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Imagine: Reflections on Peace

In Ethics on November 4, 2020 at 6:15 PM

Photograph by © Jack Picone

Alice Mukarurinda and Emanuel Ndayisaba. Ndayisaba admits to killing dozens of people during the genocide. Alice is one of his victims, left for dead in a swamp after he cut off her hand. 

Thu 15 Oct 2020 04.00 EDT

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda, a new project and book by the VII Foundation, Imagine: Reflections on Peace shows the difficult work being done to break cycles of conflict in each country’s recent history. Survivors and photographers who witnessed events during and after the dark times, tell their stories.

The project is conceived to encourage discourse and conversation around peace-building and ending conflict. It is an initiative of The VII Foundation, which was established in 2001 to challenge complex social, economic, environmental and human rights issues through documentary non-fiction storytelling and education.

“When battlefield prowess and political manipulation are not enough to achieve peace through victory, we summon our best and brightest to negotiate an end; we celebrate peace settlements; and we give prizes, if not to victors, then to visionaries. We exalt peace as a human achievement, and justly so. But the reality of peace is flawed. The rewards of peace are elusive for the men and women who live in the post-conflict societies of our time. Why is it so difficult to make a good peace when it is so easy to imagine?”

“In 1994, as Rwanda was in the throes of genocide, I illegally crossed the Ugandan border to document one of recent history’s darkest events. I documented a broken country gouged, burnt, scarred and littered with corpses.”

“Twenty-five years later, I revisited Rwanda and found a very different country. A country that carries the genocide with it in its collective memory but refuses to be defined by it. Instead, Rwandan people have been transformative and accomplished the impossible, turning the darkness of the genocide, into light.”

~ Jack Picone

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Dzemil Hodzic | Bosnian Survivor

In Ethics, Photography, Random Moments on August 14, 2020 at 3:28 PM

‘A camera doesn’t lie’: Documenting besieged Sarajevo

25 years on, a Bosnian survivor is on a mission to keep memories alive with his Sniper Alley project.

Rewriting history has become commonplace within a contemporary context but not if Dzemil Hodzic is going to have anything to do with it.
Dzemil is using still photographs [ SniperAlley Sarajevo ] from photojournalists who covered The Siege Of Sarajevo to counter revisionists fictional writings that are masquerading as fact.
Read Mersiha Gadzo heartbreaking tale of two brothers here. One can’t not be emotionally wounded after reading Dzemil’s tale of his older brother Amel’s death at the end of a snipers bullet delivered squarely to his chest.
Dzemil’s and Mershia’s account is accurately written for posterity. It counters the revisionists’ versions that perpetuate untruths, and are drowning in political malfeasance.

 

The view from my room at The Holiday Inn. Sarajevo 1995.

Avoiding Serb sniper fire by taking the back streets to school. Sarajevo 1995.

[Jack Picone] DO NOT USE
Under Serb sniper fire, mother and child run for their lives along ‘Sniper Alley’ in Sarajevo in 1995 

 

 

 

IMAGINE: REFLECTIONS ON PEACE

In Ethics, Photography, Photography News on August 8, 2020 at 8:15 AM

For students of politics, history, philosophy, or anyone interested in a more comprehensive understanding of the opposing forces of war and peace and how peace can prevail; the book, IMAGINE: REFLECTIONS ON PEACE will be published on October 6th, 2020.

IMAGINE is an initiative by VIIF Foundation;


“This book is dedicated to those who are living in war while imagining peace, and those who are brave enough to build it.”
IMAGINE focuses on six distinct countries—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda—to illustrate the difficult work being done to break the foundational cycles of conflict and violence that have marked each’s immediate history.
IMAGINE provides a provocative and thoroughly insightful look at not only what the peace process means to each individual and community, but also (and maybe most importantly) the nuanced, hard-won lessons behind what it means to actually build peace.

