Alfred Eisenstaedt - VJ Day

This photograph VJ Day by Alfred Eisenstaedt, is a classic photograph. It was taken after President Truman announced the end of the war on Japan in 1945. In Times Square, this American sailor spontaneously grabbed this nurse whom he did not even know and kissed her in celebration of the end of the war. It is a prime example that when you are in the right place at the right time and can capture a moment that it could become iconic. Nothing happens by accident, but when you see something that is spontaneous and their is a camera in your hand you must take that opportunity to shoot the photograph. That is what Eisenstaedt did. I think this photo is excellent and describes the true happiness felt by the men and women of our country at the end of the war with Japan. He captures the spontaneous nature of the moment by taking the shot in Times Square with a lot of people around and watching these two people share in the joy of the moment. The fact that you can't see the people's faces also gives a sense of spontaneity to the photograph, not knowing who the people are and identifying them as just a sailor and a nurse. This is a great example of street photography and how natural photos can be very successful if you put yourself in the right place at the right time and see something worth photographing.