Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>>>>>>>> Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 15:50:17 EDT From: ARTHURWG@aol.com Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Nachtwey Message-ID: <9d.74bdea0.26890df9@aol.com> References: Selling one's soul to the devil... was a refrence to what some people will do to achieve success. By most accounts, Nachtwey is the most successful living photojournalist. Is it fair to say that he got there on the backs of the dead, the dying, those who endured the most horrible suffering? It sort of reminds me of the Rolling Stones' "Sympath for the devil." And do you really think that one photo, or a thousand, can alter the course of history or save even one life? It's a nice idea, but I don't think it works. Arthur <<<<<<<<<<< Arthur, forgive me, but that's absurd. As a business plan, making a fortune by photographing in such dangerous situations wouldn't get you a loan from the bank. I don't know if anyone is a war photographer on this list, I'm certainly not, but I really don't think anyone in photojournalism would say that Nachtwey somehow clawed his way to the top over heaps of corpses. Photographers who are interested in prestige do advertising or soft porn, not wars. As for the course of history, it never gets altered, it just goes where it goes. But in the past, Vietnam is the most significant example, pictures did have an impact. Now, I doubt it. There are just too many pictures and too much information. Ciao, Rob. Robert Appleby and Sue Darlow Via Bellentani 36 41100 Modena Italy Tel/fax [39] 059 303436