The War Photographer

Watching the documentary and seeing the scenes that Nachtwey photographs was emotionally draining. His subject matter is hard to be face to face with. I am so impressed by Nachtwey's ability to cope with the intensity of the injustice that he sees. It must be incredibly difficult to see these situations first hand. His work must be extremely invasive to his private life.

I really respect Nachtwey's determination in bringing these issues to the public eye, especially considering how difficult it must be for him to do so. One particular quote that struck me was that he is lonely because his experiences set him apart from everyone else. He made a point to mention that he feels it is important to document this history, and that the way that he reports history is the way that it will be seen. He also criticizes the difficulty in getting "important" photographs published in the popular media and believes that photography has the ability to evoke a sense of humanity in those who view it. I think that this is very true, and that it takes a special kind of person to be able to put themselves in these difficult situations in order to do what is right.

It was shocking to see how close Nachtwey physically gets to his subjects. I think that it is very true that his subjects need to accept and trust him. It is still amazing to me that some of the grieving women allowed him to come so close and photograph. It made me realize how dire the situations are in that wartime is different and photography gives these people a voice tha tthey wouldn't otherwise have. Nachtwey seems so sincere and calm that he is able to gain trust from his subjects. Even in his interviews, he has such a calm voice and overall attitude.

The documentary was a great contrast to the Sally Mann documentary. These two documentaries show the wide range of options in photograpy. There are so many different directions to take. Photography can serve many different purposes. Nachtwey makes a point to say that he does not necessarily want his photographs to be art, but rather to be a form of communication. Mann uses here photographs to document her family and to explore other issues close to home. The possibilities are endless.