Sunday, October 24, 2010

Leibovitz & Natchwey


      Natchway and Leibovitz do share the same passion of photography. They are both famous photographers whose pictures have towered the world. The difference is their pictures intended impact regarding the targeted subject. Natchway , as a war photographer, is more interested in showing the atrocity of war and injustice in the world's war-torn aereas. From Bosnia, Rowanda, Palestine, Indoniesia and Darfur, to name few, he was able to convey a very strong peace message throught war pictures. On the other hand , far from war, famine and booldy scenes,Leibovitz lense captures another world full of VIPS, stars and luxury.


 

© Annie Leibovitz
Leibovitz
  


   
            Disney Dream Portrait Series by Ann Leibovitz


 


I believe that participatory methods either used in photography or antropology play a major role  in taking pictures and help draw conclusions that are closer to reality. Therfore, both photographers were very immersed in the environments they were taking pictures in.

I do prefer Natchway though. Truth be said, I initially was reluctant toward this type of photography . I always believed that photographers can never be objective while capturing reality. Each single person has a biase that sometimes is not even aware of. Following this logic I can conclude that Natchway does have a bias. Still, his bias is not seeking  political or capitalist ends. I believe that his humanism is his only biase.
Check this out:)

James Nachtwey's searing photos of war | Video on TED.com




West Bank, 2002 - Digging out the ruins of a shop in Jenin refugee camp (Natchwey).
 

After I have seen these two documentaries I kept wondering  if the two photographers were picturing the same world. The gap is so big to the exent that  it is hard believe that their shots are taken in the same planet.


Right now,while thinking about this, I can conclude that I do not prefer one photographer more than the other. They both are doing wondeful job linking the two distant "worlds" together. How could Jennifer Lopez know about the atrocity of war in Darfur without shots of  a war photographer and how could a little girl in Albania or Rwanda entertain herself looking at  pictures of Disney characteres without  a photgrapher such Leibovitz.
 I am looking forward  to discovering more photographers that picture other worlds of which I might ingnore the existance .
 I  strongly believe that every photographer is a gate to a new world!



Pictures:
2. Diney world picture by Leibovitz.

IA


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Japaneese People





Her Nickname is Baby and she is my Nihonjin Friend. Technically she is my Piano Sensei and I am her
Arabic, French and English Sensei. Unexpetedly,just after our third meeting, our relationship transcended formality. Baby is a professional photographer.Her  photos are art which  testify moments of joy, fear and  love in the lives of hundreds of people. Today it was her turn to be photographed. I didn’t expect her to be  so reluctant to my request of taking a picture;she didn’t seem very enthusiastic. I wondered it that reaction were personal to her or if all photographers don't like having their picture taken.Even with her fine skill with photography she elected to make herself blurry in her own photographic portrait.