Photographers

Gary Knight: Cambodia (Wartime and Post-War)
Stephen Ferry: Colombia (Wartime)
Ron Haviv: Bosnia and Herzegovina (Wartime and Post-War) Roland Neveu: Cambodia (Wartime)
Jack Picone: Rwanda (Wartime and Post-War)
Nichole Sobecki: Lebanon (Post-War)
Nicole Tung: Iraq and Syria (Wartime and Post-War)

Journalists
Jon Lee Anderson: Colombia Martin Fletcher: Northern Ireland Anthony Loyd: Bosnia
Jon Swain: Cambodia
Robin Wright: Lebanon

“These searing images and moving essays teach us much about the lessons of history, the costs of war, and the overlooked challenges of achieving lasting peace. The honesty and introspection of the contributors also reminds us that the gaps that exist between peoples can be bridged; wounds can be healed; hatreds can be dissolved; and the once unthinkable can become reality — if there is a willingness to pursue dialogue and embrace our common humanity. Imagine: Reflections on Peace is a timely and important call to action.”

— Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State

~

Fujifilm’s New X-T4

In Ethics, Kathmandu, Photography, Photography News, Random Moments, Street Photography, Workshop News on August 3, 2020 at 7:25 PM

A special collaboration with Fujifilm Cameras

Story from Australia’s Better Photography Magazine’s Editor, Peter Eastway.

All photographs were taken © by Jack Picone during
cremations at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.
JACK PICONE: FAST, FLUID AND INTUITIVE
Fujifilm’s Amazing New X-T4

What does it take to be a successful documentary photographer?

Apart from the skills required to find and capture the images, most of the better- known documentary photographers you’ll meet are also deeply-thinking individuals. For them, photography is only a part of their personal involvement with the world – how they interact with their subjects is equally

important.

 

 

 

 

Jack Picone

Australian-born Jack Picone shoots editorial, corporate, architectural and street photography professionally. Over the past three decades, he has covered wars and social issues in Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe, and his work has won several international awards, including World Press Awards, the U.S. Photographer of the Year Awards (POY) and the Mother Jones/IFDP Grant for Social Documentary Photography. Professor Picone is also passionate about educating new generation photographers, passing on his experiences and ideas, but after all, this, what continues to drive Jack are his personal projects.

“Generally, my personal work is street photography and currently I’m working on ‘The Other Chinatown’in Bangkok and a surreal shopping mall rooftop zoo, also in Bangkok, called ‘Pata Zoo’.“

While Jack acknowledges challenges that all documentary photographers face – finding stories, access to subjects, engaging with subjects and obtaining permissions, it’s the nature of the interaction that is most important to him.

“I find it challenging to achieve an ethical balance with the people I document in longer-term documentary photography projects.” In other words (and at the risk of over-simplifying the issue), a wealthy first-world photographer documenting a poorer or disadvantaged subject creates an immediate bias, no matter how genuine the project is.

Collaboration

“I have partly surmounted this challenge by collaborating with the people I photograph”, explained Jack.

“I once read that it is impossible (without getting into the subject’s skin) to share an identical purpose. That said, and as Sarah Pink (in Doing Visual Ethnography, 2007) observes, working in close parallel can help to offset the unequal power relationship that often exists between a subject and a practitioner, resulting in a body of work that is more ethically balanced.”

Unobtrusive

Readers looking at Jack’s work (and that of other great documentary photographers), often wonder what cameras and techniques were used and while these aspects are important, the strength of the images usually results from addressing other issues, such as ethics.

Having said that, how does Jack work when he’s out in the field? Does he walk up to his subjects and shoot with a wide-angle lens, or shoot from an unobserved distance?

“It depends on the genre of photography I am working in”, answered Jack. “If it is street photography, I make photographs that avoid ‘disrupting’ the original moments unfolding. If documentary photography, then I meet people, spend time with them and invite them to have a say in their documentation.”

However, whether street or documentary photography, Jack believes the smaller and less obtrusive the camera, the better. “Some people are intimidated by cameras and house- brick size DLSRs only amplify any intrusion or intimidation.”

And in a nutshell, Jack is explaining why he is a keen advocate for the Fujifilm X-series cameras.

