The life of Tomoko bathing

This is the most widely circulated photo in the "Minamata" feature. Although due to the rapid development of emerging media such as television. The golden age of reportage photography represented by Eugene Smith has passed, but the photographer's more casual and approachable approach to events and parties is something that is difficult for television cameras to achieve.

Eugene Smith’s photo reports are permeated with a strong humanitarian spirit from beginning to end. No matter what the circumstances, his photographic reports always stand on the side of the suffering people, sympathize with them, speak for them, and appeal for them. Even though he suffered as a result, he moved forward bravely and shed blood and sweat without hesitation.

In his many years of reportage photography, Smith hopes that his photos can play a role in life, and even directly intervene and fight. Among them, the "Minamata" feature is his most famous victory. That happened more than ten years after he left Spain, when he and his Japanese wife went to Japan for their honeymoon and learned about the tragedy of a small local fishing village called Minomata. Local villagers suffered from mercury poisoning due to factory wastewater, resulting in lifelong paralysis and passing the disease on to the next generation. In order to film this special feature, he was almost beaten to death by people sent from the factory, but this did not shake his determination to make the truth of the incident known to the world. Throughout the entire topic selection process, what he had to do was not only record objective factual evidence, but also show people's courage and the power of humanity. This kind of courage and strength is the belief that supports his work and life, and it is also his most practical solidarity with the people he cares about. When the loving Tomoko mother bathed her disabled daughter, his eyes were filled with tears and he could hardly press the shutter.