LOS ANGELES — Veteran Los Angeles Times photographer Myung J. Chun was on assignment at the 94th Oscars on Sunday, capturing the show with three cameras from within the projection booth at the back of the house (along with about 10 other shooters from various outlets). About two hours in, comedian Chris Rock came out to present the award for documentary feature and made a joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith‘s nearly bald head. Chun was switching cameras during the next moment, which turned out to be the most harrowing in Oscar history.
“I always get a little squeamish when it’s a personal joke,” says Chun. “So I was like, ehhh. Going into this, I didn’t know about Jada’s condition (the actress suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune condition that can cause hair loss). So I didn’t know exactly why her head was shaved until later. But I still thought, ‘That’s a bit uncomfortable.’ ”
No one expected what came next. The shooter took that moment to switch cameras — just as a figure moved onto the stage.
