HW#4 Robert Capa’s Death of a Loyalist Soldier

In reading this highly detailed and convincing analysis by Richard Whelan I believe The Falling Soldier by Robert Capa is real. I personally don’t believe that all the things Whelan brings up in his analysis that is needed to pull such as photo off like this could have happened if it wasn’t real. A couple of things that Whelan brings up is identifying the falling soldier as a man named Federico Borrell Garcia who was indeed killed on the day this photo was published, September 5, 1936. Having this information shows you how things fall together and make sense. Not to mention the cartridge cases the falling soldier was wearing is the gear that Garcia would have worn because he’s part of the Alcoy militia regiment that had craftsmen who made these type of cartridge cases. These two factors are just the start of why I find this photo to be authentic. I believe the way the body is getting ready to fall down onto the ground shows how realistic the photo appears. Like stated in his analysis I would have thought the soldiers reflexes to kick in if this photo was staged. You would have saw his hands kind of stretch out and extend because its a natural human reflex. His argument is very convincing, through the many points he brings up as well the inputs of others who were actually there in 1936 brings all the more credibility to what he is saying.