The Most Powerful Photos Ever Taken

Last Sunday evening, I saw a post on Reddit, asking users what the most powerful photo they have ever seen is. It became flooded with scenes of liberation and compassion, but also with scenes of war, terror, and everything which makes us question the world around us. I selected just 6, of the hundreds of photos posted, to showcase these photographic masterpieces, while simultaneously opening this wider audience up to just some of the terrors which burden the earth in their extremities. The following collection contains disturbing images.

1. A train of Jewish prisoners is liberated.

This marvellous picture was taken by Major Clarence L. Benjamin. He recounted:

“At the instant a few of the train people saw our tanks and first realized they had been liberated. Many of those close to the train are not yet aware of their liberation.”

2. A father looks towards the hands of his daughter.

A father, in Congo, looks towards the hands of his five year old daughter, severed off for not harvesting enough produce.

3. Thousand yard stare.

The Italian magazine: ‘Panorama’ published this image of an Italian soldier after a 72 hour conflict. He demonstrates the ‘Thousand Yard Stare’, which is known to occur during an acute stress reaction, and describes the unfocussed gaze of a warrior.

4. Desegregation.

Will Counts, then photographer for the Arkansas Democrat newspaper, took this photo of segregation of Little Rock High in 1957. The black student, is Elizabeth Eckford, one of 9 pupils enrolled in the previously white only school in Arkansas, as a test of the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling in 1954. It highlights deep rooted racism which was slowly ironed out with the help of Martin Luther King. ©Will Counts

5. The Falling Man.

Arguably one of the most chilling, yet widely published photo’s of 9/11 shows a man, uncertainly identified as Jonathan Briley, tumbling from an upper floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Centre – he was one of around 200 to ‘jump’ that day. ©Richard Drew/Associated Press

6. Starving in Sudan.

This Pulitzer Prize winning photograph was that of much controversy. Photographer Kevin Carter was accused of not helping the girl, who was struggling to reach a feeding centre. Whether accounts of him scaring the bird away to assist the girl were true or not, is unknown, following the photojournalist’s suicide. ©Kevin Carter/The New York Times

You can view the original Reddit post here, it contains many more images, some so shocking they are hard to understand. I do recommend a viewing, many of the scenes are important to see.

Images held in public domain unless stated otherwise. Copyrighted images are published under fair use.

Editor’s Prompt: Now it’s your turn to add to the list. What are the most powerful photos ever?

About Nathan Liu

As a student in the UK, and an aspiring journalist Nathan calls himself a 'cultured geek' with his love to travel, love of food, and devotion to the latest tech. He spends far too much time scrolling though technology blogs....

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