The name "The Bang Bang Club" was born out of an article published in the South African magazine "Living". Originally named The Bang Bang Paparazzi, it was changed to "Club" because the members felt the word "paparazzi" misrepresented their work. The name comes from the culture itself; township residents spoke to the photographers about the "bang-bang" in reference to violence occurring within their communities, but more literally, "bang-bang" refers to the sound of gunfire and is a colloquialism used by conflict photographers.