Robert Capa: The Soldier in the Water

Photographer: Robert Capa

A listening practice about this picture taken by Robert Capa during the D-Day Landings

I have chosen to do a listening about Robert Capa as he has been the subject of a TOEFL reading in the past so it would be useful to know a bit about him in case his work comes up again in a future TOEFL test.

First though, some camera vocabulary could be handy! In a TOEFL reading about Robert Capa, the text will focus on how he worked and the results he achieved. However, it would be good to learn photography vocabulary especially in relation to the history of photography and early camera equipment as these wider subjects can also be TOEFL topics.

Here's some to start you off:

Camera-angle - position of the camera relative to the subject
Lens --  a piece of optical glass used to form an image of a subject on sensitive material
Wide-angle -  a lens that includes a wider subject area than normal
Zoom - a lens that allows the focal range to be adjusted
Composition - the arrangement of the subject matter in the photograph 
Depth of field - points nearest to and farthest from the camera that are exceptionally sharp
Exposure - the length of time light of a given intensity is allowed to act on a sensitive emulsion

Now listen to this short video clip about the picture shown above and answer the questions below.

The Soldier in the Water

1 Complete this sentence:

« If your pictures aren't __________ enough, you weren't ___________ enough. »

2  Why are Robert Capa's pictures of D-Day particularly important?

3 How does the narrator describe the conditions Capa experienced while taking his photographs?

4 What is the name of the soldier in the photo? How old was he and how much did he weigh?

5 How was Ed feeling when the photo was taken?

6 Where did he find protection?

7 Why doesn't he want to forget?

8 What is the photograph taken to represent now?

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Scroll down for the answers!






























































1 « If your pictures aren't good enough, you weren't close enough. »

2 No other photographer landed with the troops. Robert Capa was the only 

photographer that captured that initial landing on the beach.The first

confrontation with the enemy.

3 It's hard to imagine worse conditions for taking photographs. The unimaginable horror, confusion and fear - aside from just trying to survive.

4 Ed Regan, 22 years old and 120 pounds

5 Physically and emotionally spent (exhausted).

6 He got to the seawall after about 15 minutes in that position.

7 He sees his picture as representing all the GIs who landed on D-Day.

8  It symbolises the plight of any soldier in any water. One soldier against the enemy and the very real possibility of death. It's a powerful image of the experience of war.