A photo assignment. A camera. A photographer who decided to take photos of something that caught his eye.
The result: a series of photos that are sure to be shown for years as classics — a photodocumentary via the Boston Herald of a man getting an overdose of drugs — then dying:
I can’t believe I saw him die right in front of me.
I had just parked on Charles Street yesterday afternoon for a photo assignment at the Public Garden when I noticed three guys inside the park sitting in an oddly tight circle.
I had my camera on the seat next to me, so I took a look through the telephoto lens. One of the men was tightening a belt around his upper arm. Then I saw the needle.
I started taking pictures.
I couldn’t believe they were sitting there in broad daylight in one of the most beautiful places in Boston, shooting heroin. Families were walking by on both sides of them. Kids. A little girl walked by with a sun umbrella.
One of the men slumped backward onto the grass. At the time, I thought he had only passed out from the jolt of smack.
I found a manager at the Swan Boats dock and reported what I had seen. He said junkies had been an ongoing problem in the park and he’d call somebody.
What happened?
He later learned that the guy died. Read the WHOLE PIECE and BE SURE to click on THIS LINK to the Photo Gallery that will show you the whole amazing — and tragic — slide show.
PS: TMV in his other incarnation does a lot of anti-drug shows in schools. He’ll be mentioning this series of photos in all of them from now on.