Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Nachtwey
From: Robert Appleby and Sue Darlow <laintal@tin.it>
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 08:13:57 +0200

>>>>>>>>>
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