In 1906, an earthquake ripped through San Francisco setting off firestorms across the city. At that time photography was less than a century old. But people recognized the importance of documenting the event -- they could see the power of the image -- even if the pictures weren’t always made by trained professionals.
1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Fast forward another 100 years, when Aaron Fuhrman, a photography enthusiast with a well-trafficked site on Flickr, decided to leave his home in the middle of the night to photograph the aftermath of a tornado which devastated the city of Joplin, Missouri. Glued to the Weather Channel that evening with his wife Amy, they watched as the tornado advanced toward Joplin. Feeling the need to see Joplin first hand, Fuhrman decided he and his brother-in-law Lee Myers, would make the more than four hour trek to Joplin. They arrived just before sunrise.
“It was when the reporter for TWC [The Weather Channel] broke down on air that I told Amy I felt like I needed to go and photograph the damage,” Fuhrman recalled in a recent correspondence.
Navigating their way closer to the center of the city, after receiving permission from the police, the two men began to grasp the full impact of the tornado’s path. Nothing could have prepared them for what lay before them. Fuhrman notes, “I think I was numb when I arrived in Joplin. The reality for me was the damage. I had never been to Joplin before and had no idea what the area, where the tornado hit, should look like. The landscape was surreal in that it was normal to see cars wrapped up in trees and metal siding or roofing wrapped up like aluminum foil.”
Fuhrman further observed, “The landscape looked as if a giant lawnmower and run through the area. For Lee and I it was the only reality we knew because we had never been to Joplin before. What struck me at this point was the contrast of a beautiful sunrise over total destruction. After that it was the realization that I should not be able to see the sun on the horizon from that vantage point. We could see damage where we were standing to the horizon and knew there was damage behind us for some distance as well.”
Photographing as they walked through the rubble, Fuhrnman was eventually stopped and questioned by authorities – something that is very typical and important in such situations. It was by this time, after witnessing so much devastation that he felt they might be in the way.
“I believe I was in shock. I posted a picture of a red Honda with some writing on it and someone pointed out that it meant two people were found dead in it. I had been walking around while people were trapped or buried in the remains of their homes. When a person commented on the photograph it came to me and I just broke down.” -- Aaron Fuhrman
After returning home, Fuhrman posted his Joplin aftermath pictures to his Flickr account. The response to the images was immediate and overwhelming. News media from around the country took notice and he was soon contacted about his experiences and his pictures have been used across the web as a first-person account of the tornado’s aftermath. Fuhrman, by this time, could no longer be counted as an enthusiast. His work now contribute to telling the story of Joplin in a significant way.
“For me, Flickr was a way to showcase my work, at least in the beginning. What it has become for me is a way to connect with others who share the same interest. I have connected with people all over the world with Flickr,” he said.
Photo Credit: Google Images (above) Aaron Fuhrman (below)
Juxtaposing before and after images of Joplin has helped Fuhrman tell the story in a rich and compelling way.
Fuhrman believes that publicly sharing his images on Flickr has helped tell a bigger story. “I believed this before I left for Joplin and found it to be very true after I uploaded the images. I have received messages from people in other states who were motivated to help in many ways,” he said.
“Messages came in from Joplin residents and those who have Family and Friends in Joplin. Even in their quest to make contact they thanked me for the photos. My Flickr account has received over 1,000,000 hits since I uploaded the images from Joplin,”
“I have been contacted by CNN, FOX News, NPR, ABC World News, Nightline and many others who used my images to help describe the damage in Joplin. I feel this is the only good that comes from my photos. Telling this story has sent overwhelming support to a city with overwhelming damage,” Fuhrman said.
Photography, through social media, has entered a new era where the lines between professional and enthusiast seem imperceptive, Today, sharing, connecting, and the immediacy of an image’s impact are now part of our complex media environment.
Photo Credit: Google Images (above) Aaron Fuhrman (below)
For Fuhrman, “The messages I received in the days after the tornado shows just how powerful a tool the social media can be. People could not make contact fast enough through official sources and turned to me, despite knowing I was hours from Joplin at the time. They would ask if I had photographed a certain area or if I could help find Family and Friends. Through social media I would forward their request to those who I believe might be able to help.”
Joplin Relief Efforts
