Robert Capa: The Greatest War Photographer of the 20th Century

 Robert Capa: The Greatest War Photographer of the 20th Century

By Emily Jimerson

“The Falling Soldier.” Robert Capa, 1936.

 Robert Capa was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1913. His Jewish parents originally named him Endre Ernő Friedmann. He was considered one of the greatest war photographers of the 20th century. Throughout his life, he captured photos of many significant wars, including the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and D-Day. Despite taking these photos for a living, Capa actually hated war, stating that“the war photographer’s most fervent wish is for unemployment. It is not always easy to stand aside and be unable to do anything except record the suffering around one.” 

While in highschool, Capa was deeply influenced by a friend named Eva Besnyo, who took her camera with her everywhere she went. She thought fondly of him and said he made life more interesting. Eva, along with a man named Lajos Kassak, greatly impacted Capa and his decision to become a journalist. 

In 1936, Capa’s photos of the Spanish Civil War gained extreme popularity. His most famous image from this war, titled “The Falling Soldier,” was taken of a soldier falling to his death after being shot. An action shot like this had never been successfully taken before and this image affected the world more than any other war photo in history. After taking this photo, Capa’s motto became, “if your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

Capa’s images were all in black and white, due to the time period they were taken in, and were usually action shots or portraits. While his primary focus was on war, he also captured the lives of people affected by war. One of my favorite photos he took is of a grinning soldier giving a lamb something to drink because it shows the man’s kindness. Capa was excellent at capturing people’s emotions and character.  

When the Nazi’s threatened to overtake Hungary in 1933, Capa fled to Paris. While in Paris, he worked for Alliance Photo as a freelance photographer and with the help of his new friend Gerda Taro—who was also a photojournalist—he created a new brand for himself and started going by the name Robert Capa. Capa sold photo prints under his new American name and received greater attention and money than ever before.

In 1946, Capa became an American citizen and began working closely with photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and David Seymourfirst. Together they formed Magnum Photos in 1947, the first agency of international freelance photographers. He was the director of the Magnum Photos office in Paris for three years.

Capa deeply cared for others and that showed through his work. In many of his photos, especially his portraits, the people have relaxed and unguarded expressions because Capa made an effort to connect with them and help them feel comfortable. His younger brother Cornell looked up to him and was inspired by his love for others. “The advice Bob used to give to other photographers was: “Like people and let them know it.” That is what he always did. Five years older than myself, Bob inspired and encouraged me, and he showed me the true meaning of brotherhood.” – Cornell Capa.

Capa bravely volunteered to shoot the French Indochina War for Life magazine in 1954, where he was tragically killed by stepping on a landmine. Despite this tragic ending, Capa’s work continues to impact individuals and photographers around the world today. Capa has taught me personally to make good connections with the people I photograph and get as close to the action as possible when taking photos. 

Cited Sources

Magnum Photos. Robert Capa. Magnumphotos.com. 

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/robert-capa/.

Accessed 15 October 2023. 

The editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Robert Capa: American Photographer. 

Britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Capa. Accessed 20 October 2023.

International Center of Photography. Robert Capa. Icp.org. 

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/robert-capa?all/all/all/all/0. Accessed 5 

November 2023. 

International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. Robert Capa. Iphf.org. 

https://iphf.org/inductees/robert-capa/. Accessed 8 November 2023.