# Wow



## mdmphoto (May 4, 2017)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39798988


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## Click (May 4, 2017)

Wow! 

Thanks for sharing.


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## mdmphoto (May 4, 2017)

Click said:


> Wow!
> 
> Thanks for sharing.


Although the article has today's date on it, after reading it I learned that this actually happened in 2013, and I'm mildly surprised to only now be finding out about it; though military security clearances may have something to do with that....


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## AcutancePhotography (May 4, 2017)

Petapixel had this story too. Most sad. Military duty, even in training, is intrinsically risky.


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## chauncey (May 4, 2017)

If ya liked that image, why not visit the local morgue.


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## LDS (May 4, 2017)

mdmphoto said:


> I wouldn't have titled this post "Wow".
> 
> While I can understand why the US Army released it, my feelings for such images are very far from "wow".
> 
> Nor I wouldn't have posted it under "Photography Technique" (!)


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## mdmphoto (May 4, 2017)

LDS said:


> mdmphoto said:
> 
> 
> > I wouldn't have titled this post "Wow".
> ...



“Wow” was the expression of amazement I felt viewing these images, and reading the story they told. As a Vietnam-era Veteran I know the selfless focus and dedication soldiers, particularly in combat-specific assignments, bring to their work. My reaction is NOT about politics, nor about philosophical considerations on the nature of war, or empire, or conquest. Neither is it about whether the soldier agrees with the combat or not; in my own experience – personally, and as expressed by those I served with, it’s about fulfilling the role they’ve been trained for in as exemplary a manner as possible. While we didn’t really think about it much if at all, being young buckaroos, training exercises Stateside included real danger from live munitions, mistakes, and simple anomaly. That these photos captured these Ultimate instants in time lent all that much more Drama to the observation for me. 
So far as my choice of where to post it is concerned, I couldn’t figure out any other topic to place it under, and, it just seemed to me that it should appear somewhere in CR. I would be very excited – and gratified, to know your suggestion for the correct topic for its posting.
Thanks, again….


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## mdmphoto (May 4, 2017)

chauncey said:


> If ya liked that image, why not visit the local morgue.



Thanks for your comment, Chauncey: in Fact, I worked for a major metropolitan morgue for 23 years, saw all manner of deaths, many senseless, many natural, some that made news headlines, many that remained shadowed in obscurity, and dealt with people in various stages of grief.


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## LDS (May 5, 2017)

mdmphoto said:


> So far as my choice of where to post it is concerned, I couldn’t figure out any other topic to place it under, and, it just seemed to me that it should appear somewhere in CR. I would be very excited – and gratified, to know your suggestion for the correct topic for its posting.
> Thanks, again….



Maybe "Business of photography" could have been better - it could be a very dangerous business sometimes.

Also, I would have warned people about the brutal and sad image. "Wow", unluckily, usually communicates to me a "positive marvel".


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## Don Haines (May 5, 2017)

It was a training exercise. Nobody expected this to happen..... Military Training is dangerous and each year dozens of lives are lost. Even outside the military, people die on the job regularly. Shit happens, and yes, it can happen to you!

Show some compassion for a tragic loss, and as you continue your career (or hobby) in photography, try to be careful.


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## Valvebounce (May 5, 2017)

Hi mdmphoto. 
Thank you for sharing this tragic story, I think you are correct that it needed to be brought to our attention, as for where, heck I don't know, I would probably have stuck it in general, would that have been any more correct, I don't know, probably not. 
Perhaps the story took as long as it did to appear because the family have finally reached a point where they were able to deal with releasing the image. After all it says "The photos were published with the permission of the Clayton family."
My best wishes to her family, all who serve, have served and those who have lost loved ones in the name of achieving peace and tranquility in our world. 

Kind regards, Graham. 



mdmphoto said:


> Click said:
> 
> 
> > Wow!
> ...


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