Comments on: The Humanitarian Photographer http://www.dissentdecree.net/2010/06/12/the-humanitarian-photographer/ Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:09:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Mike http://www.dissentdecree.net/2010/06/12/the-humanitarian-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-1278 Mike Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:14:33 +0000 http://www.dissentdecree.net/?p=997#comment-1278 Don: Thanks for your comments. Your points are thoughtful and well taken. I agree that professionals deserve fair compensation for their work. Likewise, I believe most humanitarian and documentary photographers are well intended and try to work with integrity. I also believe it is important to report war, injustice, poverty and suffering and tell the stories of those who are helping make things better. However, there is so much of this coverage that more and more people are tuning it out as background noise and compassion fatigue is common. Each day the media delivers more grim news, more body counts, more harrowing stories. And to what end? For all this information (news?) there is still no peace in the middle east. Wars continue to rage around the world. Intolerance, corruption and injustice are rampant. And everyday we can expect to learn of yet another terrorist attack, plane crash or natural disaster. I wonder about the photographer(s) so eager to travel half way around the world to get the important story or to encourage relief efforts while they miss or ignore the important story just around the corner. Photographers must ask themselve hard questions about whose interests they are really serving? Whose truth(s) are they telling? Why? And who does their work really benefit and enrich? The answers aren't always comforting or simple. Don: Thanks for your comments. Your points are thoughtful and well taken.

I agree that professionals deserve fair compensation for their work. Likewise, I believe most humanitarian and documentary photographers are well intended and try to work with integrity. I also believe it is important to report war, injustice, poverty and suffering and tell the stories of those who are helping make things better. However, there is so much of this coverage that more and more people are tuning it out as background noise and compassion fatigue is common.

Each day the media delivers more grim news, more body counts, more harrowing stories. And to what end? For all this information (news?) there is still no peace in the middle east. Wars continue to rage around the world. Intolerance, corruption and injustice are rampant. And everyday we can expect to learn of yet another terrorist attack, plane crash or natural disaster.

I wonder about the photographer(s) so eager to travel half way around the world to get the important story or to encourage relief efforts while they miss or ignore the important story just around the corner.

Photographers must ask themselve hard questions about whose interests they are really serving? Whose truth(s) are they telling? Why? And who does their work really benefit and enrich? The answers aren’t always comforting or simple.

]]> By: don http://www.dissentdecree.net/2010/06/12/the-humanitarian-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-1277 don Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:38:41 +0000 http://www.dissentdecree.net/?p=997#comment-1277 Without a doubt all photographers and i feel any professional should have some ingredient of intentionality self examination. however i think it might be short sighted to assume there is something wrong with being paid to photograph the harsh realties of life. As a photographer that has traveled the globe photographing the work of Non-Profits i can tell you i could have made more money staying at home photographing weddings and head shots for would be actors then i ever could have made on my paid assignments with non-profits. Which by the way, Non-Profits while they scream and cry for money are doing just fine. It should be noted that most of the photographers i know that shoot for NGO's are often seldom paid. The do this work because they care. Yes there are the parasites out there, but its been my experience that often times its the directors and staff of the NGO that have more issues then the photographer. Without a doubt all photographers and i feel any professional should have some ingredient of intentionality self examination. however i think it might be short sighted to assume there is something wrong with being paid to photograph the harsh realties of life. As a photographer that has traveled the globe photographing the work of Non-Profits i can tell you i could have made more money staying at home photographing weddings and head shots for would be actors then i ever could have made on my paid assignments with non-profits. Which by the way, Non-Profits while they scream and cry for money are doing just fine. It should be noted that most of the photographers i know that shoot for NGO’s are often seldom paid. The do this work because they care. Yes there are the parasites out there, but its been my experience that often times its the directors and staff of the NGO that have more issues then the photographer.

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