REPORTAGE

The most important work that I’ve created, in photogaphy or film, has been when standing in the midst of those suffering under duress, under personal hardship, in some of the harshest regions on earth. It’s taken me a long time to understand my role as a photographer, at a time when the world is saturated with images – that it’s much more important for me to listen and to hear… what it is I should see.

As a photographer my work, my approach and… the way I see, has evolved over the years – a consequence of standing face to face with endless scenes of natural and human tragedy, of sickness and struggle, the unfair sharing of the worlds riches like clean water to drink, and a bit of food to eat – having spent time crying and laughing, with both the hope less and the hope full. Being prepared for anything, then hearing a hungry child cry… and realizing I was prepared for nothing.

In 1999/2000 I prepared to leave for the first of countless assignments to Ethiopia, to confirm reports of famine showing its face in the southern Ogaden. I was thankful to recieve a bit of wisdom in how to handle photographing those caught in the tight grip of famine – struggling day by day to survive in a remote strip of desert.

*A one-time meeting with Sebastião Salgado – he shared with me... “don’t let photography or yourself get in the way.. it’s their message and even in tragedy they own their story.. respect this… “

*A friend in pre-eminent photojournalist D.Burnett shared.. “Do your research and place yourself at the stories crossroads – let instinct guide you, and shoot from the gut…”

A photographer with a vision - twenty years of assignments would follow.