home was leveled by the deadly twister and Cook presumed that his dog had died when the house came crashing down. But his assumption was wrong! While sifting through the remaining rubble, he and his friends found Coco alive and well. Somehow the dog had managed to survive and nobody really knows how he managed to live through the storm. But it was a welcome miracle in the midst of the widespread tragedy. In the photo, Cook, who was completely exhausted emotionally, is seen sobbing and hugging his dog, Coco.
#9 Demonstration of Condom Usage
Something so private does need a demonstration especially when the user is not knowledgeable enough. This picture shows a public health person demonstrating the usage of a condom at the public market. This is somewhere in Jayapura, the capital of Papur in 2009. The usage of condom is basically for the safety of the user, especially to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and the dreaded AIDS. But the spectators in the picture seem to have a look of utter confusion which signifies that all this is entirely alien to them. In fact, each of the men seems to have a different expression. There seems to be anger, frustration, amazement, confusion and amusement too.
#8 A Short Prayer before the war
This is a very touching photograph, showing the Russian soldiers preparing for the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. The soldier is seen kissing the Cross and probably sending a short prayer to heaven. Maybe be he is remembering his family back home and wondering about the futility of warfare. Because everyone in their sane mind knows that any kind of battle is futile and waste of human life. This Battle of Kursk was said to be one of the biggest tank battles fought in the World War II and it resulted in a bad crisis for Germany’s war machine in Russia. This photo is from a personal album and is not an archived one.
#7 Saving the Helpless and the Mute
During the devastating floods in Cuttack, Orissa, India in the year 2011, this picture was taken. Sometimes during disasters everything can be too much to handle. But in the face of the terrible suffering, all one can do is try. This picture shows a simple but heroic villager doing just that – trying to be helpful and useful. He is seen rescuing and saving numerous stray cats. He managed this by carrying them in a basket, balanced on his head in the rain. He had to wade through the flood waters and swampy areas to do it. But nothing seemed to deter this young man!
#6 An Afghan man offers tea to soldiers.
This picture shows an elderly Afghan man offering tea to a U S soldier. This kind of random acts of kindness is sufficient to help restore faith in humanity, even in times of turmoil all over. This soldier belongs to 3 rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division patrol. In a foreign land this kind of hospitality to a man in uniform, is basically a wonderful humane gesture. This picture truly speaks a thousand words. Afghanistan has been a war torn country for years now and if an old man still has it in him to be a good host, it is absolutely commendable and speaks of how compassionate man can be even under trying circumstances. The soldier is probably there to help in the search operation launched to hunt down the Taliban.
#5 A Russian Soldier playing an abandoned piano in Chechnya in 1994
Any war is a meaningless exercise and an absolute waste of all kinds of resources. But sometimes political or religious circumstances force people and countries to enter into armed conflicts. What the heads of these countries do not realize is that, it is the poor soldier who bears the brunt of these conflicts. In this picture we see a Russian Soldier trying to play a piano in Chechnya. He perhaps just wanted a break from all the marching and the firing. The piano is apparently an abandoned one, probably left behind by some family running from away the war torn region. But why did they bring it along with them till the forest, only to abandon it there? One will never know!
#4 Flower Power
Flower power is a kind of slogan which was used in the past as a sign of non-violence ideology and passive resistance. It, in fact started with the opposition movement to the war in Vietnam. The phrase was coined by Allen Ginsberg, an American poet. He wanted to transform the war protests into a kind of peaceful affirmative movement. This photo which is titled ‘Flower Power’ is taken by Bernie Boston a Washington photographer. It shows a young man with long hair and turtle neck pullover, keeping carnations in the rifle barrels of the military men. This photo was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1967 as it symbolized man’s eternal quest for peace always.
#3 A woman amidst the wreckage
In March 2011, a massive earthquake hit Japan and its surrounding areas. The huge tsunami that ensued created havoc in Northern Japan. Although there were a number of warnings and Japanese are experts at times of such crisis, the force of the natural fury proved to be too much, even for them. The sea waves swallowed up fields and towns. The disaster even wrecked their Nuclear power station located on the north eastern coast. This picture is taken during that dreadful time. It shows a woman desolately crying and seated amidst the massive destruction all around her. It is a picture that sums up the extent of the disaster to the viewer.
#2 Inside an Auschwitz gas chamber
During the Second World War, Hitler’s atrocities were at its peak and the Nazis were ready with concentration camps and gas chambers to exterminate the Jews. In 1942 the first known transport of Jews arrived at Auschwitz. Then followed train loads of them and this continued till the end of the war in 1945. This picture shows the inside of the gas chamber and a closer look reveals scratches on the walls. This scratching is seen even today in the main camp only and not seen in others. An eye witness or rather ear witness said that when gas filtered in, the people started screaming and scratching the walls. While the suffering did happen, it is still not clear if the weak and diseased prisoners were in a position to make such sharp scratches. Or were they made later on by early tourists?
#1 Zanjeer the police dog
If people perish and property is lost due to natural disasters, man can learn to come to terms with it. But war and other manmade disasters are the worst calamities faced by human being today. Bomb blasts have become very common today. In Mumbai, India there were serial blasts in 1993 in the month of March. Many lives were lost and hundreds were injured. But there was a Hero who made sure that the casualties did not mount further. The picture shows the dog, Zanjeer, who saved thousands of lives back then. He helped detect explosives weighing 3329 kgs. He also detected 600 detonators, 6404 rounds of ammunition and 249 hand grenades. He died in 2000 and is shown here, being buried with full state honors.
SOURCE
SOURCE
No comments:
Post a Comment