Bi-weekly blog post #2 Josef Koudelka

Koudelka first gained international recognition for his gripping coverage of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague. At great personal risk, he documented the tanks rolling into the city, the defiance of the Czech people, and the chaos of occupation. These images, smuggled out of the country and published anonymously (credited simply to "P.P." for "Prague Photographer"), earned him the Robert Capa Gold Medal and led him to become a member of Magnum  

 Koudelka’s career hasn’t been without controversy.  His refusal to conform to traditional photojournalistic norms—such as providing captions or context for his images—has frustrated some critics. However, I think that these play into Koudelka's strengths, forcing the viewer to confront the moment of the image.

What draws me most to Koudelka's photography is its rawness and uncompromising honesty. There’s no attempt to soften reality's edges. His images are stark and often uncomfortable; they don’t offer easy answers or tidy narratives. Koudelka’s work feels like a direct transmission to the moment itself.