This picture:

BBC In Pictures - Search for Haiti Survivors

Reminds me of this pack of war paparazzi. I’m well aware that coverage of disasters is chaotic and involves a huge crowd of reporters. Photojournalism isn’t just one photographer out in the middle of nowhere sending back photos, but it shouldn’t be a pack of hungry wolves descending on the latest victim to emerge from the rubble. The world needs to know about disaster and it takes an army of reporters to do that. The pictures from Haiti have likely been the a driving force behind the private and public relief donations. But… I can only imagine how much worse the woman’s disorientation and confusion was made by so many lenses stuck in her face. I get so depressed every time I see a goat fuck. (via Conscientious Redux)

From the sounds of it now, Haiti needs money more than it needs more people on the ground. I’ve read fresh water is running out. Lightstalkers has a bit more info from the ground. Thankfully, text message donations have raised over US$10 million.

Word now comes that (no surprise here) photographers in Haiti face shortages of fuel, water, housing, and food. Here’s an enlightening perspective on untrained volunteers coming to help in Sarajevo during the war and the undue burden they placed on the people they were trying to help.

The very first thing I thought of when seeing this picture was of course Alex Webb’s work in Haiti in 1994, which has multiple levels of importance for this discussion and shows the long oft-complicated relationship between the media and Haiti. Links to Magnum stories don’t seem to persist very well; go to the search page and pick Webb in the “include photographer” section and type “haiti” in as a keyword. Here’s one such photo:

HAITI. 1994. A photographer takes an exposure reading to shoot a photo of killed Aristide supporter. Alex Webb/Magnum Photos

I’m left wondering if there is a difference of context between photographs/photographing man-made disaster (i.e. war) and natural disaster? In some sense I’m less pissed off by this photograph above than similar images from wars, but I’m not sure why. I think it feels less like the photographers are over-inflating the importance of an event (turning something into a press conference) or setting up this scene (or that something is a show being performed for their lenses). It still turns my gut as a journalist (beyond the human level which is most queasy, though I think we sometimes need to repress this as journalists) that there is pack activity like this happening in such a horrible zone. As much as I understand it (these photographers are doing their jobs in my opinion) I still don’t like seeing the sausage being made, probably because I’ve been there myself.

Simply, this is another expression of age-old contradictions and discontents of journalism itself.

This also brings me to some interesting things happening on twitter expressing much the same emotions. Time Magazine’s Jay Newton-Small is sending out wrenching tweets while she is reporting in Port-au-Prince, including:

Haitians are furious w/ Americans & the West. They yell “fuck you” and “put down your camera & dig” when u drive by. (link)

2late, 2late, they say. I tell myself that i’m doing more good writing than digging, but it’s hard not to agree w/them. Heart wrenching (link)

@ dinner tonite yucky drunken US expats grilling steak & drinking beer, watching 100s of homeless victims sing their pain.THIS IS NOT A SHOW (link)

There will be much more to talk about on the issue of media coverage of this horrible disaster but I think we should wait until we are closer to a conclusion, there is too much more to be done right now. I wish all the photographers heading there (I hear from more everyday; and check out the #haitiphoto) the best and implore them to do honest and compassionate work.

(dual post by Matt and Scott)

100eyes - Haiti / William Coupon - Jacmel Portraits

For some cultural perspective on contemporary Haitian culture, 100eyes has a strong presentation of work by Alice Smeets, William Coupon, Edwine Seymour, Rex Curry, Jan Sochor, David Zentz, Aurora Photos, Polaris Images, and Andy Levin. Well worth a look.

By the way: Huffington Post has a huge round-up of ways to help the relief effort in Haiti.

Girls walk through a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti - December 2005.

