Robert Capa (born Endre Ernő Friedmann, October 22, 1913 - May 25, 1954) is considered one of the most important war photographers of the 20th century. He photographed five different wars and captured powerful images documenting the brutal reality of war. Capa, one of the founding members of Magnum Photos, left his mark on the history of photography.

^{(A photo of Capa in action - Magnum)}

Early Period and Career Start

Capa was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1913 to a Jewish family. He left Hungary in the 1930s due to political events and moved to Germany. After studying photography in Berlin, he moved to France due to the rise of the Nazi regime. Here he began to use the pseudonym Robert Capa, working with Gerda Taro.

^{(Galata in Capa's frame - Magnum)}

He made his first big break with his photographs documenting the Spanish Civil War. His 1936 photograph “The Falling Soldier” is considered one of the most striking images in the history of war photography.

War Photography and Magnum Photos

Capa documented five major wars:

1. Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

2. Second Sino-Japanese War (1938)

3. World War II (1941-1945)

4.Arab-Israeli War (1948)

5. First Indochina War (1954)

He was one of the few photographers to capture the Normandy landings (D-Day) during World War II. On June 6, 1944, he captured the landing of American troops on Omaha Beach. Although most of his photographs were lost due to an error in the darkroom, the few that survived were enough to convey the horrors of war.

In 1947, Henri Cartier-Bresson founded Magnum Photos with David Seymour and George Rodger. This collective became one of the most prestigious agencies in the world, allowing photographers to work independently.

^{(Capa's famous photograph of a fallen soldier on the Cordoba front - Magnum)}

Death

In 1954, while covering the First Indochina War for Life magazine, he traveled to Vietnam to document clashes between Viet Minh troops and French soldiers. On May 25, 1954, he died after stepping on a land mine. By dying on the battlefield, he completed the dangerous mission to which he had dedicated his photography by living it himself.

Legacy and Impact

Robert Capa stood out in war photography for his courage and ability to dramatize events. “If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough” is his quote, indicating that he took risks in the field and preferred to get to the center of the action.

Capa's work is preserved in the archives of the International Center of Photography (ICP) and Magnum Photos. His role in the founding of Magnum is still a source of inspiration for documentary photography and war reporting today.