The Bang Bang Club

The Bang-Bang Club was a name used by four photographers during the Apartheid in South Africa. They were Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek, and Joao Silva.

A book was written by Joao Silva and Greg Marinovich of the same name and it will be released April 23rd as a movie from Tribeca Films in partnership with "American Express".

All but Marinovich and Silva are now dead from their work and Silva has lost his legs below the knees while bringing light to the dark places of this world. In this instance he was on patrol with some U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan.

Years ago I was reading about John Isaac a retired United Nations photojournalist that works with Olympus. He suffered a nervous breakdown, the work was just to hard and he almost gave up photography his passion. You should take the time to review John's work, it is incredible. By the way John is a contributing photographer down at the Maine Media Workshops. If you driven to the coast from here you've passed within yards of their facility. It would be an honor to meet him!

To learn more about Sliva who is still recovering in Walter Reed Hospital from his injuries visit Jennifer Griffin's blog, a survivor herself. An excerpt follows from Jennifer's blog.. the entire entry is worth reading!!!

"On either side of him in Ward 32 were soldiers who had lost limbs in Afghanistan, poster children for the signature wound of these post- 9/11 land wars. Joao doesn't think of himself as a "Wounded Warrior" and he won't let you compare him to one. He says those 18 year old boys have their whole life ahead of them and they don't know if anyone is going to love them. He had a life. He has a wife and kids and he will get back on his prosthetic legs and probably win another Pulitzer."

A recovery fund has been established to help Silva with his recovery. Please consider buying a print or making a donation.

To often these days it is fashionable to look at the press negitively, but without these brave souls we'd be far worse off! Hundreds give their lives and limbs for us each year. American Express must think so, they've backed this film.

Thanks to FStoppers for turning me on to this film.