DeeCee3
Established
Many of RFF's readers may find this INTV with Reza, the renowned NGS photographer, rewarding reading. It was conducted by Max Cooper (my son) on his blog.
http://darktopography.blogspot.com/2008/12/reza-darktopo-interview.html
And while you're there, look around the website.
dc3
http://darktopography.blogspot.com/2008/12/reza-darktopo-interview.html
And while you're there, look around the website.
dc3
usagisakana
Established
Was an interesting interview, thanks for sharing!
bmattock
Veteran
Poor man, born without a last name.
Tuolumne
Veteran
An amazing interview with an amazing soul. In an era when we talk about the "commoditization" of the image and the devaluing of the photographer, this is a wake up call for those with a true calling.
/T
P.S. Amazon sells the book at a substantial discount.
"The image is going to be . . . one of the main factors of change in the world."
"We know that a photo is important; we know that photos bring a lot of action and reaction, but what has been in the past 20 years—if it wasn’t for pictures, what would be the history of the humanity today? Nobody knows. But the people that have worked deep on photography, photographers, or picture editors, anybody that was involved in photography, like you, now you are involving—We know that it’s important and we’re doing something but we don’t know how big it is. And I think it’s very big. My feeling is that this is very, very big, but we don’t know, really."
"The impact, especially now, more from the individual journalist will come. The old media, somehow, are going to give away to a new type of media. Obviously, the Internet is going to play a very important role. I believe that the real democracy that you’re always talking about, everybody has a possibility to give his voice. This is what is coming up. So that’s what—I believe that, more and more, individuals are important. That’s why I’m putting all my energy in training people, not only in Afghanistan, but giving conferences, and materials, and talking to students in the world, because these are the ones that are going to change the world. Not CNN, not ABC news, or FOX, or whatever it’s called. The future is people like you, people that hold blogs, that became in their own way, using the internet—look at how Obama used the internet to be elected."
"It’s a job, but for me, photography’s not a job, it’s a way of life. It’s like breathing. It’s like, you know, if you don’t breathe, you die. And that’s what I do. I breathe with my camera, always . . ."
/T
P.S. Amazon sells the book at a substantial discount.
"The image is going to be . . . one of the main factors of change in the world."
"We know that a photo is important; we know that photos bring a lot of action and reaction, but what has been in the past 20 years—if it wasn’t for pictures, what would be the history of the humanity today? Nobody knows. But the people that have worked deep on photography, photographers, or picture editors, anybody that was involved in photography, like you, now you are involving—We know that it’s important and we’re doing something but we don’t know how big it is. And I think it’s very big. My feeling is that this is very, very big, but we don’t know, really."
"The impact, especially now, more from the individual journalist will come. The old media, somehow, are going to give away to a new type of media. Obviously, the Internet is going to play a very important role. I believe that the real democracy that you’re always talking about, everybody has a possibility to give his voice. This is what is coming up. So that’s what—I believe that, more and more, individuals are important. That’s why I’m putting all my energy in training people, not only in Afghanistan, but giving conferences, and materials, and talking to students in the world, because these are the ones that are going to change the world. Not CNN, not ABC news, or FOX, or whatever it’s called. The future is people like you, people that hold blogs, that became in their own way, using the internet—look at how Obama used the internet to be elected."
"It’s a job, but for me, photography’s not a job, it’s a way of life. It’s like breathing. It’s like, you know, if you don’t breathe, you die. And that’s what I do. I breathe with my camera, always . . ."
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bmattock
Veteran
Are you familiar with the term 'bulldada'?
Tuolumne
Veteran
bmattock
Veteran
A work which attempts to be serious, but is unintentionally hilariously ironic.
NIKON KIU
Did you say Nippon Kogaku
If you were writing stuff against a very nasty government(s), you'd skipped the last name too...
Kiu
bmattock
Veteran
Nh3
Well-known
I don't think irony can be hilarious.
Reza has a lot of guts and instead of enjoying the comforts of laughing at ironic images on the internet, his out in dangerous places working as a photographer. And he takes straightforward images unlike a lot of other pretentious photographers.
When you criticize a photographer, an honest and reasoned approach is always better than sarcasm or silly words such as 'bulldada', which I have never heard of before and I will never use.
bmattock
Veteran
Really? Well, it takes all kinds. I don't find all irony hilarious, but some of it definitely is, at least to me.
Do you suppose he does not enjoy any comforts of home, or that he does not laugh at irony from time to time? Do you suppose he is the only person out working in dangerous places? Does being a serious photographer with a serious message preclude pretentiousness?
Actually, I was not criticizing Reza's photography, or his philosophy. I was laughing at something else entirely.
Tuolumne
Veteran
bmattock
Veteran
I guess that just leaves me.
/T
No, not you either.
The irony (to me) is that while Reza's statements are earnest - and accurate - the words he used have been spoken before, in slightly different ways, by many photographers over the years. It is no criticism of Reza to notice that every generation is going to change the world. His talent is undeniable, his scope is inspiring, and his authenticity is beyond question. It is his philosophy is not new.
Again, not a criticism of him - just a recognition that every generation thinks they are here to fix everything. And that is both ironic and funny (to me). While all of use leave our mark on the world, and some more than others, the world changes us a bit more than we change it.
It's like watching kids today wearing peace-symbol tee-shirts and tie-dyed bandanas. I know some of them think they invented it...
Tuolumne
Veteran
Well, one of the things I found refreshing about the interview was Reza's total lack of cynicism about photography, a rare commodity today. Yes, it's been said before but its worth hearing again, as values that we cherish get tarnished with age. Who else but the young and naive to remind us of them?
/T
/T
bmattock
Veteran
Agreed, and agreed.