Today it's three years ago the tsunami hit South East Asia. Let me state in the first lines here that I don't ancourage people to indulge in sorrow or regret over things that have happened.
It's not a post about lighting candlelights and sit around and cry about stuff.
Also, I'm not a fan of the way photographers and the press cover catastrophes. They happen to be good business for the media why "professionally" they love them, but as humans, they of course "feel for the victims."
Thus we get this weird duo-pole business of "one year after," "five years after," "ten year after" media coverages of September 11, tsunamis, hurricanes, bombs, wars and stuff.
It's not easy to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with media coverage of catastrophes. It's the focus on the worst parts, the photograph of the dead kid – which may very well have happened and have happened in exactly the way covered – but at the same time omitting all the ones that survived and all the places where nothing dramatic happened.
I know of war photographers who really want to put the worlds attention on the things happening in Darfur, and in doing so they try to provide strong, artistic photographs that will really become history, perhaps even photograph of the year.
Those photos in them self seldom change things on a broad scale.
In short, I think this year World Press Photo nailed our current society:
It's the latest winner, the 2006 winner, Spencer Platt (Getty Images), showing young Lebanese drive down a bombed neighborhood in southern Beirut in their cabriolet car, wearing 'the Paris Hilton gear,' with disgusted expressions, taking photos with their cell phone.
It's the best press photo of the year I've seen for many years. Perhaps the only one I ever agreed with, to put it that way.
Sometimes the media coverage of catastrophes (putting video and photo and written word into context) starts something constructive instead of just creating apathy about how terrible the world is. The coverage of September 11 did that, so did the coverage of the hurricane Katrina in the US where even celebrities left their Bel Air neighborhoods to go and do something personally.
Not as a PR stunt, but because they really felt they had to do something about it.
For my own part, the coverage of the tsunami in December 2004 made me feel I had to do something. I remember sitting in my kitchen early morning at 04.00 December 27, looking at a photo that just couldn't leave me.
In the next days I had friends leaving to help and I remember walking through my just then renovated new offices, the sun shining in, thinking what a striking contrast between ideal world and catastrophe.
I should go. And so I did.
The rest is history. The plan was not to go there and photograph and document but to help in any way that was needed. When I arrived it turned out documenting was in high demand. People worked day and night, mostly financing it themself, and for me it was easy to see that no one in the world would believe these efforts was being done – or would later be able to believe such efforts had ever been done – if it wasn't being documented.
For the short run it was a matter of being able to rely the story to people elsewhere in the world that something was being done about it, show them the scope of it. So that some would come and help, others would fund it.
When I came home and tried to let others use my stories and footage, I learned they just didn't get the story. So I did slideshows, a website, a DVD and a book myself. And the book I decided to give away as a free eBook.
I learned a lot in the month I was in SE Asia. About photography, but more interestingly about some proud people who wanted to be called survivors rather than tsunami-hit. They hated to hear people refer to their temporarily tent homes as 'refugee camps' because they were not refugees.
They were survivors.
And all their efforts were aimed at bringing back life to the nornal for the survivors. Get the kids to school, get the train running again, get houses rebuild, etc.
Anyway, the story is on the website and in the book. If you cry when you see it, hopefully it's because it is not a demonstration of how cruel and hopeless the world is, but on the contrary how good it can be when someone decide something can be done about it.
For my part, I believe an aesthetic picture of survival brings about a better person, able to help others, instead of a terror photo that puts the viewer in a state of apathy.
Both have impact, which is what we, from a limited view of a photographer, want to create.
One just have to make up ones mind about the desired effect one want to create.
There aren't enough of you. It is wonderful to think that so much good can come of something bad and to be apart of the happy times these people have now is a blessing for everyone involved especially for you to be able to see it and make it happen. Screw the photos, really, though they are beautiful. Life makes photography wonderful, so all our wonderful moments create it. Excellent work, Mr. Overgaard! -CAC
Posted by Martin Bri... on December 26, 2007 2:34 PM
I really think that most good PJ's have the heart in the right place and are not in it for fame. If you don't, I think it'll shine through the images. Great stuff from Jan Grarup! I really like many of the danish PJ's and I also like Paolo Pellegrin and Alex Majoli a lot.
Thank you so much for the very kind words, Thorsten. Getting that from a working photojournalist is always a real compliment. :) I started shooting in 2005, and the oldest photo in my uber portfolio is just from 2006. Definitely hoping to be even better in years to come! Thanks once again, and cheers from Indonesia!
