Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 06:34 PM 15/02/00 -0800, Ted wrote: >John Collier wrote: > > >In the March issue of NG on page 25 is photographer Joel Sartore's diary on > >an assignment in Bolivia. After reading it, I am glad I am a mechanic / > >househusband! >> > >Hi John, > >Those guys and gals at NG aren't alone, as some of us on the LUG can make >their stories look like summer dreams. :) Ahh, yes, Ted. The dreamers and romantics..... Years of poverty and when you do "make it" you spend the rest of your life paying back everyone who got you through. You spend half you professional life away from home. You contract weird and wonderful diseases. You fight for contracts and copyright with everyone who is trying to rip you off. I, personally, have had malaria,dysentery and dengue Fever. I've been robbed by corrupt soldiers (and robbed by editors) Lost track of how many times I've had a gun held to my head. Watched colleague get beaten to a pulp and not been able to do a damn thing about it. Gotten drunk with Serbian soldiers just to make "friends". Been shot at in Sarajevo. Left stranded on the side of the road in Zaire. Had my Domke camera bag stolen by a 1000lb Harp seal. Had a led truncheon inserted between the 10th and 11th vertebrae by East German riot police... which I still feel to this day. Did I mention the tear gas and pepper spray? ...nasty stuff. Gotten a lung infection for burning toxic building materials. Been TOTALLY lost in north west Rwanda at night. Bribed some unknown guerilla force in Central Africa to get through a border crossing... still not sure which side he was on, but he had the gun and controlled that stretch of road so... ....and I have had it pretty easy compared to many. National Geographic shooters don't even come close to what the news guys go through. The famous ones from Magnum, Blackstar, Saba, et el who work for the big mags are the ones in the trenches. At least they get paid well and have some recognition but the "UNKNOWN" wire services guys do it day in and day out for very little pay and total anonymity. I know, the next question is, "...well, why do you do it?" Well 20 years in and I have to ask myself the same question. Maybe because it is a licence to see the world and poke my nose into other peoples business and tell some good stories.... but no one said it was going to be easy. .... and when it "works", there is no greater feeling. Greg Locke St. John's, Newfoundland locke@straylight.ca http://www.straylight.ca/locke - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Touched By Fire: doctors without borders in a third world crisis. http://www.straylight.ca/touchedbyfire.htm ISBN#0-7710-5305-3 McClelland & Stewart