December 4, 2012

The front page of today’s New York Post shows 58-year-old Ki Suk Han pushed onto a subway track, “about to die.” The cover photo was shot by a Post freelance photographer who happened to be on the platform at the time.

Post freelance photographer R. Umar Abbasi — who had been waiting on the platform of the 49th Street station — ran toward the train, repeatedly firing off his flash to warn the operator.

“I just started running, running, hoping that the driver could see my flash,” said Abbasi, whose camera captured chilling shots of Suk’s tragic fight for his life. …

Abbasi said the driver saw his camera flashing but told him he couldn’t stop the train fast enough.

Abbasi’s online portfolio includes 24 images categorized as “photojournalism,” out of about 350 total. Other photos include animals, children, and many nude or “evocative” photos of female models.

He seems to have shot at least a half-dozen stories for the Post previously, but only since September. They include crime scenesapartments, and street activity.

Update: Abbasi has spoken about the incident in interviews with the Post and The New York Times — “Every time I close my eyes, I see the image of death.”

Warning: The front-page image appears below, don’t continue reading if you don’t want to see it.

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Jeff Sonderman (jsonderman@poynter.org) is the Digital Media Fellow at The Poynter Institute. He focuses on innovations and strategies for mobile platforms and social media in…
Jeff Sonderman

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