I went on a day-trip to the concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau while I was in Poland recently. While it has been almost 50 years since the end of the war, the vastness, bleakness and grimness of the camps, especially Auschwitz II (Birkenau), still struck me cold; I thought I would want to share some of my pictures with everyone as well:
#1 Final Destination
This was the notorious train track entrance into Birkenau that we may have been familar with from Schindler's List and Life Is Beautiful. http://www.galant-ho.com/download/ausw1.jpg
Wenyao: These are very moving images -- well perceived, carefully captured, and thoughtfully presented. I am impressed by what I see as your ability to convey a mood or feeling with these shots. I particularly like the choice of B/W for the first two. The composition of the first one is just classic, though by no means overdone. The small relative size of the entrance building, off in the distance, gives a strong sense of foreboding. #2 is to my mind a very powerful image, even if the technique can sometimes be a bit hackneyed -- I think it's well done here. The grainy look gives it a feel as though it could have been shot 60 years ago. And the third one is growing on me -- I can't quite put my finger on what makes it so stark, almost harsh. But again the treatment is well-suited to the subject matter. These are somewhat disturbing to look at, but I imaging the site itself muct be more so -- almost overwhelming.
Haunting captures of a most austere and evil place. It would be nice to believe that keeping the monument intact might prevent us from forgetting what happened there and hence ever repeating it...
lordarka wrote:
Haunting captures of a most austere and evil place. It would be nice to believe that keeping the monument intact might prevent us from forgetting what happened there and hence ever repeating it...
Hi everyone, thanks for the comments on the photos.
If you're visitng Krakow anytime, do go for the guided tour as well. It was a sobering experience for me while I was there.
I had an opportunity to make a brief stop at Auschwitz a few months ago. I was only able to see a small portion the camp and never made it to Birkenau. I will always regret that I did not find the time to tour it properly. Still it was a moving experience and I thank you for rekindling it for me. Nicely done.
Tom caught it- it's been 60 years, not 50...but who's counting anyways? I heard recently that in England, upwards of 90% (yes, ninety percent) of people 35 years and younger haven't even HEARD of Auschwitz and the atrocities that have taken place there! Horrible- how can we be so blind to the realities of horrors like these? Goes to show what the modern education system has turned into... These images bring it all back- I wish these and others could be forcefed to young people. Hey, as an American, I will NEVER forget what happened here on the 11th of Sep., 2001. Has anyone forgotten that yet?...
Sorry for the politics. I love the pics.
Stirring beyond words, Wenyao. Your use of B&W, the low angles, and selective DOF are all extremely effective and leave me screaming in a hushed voice "Never Again".