Well, you're simply the most talented guy I've seen in a long time ... or longer. You're basically at a level where the only thing you should aim at developing is the message. What do you want to tell with your pictures. And I hope you don't go the "World Press" way with hopelessness but go for a the message of life, spirit and hope.
Hi, I have been watching your photography work for a bit and I really like them because it is rare from a professional photographer to shot real people with real emotions especially from famous people.
Hey Thorsten. I bought myself a used Leica R4. Now I'm in the R gang too. Part of this is because of your influence. The camera isn't in perfect condition, but it was affortable. I'll run a test roll thourgh it and probably use it for a reportage on Sunday.
Feels nice. Summicron 50/2 looks good and I hope it comes up to expectation. Should be pretty similar to M.
So well, now I am even more a red-dot elitist. But I don't care, I use other cameras too, Leicas are just good. Form a first glance I think that R is largerly underrated.
Chris will be green of envy ;-) and that's his own damn fault ;-)
The R4 is actually a nice camera and a nice size and sound. And it's easy to get one as many were produced and it is said to have a "faulty electronics." (Which mean that some R4 go dead, but I've never had any problems with mine).
You can probably find an inexpensive winder or motor to go with it. Gives an even better hold on it and balance.
The 50mm f/2.0 is reputed to be one of the best 50mm lenses in the world. And still is. I find 50mm a bit dull as I prefer 80mm mostly - but I must admit I'm blown by the quality of the Summicron 50mm f/2 when I use it.
Yes, sure. Electronics. A photographer I know, which has anything from Leicaflex to R8..., told me: look my brand new R4 went dead pretty soon. If you buy an R4 now, it most probably has survived. A visual check shows that mine works, a couple of films will tell.
As much as I love M... this R is nice. Leicaflexes are very expensive and in any case, having an electronic SLR with good exposure is pretty nice. Working with flash is easier too.
The R4 is the smallest of the series, this is also why I have chosen it. The only thing I miss is the 1/2000", which would allow me to open my lens more. The camera fits well in the hand.
80mm is nice for reportage, concert photos. I like the 50, but sometimes you can't get near enough or you need the tele-effect.
I pretty much like the 90/2 with its fancy retractable lens-hood. Probably if I find myself using the camera, I'll look for one.
I'll blog about the camera probably!
So when you come to Italy or I go to Denemark, we will have even more material for a chat, hah!
PS: I so much wished Leica would introduce a new digital back: it would keep the R system alive (no, I don't want a full digital R camera). Imagine a full-frame module! Slap it in for some newspaper work and put your slide or b&w film in when you can have more time for your images.
thanks for the comment. My M8 is MOSTLY a camera for personal work, so no backup unfortunately. I use Canon's for work...the minute either Leica or Mamiya release a digital rangefinder with 16-22mp, I'll ditch my Canon setup....
Impressive work, nice gallery. I'm new to uber and your blog is great, hopefully I'll add some photos representing my country soon. I like your style as a documentary photographer, very informative and beautiful.
Actually I haven't used the FED camra for a long time. Shooting digital now. It's too expensive for me to work fully with film and there's no proessional places to develope or print. So, I chose digital. Thanks. But the place is indeed interesting for photographing, for living it might be a bit harsh.
Thank you so much for sharing! I agree about falling in love with your tools and staying in love with photography. I use new and old school tools. I have nice DSLR's and a point and shoot I carry all the time and old rangefinders, twin lenses - they all have good things I love about them. Sometimes you have to make choices according to situations - when I go on trips - especially overseas, I have to be really efficient and thoughtful. I will check back for you new works. Thanks,
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are you ready for this, i finally found out what was going on with mike and his younger brother andrew. remember how they never had girlfriends up until this past year, now they are with different girls weekly, well i am the only one who has proof on what happened. they both have been taking enlarge pills from http://www.bolinu.com for many months now, i found 7 empty bottles under mike's bed and he caught me, forced me to promise i would never tell anyone about the pills. well i told dave about them 2 months ago, he ordered 6 bottles from http://www.bolinu.com and now he too is a ladies man overnight. none of these guys talk to me anymore so now i can tell you all about the pills and living proof that they work, they even guarentee your money back 100% if they don't work on you. go now to http://www.bolinu.com