“There is no one, nothing, no medicines,
no explanations for why my daughter is going to die.”
— Jeudy Francia, outside St. Esprit Hospital in Port-au-Prince, in the New York Times

Coverage of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has been ramping up as responders have been able to get a perspective on the tragedy. Of particular interest, the New York Times’ Lede Blog has been compiling breaking news (1: huge amount of info, still being updated, 2, 3) in addition to what can be found on twitter and other sources for news on the ground beyond what the paper’s own reporters send back. Lens has photos from Tequila Minsky, who was in Haiti when the quake struck, and some historical perspective by Maggie Steber, who’s heading to Haiti on assignment for the Times. The Big Picture has a huge selection of photographs showing the devastation. The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting has a special report on Haiti, “Despite Years of Crushing Poverty, Hope Grows in Haiti“, produced last year. And Mother Jones has a piece about the problems caused by looking at Haiti only after disaster strikes, focusing particular blame on the Bush Administration’s relationship with the country (via dispatches).

Additionally: Here’s 6 ways you can help by donating (via Luceo).

Benjamin Lowy / VII - Lit by a single ray of early morning sunlight, Afghan addicts smoke, freebase, and inject heroin in a basement room of the infamous Russian Cultural Center, home to over 200 drug addicts.

I’m usually wary of photo essays about poverty and drugs. Eugene Richards has unleashed a torrent of imitators, and the results are often voyeuristic and exploitative–unless there’s an underlying story, photos of depraved debasement do little more than serve as a vehicle for gawking at the unmentionables, grotesques without empathy. Benjamin Lowy’s “The Afghan High” does the opposite.

The essay presents Afghanistan’s drug culture and the government’s futile fight against the opium growers as facets of a complex international political issue with both compassion and journalistic distance. The portrait at the top of this post, for instance, portrays the man not just as a token drug user but instead as a thinking, emotive, whole agent caught in the middle of a bad situation. If the essay stopped with the drug users, though, its value and interest would have been lost. By including images of the government’s meager efforts to fight poppy growers, the essay becomes a powerful statement on the entirety of Afghanistan’s relationship with drugs. The last photo, especially, (sorry I can’t link to it) evokes an idea of just how ingrained drug culture is in Afghan culture: the poppy fields, which are the focus of strategic international maneuvering and the fate of which may determine the outcome of America’s military efforts, are a place where children play. Lowy’s control of light throughout the essay is breathtaking, as well.

Picture Black Friday

Picture Black Friday is a photojournalism project that aims to revisit and analyze a combination of forces- a worsening economy, financial desperation, excitement, fear, absurdity, and a distinctly American cultural tradition- that culminate the morning after Thanksgiving.

Having been on a couple Black Friday stakeouts too many, Picture Black Friday strikes me as a wonderful idea. Yes, the hordes of people lined up to buy a cheap laptop or Wii is part of the story, but much more happens the day after Thanksgiving. The project, which will be exhibited on Conscientious and Too Much Chocolate, hopes to get photographers documenting the day “on their terms”, independent (or not) of the usual consumerist portrayal.

(via Conscientious)

The Giving Beast by the Daily Beast

Rachel Hulin’s (blog) had a new project up her sleeves over the past couple weeks, in partnership with the Daily Beast. The Giving Beast, a partnership with Global Philanthropy Group and combining outstanding concerned photography with stories on philanthropic causes, has finally been unveiled. The site is impressive.

There’s a bit too much celebrity coverage (my usual complaint with the Daily Beast), that draws readers in. The case can be made that were it not for Oprah Winfrey’s or Angelina Jolie’s dogged devotion to international crises, even fewer Americans would donate to worthy causes.

The other story here, though, is the photography featured at The Giving Beast. So far, galleries feature the work of Carlos Cazalis, GMB Akash, Sarah Elliott, Suzy Allman, Will Steacy, Peter van Agtmael, Edward Burtynsky, Michael Hall, and VII’s recent coverage of violence against women in Congo. Great to see longer format work reaching a wide audience in this way.

100eyes: Breaking Ships Broken Men / Saiful Huq Omi

Andy Levin continues to one-up himself with each issue of 100eyes, which is now one of the leading publishers of photojournalism online. Take, for instance, the recent issue featuring exclusively Bangladeshi photographers. We all know Munem Wasif by now, but so many of the photographers presented here, with eye-opening documentary photography, need a wider audience. Remember all that hubbub a while back about cultural diversity in the photography industry? This is one of the answers.

