[Leica] Salgado/Nachtwey

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Having finally acquired both Inferno and Migrations, and having spent a good
deal of time with both this weekend, a few thoughts -

If one reads the essays by the two photographers one is struck by how
similar their outlooks and views of their own self-proclaimed mission - to
bear witness and force society  to confront the evils that beset us;

I don't see how one can really look at Nachwey's work and come away saying
that he is removed from his subjects, somehow using or looking down on the,
trying to enhance his own reputation, etc. He is staring into the face of
misery, evil and death, and shoving it into our faces;

I would argue that while Nachtwey is the more impassioned of the two,
Salgado is the better artist. This is not to say that Nachtwey isn't a
really terrific photographer, in terms of how he frames, etc., etc., but
Salgado's work is definitely more technically impressive - but not so much
so that, as some have charged, the beauty of the work detracts from its
impact.

All in all, two amazing works by two of the outstanding photo
commentators/documentarians of our age.

B. D.