New 50mm And Nachtwey

I picked up a new Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens for my camera the other day.  Its faster than my 18x200, that has been my travel lens of choice for many years.  The 50mm doesn't have a telephoto option, so it forces me to adjust my position relative to the subject, which is an added challenge for me.  With a telephoto lens I just zoom in or out as necessary, which is some respects has spoiled me a bit.

I watched James Nachtwey's War Photographer the other night and was dumbfounded firstly by his images, but moreover the amount of human suffering that he has borne witness to over his 25+ year career.  His compilation of work, Inferno, is filled with such tragic images that I could barley get through it without having to walk away and settle myself.  Nachtwey has reminded me of the immense human capacity for injuring and killing one another, and just how distant many of our lives are from the day-to-day suffering that occurs in so many places around or world.

Restraint

 A drainage cover on a Chicago street.  Not particularly interesting, but I like the colors.

I know an explosion when I hear one, and that was an explosion. Within a few minutes,  a wail of sirens in the distance as the firetrucks and ambulance approach.  My neighbor's car has spontaneously caught fire and clouds of black, greasy smoke rise above the rooftops.

My first thought is to drive around the block and ensure that everyone is alright, both my medical kit and my camera pretty much stay in my Jeep just for this reason.  When I arrive the fire department is already working on the car, and everyone, it turns out, is just fine.  I watch the blaze, instinctively wanting to reach for my camera but 'am halted by the fear of trampling on the sensitivities of my neighbor. I project myself into his place, how would I feel if my car were engulfed in flames and my neighbor was happily shooting photographs of it?  Yes, restraint is called for; I let my camera lie.

How is my neighbor any different than anyone else that I take photos of?  I make my way into their world, often uninvited, and proceed to shoot their moments of great emotion, loss, elation, pain, happiness, etc.  I'm not good at that, I believe that I'm far too sensitive of others feelings to impose myself.  This is why I would make a lousy photojournalist.

Photogs Up Close

 One of the really good things that has come out of my experience in Haiti is that I've had the opportunity to mingle with and observe dozens of professional photojournalists.  These guys and gals go out every day and document the thousands of stories, and then come back to the hotel and sit around the bar selecting, editing, and sending their work around the world.  It's been an unbelievable opportunity and privilege to watch this process up close.

As I sit here there are several photogs looking over their day's shots on small MacBooks, and editing in Photoshop.  They're serious and pensive within the process, and once the work is fed they grab a beer and relax for the remainder of the evening.  The ever-present question is how long they should stay, when does the story run out?

Here is what I've noticed from the photog community:

• Most use Cannon cameras, normally two, one slung on each shoulder
• Photo vests are for PSDs.  Security ruined the vests for photogs.  Now its backpacks.
• They all seem to edit in Photoshop
• There is not a lot of sharing or viewing other's shots, but they will show you if asked
• Way too much smoking going on during the editing process
• NGOs pay better than magazines
• There's a difference between shooting art and news
• During the moment, hold the hammers down, try to stay in composition and focus
• All have agents they send their photos through
• Macs are the laptops of choice
• Skype gets them back home at bedtime
• The average salary is extremely hard-earned.  This life comes at a price.

So Ya Wanna Be A Cameraman?

I play way too much with my camera

I'm in the wonderful position where I get the chance to watch correspondents, producers and cameramen work all day. I have to be honest and say that of the three the cameramen have the coolest jobs. Here are my thoughts on cameramen:

• When going out on an 'embed' with the military the producer and correspondent each have one bag, the cameraman has a bag...and 15 Pelican cases.

• Want to be a cameraman, learn Final Cut Pro. These guys and gals live on it. They know every shortcut key and all of the bells and whistles.

• There are cameramen that are technicians and others that are artists. Rarely will you find one that is both. Each have their value.

• Cameramen are all "gear queers". They love their "Gucci" pouches and bags. They're more attracted to good ballistic nylon than good glass.

• They work the longest hours by far.

• Cameramen love security because they know that while their eye is in the eyepiece that someone is watching their back.

• Cameramen have the best stories.

• The camera is like a rifle to an infantryman. It's never more than an arms-length away.

• All cameramen have a secret stash of bloopers on their MacBook Pros

No Pictures Here

Like many places in today’s worlds, taking pictures in Amman is not the easiest thing to do. People are suspicious of anyone with a camera. The average Jordanian is more accustomed to seeing assault rifles than he is a telephoto lens, and any westerner waiving one around is bound to attract unwanted attention. To be fair, I am staying at a hotel that was bombed a little over a year ago, so I can see why people might be more than a little security conscious.

Photographers continue to be easy targets for amateur security wonks. Anyone taking a photo of a building or a bridge must be a plotting terrorist, why else would they do it? I guess if I threw on a pair of plaid Bermuda shorts, knee-high socks, and hung a point-and-shoot around my neck that I would be better off.