Kevin Carter was born on September 13, 1960, in South Africa. He grew up in a turbulent time in the country's history, with apartheid still in full force. This environment would have a profound impact on Carter's later work as a photojournalist.
Carter began his career as a photojournalist in the 1980s, during the height of apartheid in South Africa. He was a member of the Bang-Bang Club, a group of photographers who documented the violence and social unrest of the time. Carter's work often focused on the human cost of apartheid, capturing images that were both powerful and haunting.
One of Carter's most famous photographs was taken in 1993, during the famine in Sudan. The image, which showed a starving child being watched by a vulture, became emblematic of the crisis in the region. Carter's photograph won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, but the acclaim came at a cost.
Despite his success as a photojournalist, Carter struggled with the emotional toll of his work. He was haunted by the suffering he witnessed and the images he captured on film. In 1994, Carter took his own life, leaving behind a legacy of powerful and controversial photography.
Carter's early life was marked by challenges. He enlisted in the Air Force but went AWOL after a traumatic incident where he was attacked by fellow servicemen for standing up for a black mess hall waiter. This experience likely shaped Carter's views on race and injustice, influences that would be reflected in his later work.
Carter's work continues to be studied and debated by photographers and scholars alike. His photographs offer a stark reminder of the harsh realities of the world, while also raising questions about the ethics of photojournalism. Carter's life and work serve as a cautionary tale about the toll that bearing witness to suffering can take on an individual.
Carter's story was brought to the big screen in the film The Bang-Bang Club, where he was portrayed by actor Taylor Kitsch. The film delves into the lives of the photojournalists who risked their own safety to document the violence of apartheid-era South Africa. Carter's character serves as a tragic figure, wrestling with the moral complexities of his chosen profession.