War Photographer

The documentary, "War Photographer," about James Nachtwey brought up many interesting points about the different career options a photographer has, some of the different ways photographers can work and how this career effects a photographer's personal life. As an aspiring photographer, I found this documentary particular interesting and useful in comparison to "What Remains", the documentary about Sally Mann, because Mann and Nachtway are both examples of successful career photographers who work in two completely different ways.

Both Mann and Nachtwey used their photography to respond to ideas and issues present in modern society. However, Mann's photography is more "art" than rhetoric, while Nachtwey considers his work more "communication" or documentation than art. Nachtwey decided early on that he was going to use photography to highlight issues in "hotspots" around the world. Unlike Mann, Nachtwey does not stay in one place but is constantly traveling and constantly putting himself in dangerous situations to do his job. Nachtwey made a concious decision to dedicate his profession and life to capturing the horrors of war and poverty on film. He aims to add humanity to war through his photographs, which he beleives is the antedote to war.

I can not praise Nachtwey enough for the work he does. His job is to go to places no one else wants to go, to show the rest of the world that at the heart of all of our global issues, actual people are suffereing in unimaginable ways. Obviously, his job often puts him in physical danger, but I don't think that is the hardest thing he does. I think the worst thing Nachtwey has to deal with is interacting and documenting the people whom tragedy immediately effects. All of the gorey images the documentary showed were very hard to see, but I the hardest thing for me to watch was the scene where the mother in Kosovo was grieving for her son at his funeral. If that scene had lasted any longer I would have had to leave the room. If this had such a strong impact on me, who was just watching the film, I can't image how Nachtwey must have felt and I think the fact that he was able to be calm, but not cold, is absolutely amazing.

I think it is also interesting to note that Sally Mann is able to create her amazing work because of her strong relationship with her family and because she is able to have a stable environment that allows her to work at her own pace. Nachtwey's situation is the opposite; he is able to work as he does because he has given up almost all luxuries of a personal life. I find both artist's work compelling and important in two completely different ways. However, I can't help being more in awe of Nachtwey because I think the career he has chosen is possibly one of the most important in the world. He has done everything possible to ensure that he work is successful, not exploitive and creates a voice for those who don't have the opportunity to speak for themselves. I don't think I could ever be selfless enough to do what he does.