The perfect moment to capture an image does not wait. Photojournalists must seize it when it is there. Brave photojournalists are ready to snap an image to capture history in the making.
In the film “A Glimpse of Life–The Pulitzer Photographs,” photojournalists talk about their experiences taking Pulitzer winning photos. To win a Pulitzer, a photo does not have to be perfect. It has to capture iconic moments. It has to tell a story. A picture is worth a thousand words. The audience must be able to read it. A Pulitzer photo is one that makes the audience feel something.
Joe Rosenthal took Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima in 1945. It is a photograph of six U.S. Marines raising a flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Six men in uniforms work together to lift the heavy flag. “It’s a front seat to history,” John White, a Pulitzer Prize recipient, said about being a photojournalist. Raising a flag is an iconic symbol during a war. This photo is a historic moment caught that will last forever. Rosenthal’s image became one of the most iconic images worldwide. Many thought it to be a symbol of American resilience. It shows how a photo can produce feelings of pride.