“The Fujifilm X-T cameras are small and

unobtrusive. Their retro design also makes them less intimidating and I think it is this combination that creates potent and positive psychology when photographing people, especially those in fragile situations.”

Before its release, Jack tested the new Fujifilm X-T4 in Kathmandu, Nepal on an assignment.

“Like Kathmandu itself, the X-T4 has a dual personality: On the outside, it resonates retro with classic design lines not eclipsed by time. On the inside, it is all twenty-first-century space-age technology. It’s a compelling combination.

“Nepal is a spiritually multi-dimensional and creative place. Much of its creativity is rooted in Hinduism. In Kathmandu, Hinduism is omnipresent in life and death. In fact, Hinduism is a conversation between life and death and it is reflected in Nepalese culture with its religious iconography, art, writing, graffiti, music and even the cremations on the banks of the sacred Bagmati river.”

Extreme Edge

“Unlike most Western countries, the Nepalese people are unconcerned with the documentation of their dead. They are inclusive of it because it is an intrinsic part of the Hindu religion, to share life’s experiences and to promote a culture of understanding between people everywhere.

“Hindus believe we are all the same and we are all in this life together. Sharing death is

part of that philosophy.
“Even so, photographing the ritual of death

is mostly about respect, unobtrusiveness and speed. There can be beauty in pathos and poetic and sorrowful photographs can be made or lost in microseconds.

“I found while documenting the cremations at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu that the Fujifilm X-T4’s fold-away LCD screen in combination with the large dials and controls on the top deck allowed me to work fast, stay in the moment and learn about the Nepalese peoples’ conversation with death. I can’t imagine working with a camera that requires you to scrolling through endless menu pages!

“I push my cameras to the extreme edge of their capabilities. Having six and a half stops of image stabilisation, lighting fast autofocus, lots of film simulation modes and extra battery life, keeps me on that ‘edge’ where most of the potent photographs happen.

“The Fujifilm X-T4 is intuitive, fast, fluid and a natural extension of me and my creativity.”

For more information on the Fujifilm X-T4, visit fujifilm-x

+ All photos also used the Bleach Bypass film simulation mode.


 

A Small Selection Of Testimonials

In Ethics, Photography, Photography News, Workshop News on August 14, 2018 at 5:29 PM

Caption: Photoshop is “OK” but undeniable magic is experienced when a confluence of moment, aesthetic, light and emotion is delivered to the photographer in the form of a poetic photograph by the universe.

Join us in Havana for our upcoming photography workshop this November. Click here for further details.

 

Below is a small selection of testimonials from former participants who have attended Reportage Photography Workshops.

“For me, the Kathmandu workshop has been an unforgettable and very inspiring event in my life. Now after one week, looking back, I have only one word to summarize this experience: … wowww!!! It was a pleasure and honour to participate. Apart from the very professional instructions and guidance on photography from Jack and Stephen, it was amazing to discover that it is not only a great photo that counts but also the passion, vision, social/cultural involvement and messages of a great person behind all the work that was shared with us”.

Merci beaucoup!

Steven Van der Kruit

“Would I advise friends to do this workshop? YES

Would I do it again?

YES overseas to live a different experience and see a new place

Did I get out of the class what I expected?

YES, a lot more than what I expected.”

Andrea Francolini

“I had a very enjoyable time at the workshop and feel that I accomplished what I set out for – that is to hone my skills, learn new skills and become better able to take pictures of life here.  It was a wonderful experience and I think I took some of the best pictures that I have ever taken, so I’m completely chuffed”.

Luke Stephens

“Just wanted to say a big thank you to Jack for saying and insisting, “what’s your narrative about – tell me – I want to know”. To David for pushing me to explore things and persisting when I had a mini-crisis about it. To Steve for your artistic sensibility, sharing of your work and for questioning the suitcase shot. To Ed for your patience, encouragement and contemporary eyes for things. I was lucky to be part of it.”