From the introduction:

This issue of 100eyes shows a country as seen through the eyes of its own photographers. There is nothing remarkable about that, except in this case the country is one of the poorest nations in the world, known for being a subject for photojournalism rather than as a provider of photojournalists. Photographers flew into Bangadesh from New York, Paris, or London, that is, when they weren’t headed for nearby India. Photographers will still be flying to Bangladesh, including myself hopefully, but we won’t be alone.”

Georgian Spring / Magnum

I’ve been waiting for the Georgian Spring site to launch ever since the Magnum Stories rss feed dumped a ton of unexplained short videos into my reader. Turns out it’s an ambitious book project combining the work of 10 Magnum photographers: D’Agata, Bendiksen, Dworzak, Franck, Majoli, Parr, Pellegrin, Pinkhassov, Power, and Soth. Couldn’t ask for a better amalgam of contemporary photography. I haven’t gotten a chance to dive in to all the photos yet, but I’m excited from what little I’ve seen.

Olga, translator and student. Together with other people, since September 2008, Olga is taking classes at the Belarus Free Theatre to perform in drama theatre. Here during the final performance with other students, as ending workshop conducted by a British actress, invited by the Company. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

Italian photographer Alessandro Vincenzi wrote in to dvafoto to let us know about recent work of his work covering the Belarus Free Theatre, an underground theatre group that has survived over the past few years despite repeated harassment by the Belarussian government. The pictures are great, and the piece as a whole convey a sense of real energy and fun amid a backdrop of secrecy and political repression. From the artist’s statement, “Under the current political system the Free Theatre has no official registration, no premises, nor any other facilities. Rehearsals and performances (always free of charge for the public) are normally held secretly in small private apartments, which, due to security and the risk of persecution, must constantly be changed…[In] Belarus are state-owned, the directors and creative directors are appointed by the Ministry of Culture. The performances are censored and the programs are old. The Free Theatre wants to offer a modern alternative that discusses social problems with a degree of creative freedom. The prize that members of the Free Theatre have to pay for what they are trying to do is considerable; almost all the members of the ensemble have served time behind bars.” I sat down with Alessandro (over email, really) and asked him a few questions about the project.

Oleg during a performance in the house-theatre rented by the Belarus Free Theatre to have a space where to perform. Here during a moment of Discover Love, directed by Nikolai Khalezin that tells about a true history. Oleg is Anatoly, Irina's (Anna) husband, an important businessman supporting the opposition party that was kidnapped and killed. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

dvafoto: How did you get in contact with the theatre? Were they apprehensive about being photographed and (potentially) having their story presented to a wide audience (perhaps they’re worried about more government harrassment?)? What brought you to Belarus?

Alessandro Vincenzi: I had the idea since long to visit Belarus and I was looking for an original story to talk about the situation in the Country. There is not much information about what is going on in Belarus; it’s the last dictatorship in Europe and a place where the KGB is still exist, a place where the is no right of free expression.
As I did for all my reportages, also in this case there is a long research behind in the Internet, research that brought me to the Free Theatre. I came across to a video made by Swedish crew, a multimedia of performances from the Company and moment of protest and crashes between Government forces and supporter of the opposition party. Digging in the research I found the web site of the Company with contacts.
Paradoxically the international press gives them protection, more people know about their situation and the isolation that exists in Belarus and more difficult is for the Government to persecute their activities.

Public inside the house-theatre listening a reading from student of Belarus Free Theatre. Public is contacted by the company in a private and secret way the day before or the same day of the performance. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

Have you had any luck getting this story published? I see very little work from Belarus and it’s not considered a hot news location, so I imagine it’s difficult to get editors interested.

