World War II photographer David Douglas Duncan dies at 102

PARIS – David Douglas Duncan, who helped change the role of war photography by exposing the anguish of soldiers in Korea and Vietnam, has died at age 102.

Duncan died in a French hospital Thursday from complications from a lung infection, according to Jean-Francois Leroy, director of the Visa pour l'Image photography festival.

A close friend of Picasso, Duncan also used his photos to chronicle the artist's life and work. Duncan's images of the 1968 Democratic and Republican conventions and how they represented America were also widely celebrated.

Yet Duncan's most influential work was as a combat photographer. Instead of portraying soldiers as heroes, he portrayed them as ordinary humans, tormented or courageous on the battlefield, exhausted or fearful behind the scenes.

Duncan's archive is held at the University of Texas at Austin.