http://blogs.afp.com/correspondent/?post/Selfie

The story behind "that selfie"

By Roberto Schmidt

So here’s the photo, my photo, which quickly lit up the world’s social networks and news websites. The “selfie” of three world leaders who, during South Africa’s farewell to Nelson Mandela, were messing about like kids instead of behaving with the mournful gravitas one might expect.

In general on this blog, photojournalists tell the story behind a picture they’ve taken. I’ve done this for images from Pakistan, and India, where I am based. And here I am again, but this time the picture comes from a stadium in Soweto, and shows people taking a photo of themselves. I guess it’s a sign of our times that somehow this image seemed to get more attention than the event itself. Go figure.

Anyway, I arrived in South Africa with several other AFP journalists to cover the farewell and funeral ceremonies for Nelson Mandela. We were in the Soccer City stadium in Soweto, under a driving rain. I’d been there since the crack of dawn and when I took this picture, the memorial ceremony had already been going on for more than two hours.

From the podium, Obama had just qualified Mandela as a “giant of history who moved a nation towards justice." After his stirring eulogy, America’s first black president sat about 150 metres across from where I was set up. He was surrounded by other foreign dignitaries and I decided to follow his movements with the help of my 600 mm x 2 telephoto lens.

So Obama took his place amid these leaders who’d gathered from all corners of the globe. Among them was British Prime Minister David Cameron, as well as a woman who I wasn’t able to immediately identify. I later learned it was the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. I’m a German-Colombian based in India, so I don’t feel too bad I didn’t recognize her! At the time, I thought it must have been one of Obama’s many staffers.

Anyway, suddenly this woman pulled out her mobile phone and took a photo of herself smiling with Cameron and the US president. I captured the scene reflexively. All around me in the stadium, South Africans were dancing, singing and laughing to honour their departed leader. It was more like a carnival atmosphere, not at all morbid. The ceremony had already gone on for two hours and would last another two. The atmosphere was totally relaxed – I didn’t see anything shocking in my viewfinder, president of the US or not. We are in Africa.

I later read on social media that Michelle Obama seemed to be rather peeved on seeing the Danish prime minister take the picture. But photos can lie. In reality, just a few seconds earlier the first lady was herself joking with those around her, Cameron and Schmidt included. Her stern look was captured by chance.

I took these photos totally spontaneously, without thinking about what impact they might have. At the time, I thought the world leaders were simply acting like human beings, like me and you. I doubt anyone could have remained totally stony faced for the duration of the ceremony, while tens of thousands of people were celebrating in the stadium. For me, the behaviour of these leaders in snapping a selfie seems perfectly natural. I see nothing to complain about, and probably would have done the same in their place. The AFP team worked hard to display the reaction that South African people had for the passing of someone they consider as a father. We moved about 500 pictures, trying to portray their true feelings, and this seemingly trivial image seems to have eclipsed much of this collective work.

It was interesting to see politicians in a human light because usually when we see them it is in such a controlled environment. Maybe this would not be such an issue if we, as the press, would have more access to dignitaries and be able to show they are human as the rest of us.

I confess too that it makes me a little sad we are so obsessed with day-to-day trivialities, instead of things of true importance.

Disrespectful! A ceremony such as this is no place for goofy selfies and all 3 of em should feel a little embarrassed by their actions.

You do realize this wasn't a funeral like we see here, right? It was a celebration.

Disgraceful!!!!
This and all that dancing around in the rain, cmon really.

nice satire,,,

people here would DIE if they visited New Orleans and saw how 'disgraceful' they act when loved ones die

Maybe those who find this disgraceful and disrespectful in this kind of setting (not a funeral/memorial service where people are somber) can explain why.

Obama is a sociopath with a huge god complex. Everything has to be about him, even st the funeral of one of the greatest human rights leaders in history.

This was a memorial service. This is about him ALL about him. Not world leaders who have god complexes.

Perhaps to some...
But he delivered a great eulogy IMO!

So, then you must hate the Danish Prime Minister even more, since it was her who pulled out her camera/phone to take the picture.

I've been to a few wakes in my time. And I hope everyone has a grand old time when I get rid of this burdensome fleshy shell. Just my luck people will get naked and my spirit can only watch!

With everything Der Fuhrer can be condemned for, this isn't one of them.

too true,,,, no one in South Africa seems to be complaining

quite an obvious case of cultural confusion,, how one culture handles death often ends up being their assumption of how EVERY Culture therefore handles it

many cultures have celebrations of life after someone dies,,,from the photographers own words, obviously this culture is one of them

and good for them,,,, when in rome do as the romans do,,, good for the heads of state too,,,

Can anyone explain why this has conservatives so upset?

You think this has conservatives upset?
It's not about being upset, it's about using any ammunition possible to attack the "opposition". And this is something that liberal do just much if not more than conservatives.

It's like when the mob used to say "this isn't personal it's business" only with this "it isn't personal, it's political". I can use that analogy without being accused of being disrespectful since I'mm Italian.

Actually, as much wrong as I see happening in his tenure at the white house, meh I don't find fault in this. Americans need to learn that just because something is taboo here, doesn't mean it is in the rest of the world. Take nudity in europe as compared to here. I hope when it's my time to go, the booze and women flow freely!

I don't think they care about what is or isn't taboo. Some just have to make a huge deal out of anything the president does.

You mean like killing and indefinitely detaining Americans, spying on them, putting the IRS on his opponents, violating the Constitution, supporting terrorists, destroying healthcare, education, and the economy, playing god over congress and the courts, bowing to foreign dictators, droning brown skinned women and children in foreign lands and never apologizing, but he will apologize for our superiority, lying to the people, creating secret courts, appointing tzars while congress is still in session, and prosecuting whistleblowers who expose those kinds of meaningless things?

participating in a photo
having a conversation with someone
shaking a hand
KNOWING someone who did something or was even just aCCUSED of doing something


,,those are more of meaningless things that get more press than meaningful stuff

Ive made a name for it 'The Miley Principle',, where, in media, meaningless BS gets more press and becomes more popular than real and substantial information

like this fox newscaster stating santa and jesus were white? really? who cares? why is that even news? its not anything NEW ,, that's for sure

we are in a Eurocentric culture and Fox is pretty representative of maintaining that,, and her opinion really doesn't impact anyones life or livelihood

"KNOWING someone who did something or was even just aCCUSED of doing something"

You mean like he has taken the power of indefinitely detaining and killing American citizens for doing?

I really wouldn't know, as I have stated before, there are some jobs that require difficult decisions that I would never want to have to be in the position to have to make

just like 'reasonable' in 'reasonable' doubt,,, when it comes to intelligence and security, IM sure there is some standard greatr than just 'knowing' someone which is used in detaining,, and even more sure that the President, whomever it is, does not personally detain or choose those individuals for detention,,,