What are your thoughts about...

[EKman]

Greetings gents,
As you all know, I am slowly building a photo collection, and as this particular bug takes a greater and greater hold over me, I find which areas of photo collecting interest me the most. I really enjoy and actively contribute to the Theme Threads that show up: Show us your panzermann photos, Show us your KO tanks...

Anyway, a photo theme that I have found fascinating and very sobering is photos of average KIA soldiers. There is something about that image of how a man spent the last moments of his life that really speak volumes about the waste and wickedness of war, so, I actively seek these photos out for my collection. I know that not everyone does, and that is fine. I also am sensitive enough to know that some folks might have issues with these types of photos being posted, we do have young members here and all.

So, I would like to ask yalls opinion of starting a thread along the lines of the ones I mentioned above: Show us your KIA photos (With a warning that the content will almost certainly be too graphic for the young ones). Would this be too morbid/gruesome? And for those guys who think it is just sick to even collect these pics much less post them in an open forum...you may well be right...at least I asked before I posted, so if the general response is "NO, don't post those types of photos" well, no harm done.

[Akira Takiguchi]

There are mainly two types (and in-between) of posting here: research types and show-off types.

"Show your KIA" sounds more like a show-off types. There's something I can't persuade myself to agree with a clear yes, though I understand that this is an important part of photo collection to record the truth of war. I don't know what is it...

There is a thread about a German KIA taken by German photographer http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=22441. There are a lot more photos of enemy KIA than friendly KIA, but the thread was started to prove that they are more commonly found than stated in books.

Feel free to start your thread, it is not a forbidden subject. I only want to see no disrespectful comments.

[Simon O.]

I agree with Akira, I believe the dead deserve some respect.

[R MICHAEL]

Chris, While my collecting focus is not geared towards KIA's I do have some photos in my collection. I can thouroghly understand why you collect those type of photos. I too find then very poingant. I aggree with Akira and wouold enoy seeing your collection. Mike

[Akira Takiguchi]

Mike, I know you have no bad intention and please understand that I am not condemning you, but I hope you could have agreed with me without using the word "enjoy". To let readership --- yes we have and will have a large readership into the future --- understand that we are really serious about this matter, highly careful wording is appreciated.

[DocumentsGuy]

Personally, I would find a thread on KIA photos, regardless of nationality, in extremely poor taste. I hope that you will reconsider and find a more palatable subject for a thread.

[R MICHAEL]

Akira, I understand completely, The term "enjoy" was to used too loosely. This is a sensitive subject and I wasn't sensitive enough in my posting. I have thought about my response for ten minutes at least and have written and deleted my response(s) becuase everything sounds trite and affected. These images are very sobering and when I have veiwed them The thought that kept coming to mind was these people were real with real dreams, wants and loved ones and I am seeing the finallity of those dreams in these images... Very sobering..

Mike

Mike, I know you have no bad intention and please understand that I am not condemning you, but I hope you could have agreed with me without using the word "enjoy". To let readership --- yes we have and will have a large readership into the future --- understand that we are really serious about this matter, highly careful wording is appreciated.