Comments for David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics http://www.david-campbell.org Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:09:40 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 Comment on Embedded in Afghanistan by David Campbell http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/05/22/embedded-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-398 David Campbell Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:09:40 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=620#comment-398 Gary Knight of VII Photo has written about the narrowing of the view effected by some stories from the Korengal Valley (see http://www.rethink-dispatches.com/essays/korangal-a-narrow-field-of-view/) -- it chimes with my original post. Gary Knight of VII Photo has written about the narrowing of the view effected by some stories from the Korengal Valley (see http://www.rethink-dispatches.com/essays/korangal-a-narrow-field-of-view/) — it chimes with my original post.

]]> Comment on Imaging Famine by ‘Imaging Famine’ « The Rights Exposure Project http://www.david-campbell.org/photography/imaging-famine/comment-page-1/#comment-375 ‘Imaging Famine’ « The Rights Exposure Project Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:46:57 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?page_id=38#comment-375 [...] a summary of the research project and additional links see David Campbell’s blog. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)30 Hour [...] [...] a summary of the research project and additional links see David Campbell’s blog. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)30 Hour [...]

]]> Comment on Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza by David Campbell http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/05/photographing-the-catastrophe-of-gaza/comment-page-1/#comment-374 David Campbell Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:06:03 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=660#comment-374 The continuing Israeli blockade of Gaza -- aided and abetted by Egypt's closure of the Rafah crossing - means that post-war reconstruction is severely hampered, as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/09/gaza-rebuilding-after-war" rel="nofollow">this report</a> from The Guardian's Rory McCarthy makes clear. However, Gazans are working around the absence of material from the outside world in their effort to reconstruct life. See <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jun/08/gaza-reconstruction-refugees" rel="nofollow">this video</a> for one family's story. The continuing Israeli blockade of Gaza — aided and abetted by Egypt’s closure of the Rafah crossing – means that post-war reconstruction is severely hampered, as this report from The Guardian’s Rory McCarthy makes clear. However, Gazans are working around the absence of material from the outside world in their effort to reconstruct life. See this video for one family’s story.

]]> Comment on Tiananmen’s other images by Rob Godden http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/comment-page-1/#comment-360 Rob Godden Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:06:15 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-360 Very interesting to look back at how the pro-democracy demonstrations in China were depicted at the time. For example, nearly all the published photos are of Beijing, despite the fact that large protests took place across China. This may partly be due to restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists at the time in China (restrictions that were famously relaxed during the recent Olympics - though imposed in Tibet in March after violent protests there). It may also say something about how widespread camera ownership was and the lack of digital technology at the time making such devices more common. Also, we rarely see photos of the violent clashes that took place between the protestors and the security forces / army. Despite the grossly disproportionate use of force by the Chinese authorities, there was violent resistance from protestors that saw many security personnel killed. However, I have rarely seen images of these. Whether this was because most of these violent events happened at night in dangerous circumstances, or that these were not the story the media wished to tell I am not sure? Another issue for me is the over use of the 'tank man' photo - iconic maybe, but what meaning has it acquired, and given that so little is known about the identity of the man (still the case I believe?), it is often given meaning that is at odds with what is known (i.e. when the photo was taken, what was happening at the time). I wonder how such events would be recorded today? I guess the protests by monks in Burma in late 2007 can give us some idea. Very interesting to look back at how the pro-democracy demonstrations in China were depicted at the time. For example, nearly all the published photos are of Beijing, despite the fact that large protests took place across China. This may partly be due to restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists at the time in China (restrictions that were famously relaxed during the recent Olympics – though imposed in Tibet in March after violent protests there). It may also say something about how widespread camera ownership was and the lack of digital technology at the time making such devices more common. Also, we rarely see photos of the violent clashes that took place between the protestors and the security forces / army. Despite the grossly disproportionate use of force by the Chinese authorities, there was violent resistance from protestors that saw many security personnel killed. However, I have rarely seen images of these. Whether this was because most of these violent events happened at night in dangerous circumstances, or that these were not the story the media wished to tell I am not sure?
Another issue for me is the over use of the ‘tank man’ photo – iconic maybe, but what meaning has it acquired, and given that so little is known about the identity of the man (still the case I believe?), it is often given meaning that is at odds with what is known (i.e. when the photo was taken, what was happening at the time).
I wonder how such events would be recorded today? I guess the protests by monks in Burma in late 2007 can give us some idea.

]]> Comment on Gaza: Israel’s mythical withdrawal by Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/04/25/gaza-israels-mythical-withdrawal/comment-page-1/#comment-359 Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:51:15 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=581#comment-359 [...] Whether what we did see was what we should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and here); [...] [...] Whether what we did see was what we should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and here); [...]

]]> Comment on Gaza: terror without mercy, in the shadow of the law by Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/04/08/gaza-terror-mercy-law/comment-page-1/#comment-358 Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:46:12 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=518#comment-358 [...] should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and [...] [...] should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and [...]

]]> Comment on Gaza, from the beginning by Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/01/27/gaza-from-the-beginning/comment-page-1/#comment-357 Photographing the Catastrophe of Gaza | David Campbell -- Photography, Multimedia, Politics Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:45:37 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=404#comment-357 [...] we should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and [...] [...] we should have seen (i.e., the strategy of catastrophization in Gaza I have posted on previously here, here and [...]

]]> Comment on Tiananmen’s other images by David Campbell http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/comment-page-1/#comment-356 David Campbell Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:09:06 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-356 The BBC has an excellent <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8078746.stm" rel="nofollow">audio slideshow on Tiananmen</a> that includes interviews with the protesters in 1989. The BBC has an excellent audio slideshow on Tiananmen that includes interviews with the protesters in 1989.

]]> Comment on Tiananmen’s other images by David Campbell http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/comment-page-1/#comment-353 David Campbell Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:47:03 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-353 On Slate.com a <a href="http://todayspictures.slate.com/20090604/" rel="nofollow">Magnum gallery of Tiananmen photographs</a> contains 27 images from May and June 1989. The pictures of Koichi Imaeda (numbers 16-19, 21-23) are particularly significant. On Slate.com a Magnum gallery of Tiananmen photographs contains 27 images from May and June 1989. The pictures of Koichi Imaeda (numbers 16-19, 21-23) are particularly significant.

]]> Comment on Embedded in Afghanistan by David Campbell http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/05/22/embedded-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-340 David Campbell Thu, 28 May 2009 19:23:16 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=620#comment-340 Reuters photographer Jorge Silva has been embedded with the Canadian military in Afghanistan. He discusses his experiences, and shows some of his work, in a post called "<a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/2009/05/29/showing-the-taliban/" rel="nofollow">Showing the Taliban</a>" One question for Silva's photos is — do they really show the Taliban? Who are the Taliban? Are the civilians pictured Taliban? Despite being good work, these images raise a lot of questions about what we actually see. Reuters photographer Jorge Silva has been embedded with the Canadian military in Afghanistan. He discusses his experiences, and shows some of his work, in a post called “Showing the Taliban”

One question for Silva’s photos is — do they really show the Taliban? Who are the Taliban? Are the civilians pictured Taliban? Despite being good work, these images raise a lot of questions about what we actually see.

]]>