Right, very difficult. Many people that saw the reportage were impressed by the way that the subject was approached, by the originality of the story and by some very strong images, but haven’t been published yet. I think it’s pretty sad that we have to wait that something happen in Belarus, or in any other Country of the World, to give voice to people that have to struggle every day to carry on their daily life…the bell will ring when it will be too late.

Slideshow at the end of Discover Love, directed by Nikolai Khalezin that tells about a true history. The slideshow was aimed to awareness the public about the violation of human rights all over the world. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

You used to work for MSF, what led to your decision to become a photographer full time? How has the transition been?

Photography has been inside me since long, but probably I’ve never been brave enough to take the decision. The experience with MSF has been really important for me, for my personality, for the approach with people in general. I learned how to deal in situation of stress and how to mediate during difficult moments. It has been the most amazing experience that I had in my life, but during my last mission in Bangladesh I was looking at the patients and situations like a photographer and not as a humanitarian helper. It was not fair and respectful anymore especially for the beneficiaries but also for me. I couldn’t concentrate anymore on my work as biologist, so I decided was the moment to give a try to photography.

Yana Rusakevich, 32 years old studied at the Academy of Art of Minsk. During her studies and also after the graduation she worked at the Yanka Kupala Governmental Academic Theatre. Yana was one of the first actresses to join the Belarus Free Theatre in 2005 when was established. Few months ago she lost her job with the Yanka Kupala Company. Here preparing herself before a reading in the house-theatre. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

What projects are you working on right now?

The Forgotten Italians is still in progress. I’m looking for a sponsor to follow the route of the deportation up to Kazakhstan, place where the Italian minority was deported from Crimea in 1942, during the Stalin Dictatorship. The Belarus Free Theatre is also in progress as I have the idea to follow them during their tours in Europe.

Anna, Oleg and Pavel during a performance in the house-theatre rented by the Belarus Free Theatre to have a space where to perform. Here during a moment of Discover Love, directed by Nikolai Khalezin that tells about a true history. Anna is Irina, wife Anatoly (Oleg), an important businessman supporting the opposition party that was kidnapped and killed and Pavel is an agent of the Troupe of Death. Minsk, Belarus, April 2009

Check out the rest of Alessandro’s work at his website: http://www.alessandrovincenzi.it/

New York Times Assistant Managing Editor Michele McNally answered readers’ questions on nytimes.com this week as part of their series “Talk to the Newsroom”. There were many interesting questions and responses, some more pertinent to the broader readership than photographers themselves, but this question that I’m quoting here I think is a very nice roundup of why it is worth trying to do this work. And it is a nice answer I can give to the people who have been asking me about how to get started themselves, or what the hell I’m thinking as I try to do this myself.

Advice for a Young Photojournalist

Q. I’ve recently graduated from college and landed a job at a daily newspaper that just announced layoffs. Away from family and friends, I’d like to think this sacrifice is and has been worth where I hope my career heads. There’s a lot of talk and glorification of the past, but photographers and photo editors then were faced with tribulations as well. My question is, is what I am doing, my education, my push to learn and grow, is it all going to be worth it someday? Did you have doubts when you started your career?
— John Tully

A. Mr. Tully: It appears you are on the right track already. You are questioning your committment and if it is worth the sacrifice. You have already recognized that the career of a photojournalist is a difficult one personally, so you’ve got to love it. I really mean that. Clarify your mission and the purpose of your photographs. Figure out what you want to say, and how you can get better and better at saying it. Understand that it is a long journey … the cliché … it’s a marathon not a sprint, does hold true in the career of a photojournalist.

And a big mighty yes — it will be worth it. How fortunate we are to do what we do! The world is your doorstep. You can be smack in the middle of history, and you can make that moment tangible to viewers worldwide. You are invited into peoples lives every day. People will share their stories with you daily — locally or internationally and you can give voice to them. You will see and do more in a week than some people will experience in a lifetime. Pretty exhilarating to me. Doubts, questions, all good things. When answered, they give us clarity and focus, for a short time — because the people I admire are always pushing, never satisfied, and continually strive.

Good luck, Michele