Cim Sears

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop experience. All four mentors offered sensitivity, encouragement and insight and were able to see the possibility of my work and push me to my strengths. Even though the critiques were casual the comments were direct and informed. After each critique, the bar was set that bit higher, as a consequence I was pushed into unfamiliar territory and subsequently into getting more interesting shots. The mantras “1 in 15” and “you don’t know until you go” keep me shooting and persisting. As a result, I built my confidence, resilience and stoked my photographic fire.

Skye

 “I have to say that I really enjoyed the week (even though it was hard work!) and felt that my photographic eye and technique improved significantly…I benefited greatly from the session with Jack and Steve in putting together my final selection for the showing on the final day – and the group praise from the panel afterwards was reassuring.”

Kieron Crawley

 ‘’I think what the Workshop is doing great is to give a different perspective to those pictures we “usually see without seeing”… and this is great and very refreshing! And also the Workshop has 100% fulfilled its expectations for me in terms of “inspiring people”! Great job!

I learnt a lot from the workshop, a totally new experience and can’t wait to go in the street taking pictures again.’’

Cecile Ducreux

 “Don’t miss the opportunity of learning photography with Jack Picone. He is a unique combination of professional photographer, local guide, and best friend. Work at your own pace. Have Jack review your images on a daily basis, discuss your shots in-depth, or shoot eight hours a day. He will let you know what to look for in a scene and be able to gain access into intimate situations. Jack is a photojournalist on a Magnum and National Geographic level with a passion for teaching. Take your photography to the next level and enjoy a memorable travel experience too.”

Jeffrey Jue

“Without a doubt the most inspiring six days I’ve ever experienced. I was inspired to develop my own style and to follow what I believe to be true to me, and more importantly, to go out and have fun! Thanks again for a fantastic six days. I went out to Kings Cross and I’m confident I’ve taken some of my best shots for my project immediately following the workshop… oh! and I’m shooting in film now. That’s how influential Jack, Stephen was, to the point of experimenting with a different medium”.

Ian Flanders

“The Reportage Photography Workshop” was an extremely valuable experience. It was an immense help to me to hear Jack and Steve both talk about their work, the changing world of photojournalism, and what it takes to be a photographer in this day and age. Not only that but their expert advice in relation to photographic techniques, equipment and critique was immensely beneficial. It was also a great opportunity to meet other talented photographers during the workshop. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone with the desire to extend their documentary/photojournalism photography. It was a very inspiring few days.”

Zoe Morley

 I attended the Sydney Workshop even though I don’t necessarily want to specialise in photojournalism. I found that the learning was applicable across all photographic disciplines. I came away with more knowledge and confidence about framing, composition and storytelling – what makes a great shot. But possibly the greatest thing I took away from the workshops was inspiration. To hear the stories and see the pictures made by world-class photographers like Jack Picone and Stephen Dupont renewed my energy to shoot and my passion for photography. The range of other presentations from legends of the industry like Tim Page and others only value-added and widened the appeal and scope for me. I found Picone and Dupont to be frank and honest in their critique of my work and yet sufficiently gentle in their suggestions and friendly nature not to crush my spirit.  I’ve found it very difficult to get honest and considered feedback on my photography over the years – but I found it at the workshops. I would encourage anyone who was thinking about attending one of their workshops to do so.  The more you put into it, the more you’ll get back.”

Tim Anger

 “This was an excellent workshop, with some outstanding international photographers coming in to show us their work, and to tell us their story. It was very inspiring. For me the best part was absolutely the critique of the images being taken, as it is very hard to get good honest critique, and to have the photos that you have just taken really given a working over was a very good experience and offered good insight into what other people are looking at and experiencing with the photos. The theme of photographing ‘Hope’ was also very interesting, as this was the first time I had been given such an assignment, and it was very helpful to see the thought processes that I went through.

“At 21 I was probably the youngest person in the workshop, possibly with the least experience, but this was no barrier; everyone was equal, everyone has constructive criticism, everyone had a story to tell, it was really lovely being in such a group. Given the opportunity, I would not hesitate to recommend this on to others, or to participate in the workshop again.”

