Not only does Dan Budnik live with those images, he reprints them, makes albums from them and will now sell them on the Internet.
As a freelance photographer for Life magazine in the spring of 1965, Budnik came to Selma to work on an often-uncovered angle to the civil rights movement, but came away with a lot more.
"I convinced the editors of Life magazine to let me come to Selma to cover the white separatists," said Budnik, now 67. "They told me I would not be able to get the story and that no one in Alabama would talk to a photographer from New York."
When Budnik arrived on March 2, 1965 he found the atmosphere around Selma to be one of fear and uncertainty, festered by the recent arrests of black demonstrators.
"I was just amazed by the children of the movement," said Budnik. "They had taken the place of their parents and their older brothers and sisters."
Budnik, while looking through just a small number of the photos, could nearly name all the children within his photos.
"She is an absolute doll," said Budnik referring to a photo.
"After this photo he was drafted and went off to Vietnam and had a leg blown off," he said of another. "When he got home he died just a few years later."
Watching Budnik describe each photo you could see the pride he had, not only in the quality of photos, but in the people within each shot.
"There was a level of energy among these young people," said Budnik. "I love taking photos of situations that exist in such a high level."
Not married, but with one son who lives in London, Budnik has lived the last few years in California, New York and now resides in Tucson, Ariz.
"I have come to Selma I think three times since 1965," said Budnik. "Each time I come back I am able to meet people who were part of the march and part of the movement."
While he was able to fulfill his assignment of talking to the white separatists, led by then Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark, his story never ran in the pages of Life.
"I left Selma just a few days before Bloody Sunday," said Budnik. "So Life was able to send me back to cover the aftermath."
Budnik said the next four Life covers consisted of stories covering the movement exploding in Selma.
"By the time my photos were scheduled to run, the editors said the story was over-saturated and cancelled the story," said Budnik.
Beginning Monday, a portion of Budnik's work featuring his photos of the children and other participants in the march from Selma-to-Montgomery march will be on display at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. The name of the exhibit is "Recalling the Dream."
One of the children, whom Budnik met in 1965, was 11-year-old Joann.
"She was a bundle of energy," said Budnik. "She
definitely made an impression on me."
That Joann, is now National Voting Rights Museum and Institute
volunteer Joann Bland.
Today Bland has one of Budnik's pictures made into a full poster and hanging behind her desk.
Beginning Friday, some prints of the pictures taken during the march will be put up for sale online at www.GreenMarketplace.com.
A portion of the proceeds raised by the sale of photos, at a cost of $800 each, will go to the National Voting Rights Museum. Budnik said 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated.
According to a postcard released by Budnik on the upcoming
sale says: "Each 8x10 (matted 11x14) museum-quality gelatin
silver print sold will raise funds to support the tiny National
Voting Rights Museum in Selma."
Back to We're in the News