we have read quite a bit in the "comments" about the "a good time was had by all" at this year’s Visa Pour L’Image (Perpignan)…and surely this was true….at least by most…however, this year’s photo fest, which celebrates conflict photography above all, was in fact, in itself, a scene of violence and death…
Jason P. Howe (above) author of "Columbia:Between the Lines" and veteran war photographer in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, was beaten senseless by five men as he left an evening slide show … he was heading to have a beer with us at the very Cafe Le Poste in this picture…he said "they just kept yelling "money, money, money" ..i would have given them whatever i had…but they did not give me a chance..they just attacked…all they got was my cell phone..it was all i had on me"….Jason also told me that in all of his years being in and out of ridiculously dangerous situations, this was actually the worst thing that had happened to him….
worse, 48 hrs before, and ironically in the very spot where Jason stands for this picture, a local teenage woman took her own life by jumping from the top of the Castillet crashing to the ground in front of the merry festival goers sitting at this most popular "people watching" spot…
war photographer Bruno Stevens who has covered conflicts in Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon etc. said to me "i have seen everything doing my work…dismembered bodies, death all around, yet what i saw right here at Cafe le Poste was far and away the worst thing i have ever witnessed in my whole life..i cannot get over it..i am truly shaken"…..
by all accounts , Perpignan is a quiet, charming, peaceful town in the south of France by the sea…friendly locals who will remember you from year to year….good food and wine…and home of surely the very best photojournalism festival in the world…i would recommend it to anyone who may want to have documentary photography in their life…and i will return and walk without fear in the streets day or night…
but this year was a grim reminder that LIFE HAPPENS everywhere, all the time…ironic and tragic that these events happened at this event, but none of us can be spared from the realities that surround us at all times…we cannot have the PROTECTION from life that we may fantasize…all of us try, all of us fail…
this is not the first irony for me involving life around Cafe le Poste…all of the best war photographers in the world were gathered on this very same spot on September 9,2001…i remember "shooting" a couple of tequilas with the war photographer of all war photographers Jim Nachtwey and all of the VII crew since they had just "launched" their agency…laughter, hugs, merriment….48 hours later Jim watched the second tower of the World Trade Center come down on top of him and i watched it from 15 blocks away…the weather that day was perfect….
life is fragile…fleeting….never to be taken for granted…no matter how sunny the day or how good the wine….does this story sound pessimistic coming from me?? i hope not….i am always optimistic by nature….my optimism comes from knowing about the fragility of life….knowing that i should always enjoy every moment given to me and that every moment is special…i do not live in fear….
what about you?? where does your "reality check" kick in?? do you "fear the worst" or do you "expect the best"???
loose might also mean being yourself .. respectfully.. to everyone, even people you would not usually meet.
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401 (just to turn the page!)
Yeah, but being loose humanly is a bit different from being loose, taking a shot. Many great portraits were taken at an off moment between subject and P. (again, HCB as an example and his portrait of Pierre and Marie Curie. Before being introduced as they had just opened the door)
thats true..
within my own work doing portraits it has often been the free moment which produce the work.
i used to work hard at contriving a certain response from teh subject.. and then i worked hard at catching memorable moments which were either side of the shoot time..
my fav is the beech portrait of danny rampling shot in itally – the last two frames of the film.. and undoubtedly one of the best portraits i’ve achieved..
herve – do you have more of your work online? it’d be cool to see :o)
Hey All,
I finally figured out how to negotiate DAH’s site! Don’t know why it took me so long to get to the meat of the melon.
Anyway, great workshop/party last night David! There was some strong student work, lots of interesting folks and the contrast between Bruce Gilden’s presentation and Eugene Richards couldn’t have been starker- highlighting the breadth of possibilities out there.
I actually have an update on Jason P. Howe. He just stayed with me here in NYC for three days. His face is almost completely healed, his spirits are high, and he’s up on a farm for two weeks working on an outline for an autobiography he has been asked to pitch. We’re having a book-signing party for him on Monday, September 29th, at my friend’s place in the Lower East Side, GalleryBar. It’s the same place Ashley Gilbertson did his book launch and incredible exhibition.
Jason jokes that the beating was the best possible thing that could have happened in terms of getting the attention of photo editors.
Anyway, for those who haven’t already seen it, I put up a pretty extensive post about Perpignan on the Slideluck Potshow Network site:
http://slideluckpotshow.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2028077%3ABlogPost%3A17969
Enjoy!
Casey
hi david, remember us from tailand..
jason was just at our home for dinner around Aug 20th
amazing that you guys meet and you post this…
life is very fragile, we are constantly reminded here in SL.
what to do? live in the moment, i guess.
naz and dom
Nice article. Let me introduce you to the online fashion magazine that I run. Its called Fashionora.com. Would you be interested to visit and leave your valuable comments
To me, life on Earth – the one planet in the universe that supports it – has been ‘nothing short of a miracle’ in every moment from the start. The probability of it ever having happened is close to zero and each of us is lucky to be alive. It is precious in each moment and easily taken for granted.
On the other hand, from the moment we are born, we are destined to die – it is only a matter of time – and the thought of another day can feel like an impossible burden at times.
Thankfully, my ‘positive’ side continues to prevail and I’d like to see it out to the end, whenever and however, that moment may arrive.
I wonder if all the war, destruction and suffering we experience – whether first hand or through newspapers or on TV – is causing a depression that is in a process of ‘going global’ and translating into ‘recession’… slightly ‘off the topic of this thread’ and yet related – if on ‘the global’ rather than the ‘individual’ level…
Keep smiling all!
Jenny :-)
I am not a frequent reader of this blog. But I find this blog post and the comments here are really enlightening. I aspire to be a documentary photographer but recently I am into severe trouble and this makes me feel frustrated. As if I would not be able to achieve my goal.
However after reading all this I am feeling a renewed strength and will to fight it back.
Thanks to you all!!
Santanu
I am not a frequent reader of this blog. But I find this blog post and the comments here are really enlightening. I aspire to be a documentary photographer but recently I am into severe trouble and this makes me feel frustrated. As if I would not be able to achieve my goal.
However after reading all this I am feeling a renewed strength and will to fight it back.
Thanks to you all!!
Santanu