Mitchell Mathieson

“The workshop was a chance to get up close and personal with two (Picone and Dupont) outstanding members of the professional photographic community as well as the guest presenters who were all amazing in their own right. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to meet, discuss and interact with the other students in an open forum. I will be using my experience as a foundation for my photographic style which will no doubt benefit from the valuable guidance I received”.

David Gross

 “I shot a lot of photos and I gained enormous insight into the editing process in regard to how to tell various stories from the one body of work. I also greatly appreciated the guidance in refining my shooting techniques. The relaxed environment was surprisingly conducive to learning and the opportunity to listen in on critique sessions of other participants was particularly insightful”.

Trish Macris

“For me, the Sydney workshop was really valuable, not only in the obvious ways but also in the quiet moments of conversation, discussions and image reviews.  Spending time with photographers actually successful in their vocation was something that made it all very tangible. It was truly valuable to see portfolios of work by high quality, significant photographers and their personal commentary as they presented their own work…  Stephen’s work on PNG and increasing focus on the anthropological aspect of his art,  Jack’s work on the Thai-Burma border and pearls of wisdom throughout the week, Tim Page’s extraordinary body of work during the Vietnam war, and documenting the impact of agent orange since then.  I found the reviews of my own work and the work of my colleagues really helpful. Tim Page’s brutally frank reviews were really helpful and an eye-opener.  Jack’s thoughtful insight into what makes a good and interesting photograph resonated deeply.  Stephen’s eye and holistic view when it came to image selection, editing and presentation were excellent.  I came away with a great appreciation and respect for the photographers we spent time with and more clarity for my own path ahead.”

Kate Baker

‘I learned a lot. The shooting assignment was a brilliant idea… scary, but brilliant. Not only did it provide a platform to be critiqued by Jack and Steve, but I personally felt really encouraged to push myself. I found Jack and Steve’s passion for photography, encouragement and aiming for excellence very contagious. Having additional visiting photographers share their stories as well as just being really inspired by the creative energy of the other participants in the workshop all around made for a great week. I think I was on a high all week… I thoroughly recommend it!!’

“A”

 ~ ends

Workshop In Motion – Upcoming Sept. 3rd-7th, 2017 Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal.

In Ethics, Kathmandu, Workshop in Motion on March 31, 2017 at 10:36 AM

Stephen Dupont and Jack Picone give an overview of what to expect on our upcoming Sept. 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal.                                                                                               © Photograph by Jack Picone

A young deceased woman (above) is carried to the burning ghats by family members at Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu.

View the short video here and be transported to the kaleidoscopic streets of Nepal.

~ Jack Picone

 

A Near Perfect Encapsulation For What a ‘Good Picture’ Should Do.

In Ethics on November 5, 2016 at 12:19 PM

“If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture” ~ Eddie Adams

news_podcast_pulitzer_1969-e1431460840302

Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan (above), chief of the South Vietnamese national police, firing his pistol into the head of a Vietcong prisoner, Nguyen Van Lem, on a Saigon street during the Tet offensive on Feb. 1, 1968. (Eddie Adams/Associated Press)

PHOTOGRAPHER, ASSOCIATED PRESS

A combat photographer since the Korean War, Eddie Adams joined the Associated Press team in Vietnam in 1965. He became famous for his 1968 photograph of Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, chief of South Vietnam’s national police, shooting a Viet Cong prisoner in the head. Adams later regretted the picture’s notoriety, preferring to be remembered for his images of Vietnamese refugees after the war.

Adams’s time covering the war and the searing photograph above marks fifty years since the start of America’s first televised war and is symbolic of how dramatic stories authored by photojournalists and journalists brought news about the war to the rest of the world.

When The River Runs Dry

In Ethics, Random Moments on March 7, 2016 at 9:16 AM

Twenty years ago, Jack Picone photographed Nancy just after she was beaten. He wonders what has changed since.

JackPicone-AboriginalWoman-LR-0Nancy was bright and engaging. We spoke about the things that connected us – our family, friends and where we came from [Jack Picone/Al Jazeera]

The heat was oppressive and crushing; the kind that has claimed countless lives in Australia’s dead heart...read more

The Controversial Mr Gilden

In Ethics, Street Photography on August 15, 2015 at 5:43 AM
Gilden has always been a controversial figure.
Vice Magazine recently published Gilden’s photoessay titled ‘Two Days in Appalachia’. Controversy followed the publication of Gilden’s photographs and Gilden’s modus operandi is yet again under question.
PhotoShelter’s Allen Murabayashi has published an interesting piece at PhotoShelter Blog that encapsulates all the protagonists involved  in the ongoing controversy.
Gilden’s work has always had an element of  ‘does the end justified the means’?
His work is raw and unforgiving not unlike the man himself.
Roger May’s questions if Gilden has empathy or indeed if that his work has a complete absence of empathy – is a good one. I hear some empathy in Gilden’s rhetoric in the way he speaks about the people people he photographs during the short film linked in the interview. Observing Gilden photographing on the streets of NY, I see him range from zero empathy and peak at a modicum of empathy. At one point he is telling a passing woman to put her scarf on so she won’t get cold then almost in the same breath commenting on another woman’s boots as “fucking ugly”. In part this displayed empathy or lack of it could be attributed to the random task at hand – street photography.
two-days-in-appalachia-0000687-v22n7-600-1435773723-size_1000Harlan, Kentucky, Saturday, June 6. Destiny, Amber, and Serenity at the Harlan County Poke Sallet Festival.
© Photograph by Bruce Gilden 
I think the comments (in the comments section below the Vice interview)​ from r​etired Social Worker Sharon Hurley a native Appalachian are incredibly insightful. They remind us all as photographers about how credible or not our documentation of people can and isn’t once our pictures are published.​ Sharon says, “His work is not reflective of the softness and peacefulness of life but of the harshness. Technically, his work is excellent and evokes reaction. Obviously, he does not care that the images he presents is not representative of an entire community whether it is in Japan, Detriot , London or Appalachia​”​.

two-days-in-appalachia-0000687-v22n7-765-1435773764-size_1000Saturday, June 6. Tammy at the Harlan County Poke Sallet Festival. © Photograph by Bruce Gilden

​Back to the video featuring Gilden: Gilden is heard saying that he finds some of his photographs beautiful. Further that if he didn’t photograph these people they would go unnoticed. Indeed, he recounts a conversation with one of the women he has photographed in the most unforgiving way. He says that she says (after he shows her the photograph he made of her) that she thinks he made her look beautiful in the photograph.
So is his work devoid of empathy? As always the question is both complicated and subjective.
And within the preceding context of complexity and subjectivity — personally — I questioned whether Gilden’s photographs leave the people he has photographed with their dignity uncompromised? Of course, dignity is also a complex and highly subjective notion. Though and said objectively most people are innately aware when they have not treated another person with requisite respect.
Interestingly, dignity and empathy are at times interconnected. It could be suggested that it is difficult to leave the people one has photographed with their dignity intact without first showing them empathy.
~JP

Boko Haram – Kidnappers

In Ethics, Photography News on May 9, 2014 at 1:11 PM

Boko Haram 

Boko_Haram_leader__Abubakar_Shekau_916127537(Above) Leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, gloatingly threatening to sell the girls as “slaves”.
 
Despairingly, when you ask yourself quietly can the world get any more screwed up then it already is, then something like Boko Haram confirms – that indeed it can.
Boko Haram is holding 276 girls from a raid on a school in Chibok on 15 April and a further eight, aged between eight and 15, taken in an overnight raid from their village.
Boko Haram literal translation is – Western learning is forbidden – it is a is a Nigerian Islamist militant group made up of dispersed cells and factions mainly in the northeast of the country. There main objective to make northern Nigeria an Islamic state. What this has to do with kidnapping innocent young school girls we may never really now. Drum roll…….dut da da dut.. da da… meet (see attached pix + video) the clearly charismatic, urbane, erudite and visionary leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, gloatingly threatening to sell the girls as “slaves”.
What a fine specimen of manhood – a luminary. I despair.
View in full deranged rant here