MARCUS BLEASDALE'S WORK FROM GEORGIA

thx for a link Bob

Excellent photos. Thank you Marcus.

Apologies S B Ramin. I assure it was not a blind post I only send to my own address book which I assure you is full of related and interested groups. I have now deleted you from my address book.

Thanks for the link, Bob. Most excellent!

thanks bob for the link.
great stuff.

S.B.:

Marcus is one guy, i assure you, who IS NOT the spam type…and even if he were, i’d want his spam! :))…Not only is he a great photographer, but he’s a great guy. I know, i’ve had the opportunity to drink and talk with him when he brought his extraordinary work on the Congo to Toronto last fall for a great and intimate projection/talk. and shit, if “spam” were as important and important as this, i’d devour it!

cheers
bob

Great work of plain sensitivity. Somewhat different of some recent treatments of the Georgia question.

Marcus

Excellent work! One of the best I’ve seen from Georgia.

Great, great work… just keeps raising the bar.

Marcus,
Thanks for spamming me and feel free to continue doing so…

People were killed trying to report this story, journalists were shot and injured and hundreds of civilians were killed, kidnapped and raped by both sides.

“principle”? If people prefer to remain uninformed then fine, but please don’t use the word “principle”

Petty bullshit folks….

Marcus thanks for keeping us informed…feel free to add me to your list.

apologies,

sitting at home in relative comfort it is easy to become disconnected and focus on insignificant technicalities.

That is big of you SB. Not easy on a forum like this to say those words. Thanks
m

Great work Marcus. Here’s another powerful essay:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/154748

ramin,

to delete your post is highly disrespectful to marcus and the other people interested in his work.

marcus,

great work,sorry you are banging your head against a brick wall

yes,i am an anonymous poster,but anyone who has been knocking around here for a few years will probably realize who i am.anyway,what does it matter,the level of debate around here these is so puerile and uninformed from certain quarters,that frankly,i don’t give a damn. but i will not see real photographers like marcus stitched up by cretins.

further apologies if you feel the lack of the offending post disrupts the layout but i realized the error of my ways and felt it was unnecessary and detracted from marcus’s excellent work, so removed it.

i shan’t comment further as it continues to distract us from the real matter at hand, the great work that has been done in the terrible situation that georgia is.

great pictures, Marcus
somehow nothing new – Sarajevo, Bosnia, Iraque, Afganistan, Georgia

America shows mussels to Russia and vice-versa and both ignore Muslim world that grows pissed off with us

quite rightly so

but we still just need another half a glass full of blood to sell another daily paper, to receive another award, to be accepted yet in another Magnum.

great pictures, Marcus
but – why?
don’t you have enough?

“great pictures, Marcus
but – why?
don’t you have enough?”

This is the most wrong approach to photojournalism that I’ve ever seen-heard-watch-read.
Well, if we make it a little bigger, just for reference, we can also say to doctors: “Great rescuing, Dr. Blabla, but-why? don’t you saved enough?”

As you see my friend chernogora, accomplishments in photography are not ONLY to credit the photographer.

I know that is a very crusial thing for a photographer to go somewhere and take good photos for his personal portfolio.

But the most important thing is when those photos start talking to the entire community, when they make people think and act.
And usually, only “great pictures” can really talk and guide.

Papers, awards and Magnums are only the vehicle, not the final goal of a lifetime.

If you were associated with sociological photography (or photography at all) you could knew that..

David:

It’s an interesting and very important question. I do not think that Photojournalists, nor of-the-moment news journalism in general can ever begin to tackle the miasma that his human history, particularly as it strains itself over the expression of land, identity, ethnicity, culture, etc. What happened this go around in Georgia/S.Ossessia has a long and murky undercurrent begun long long ago, even before Stalin bascially cut up the empire (begun long before the Soviets) and forced migration and collision of ethnicity as a way of holding reigns. Some of the more recent and great insight into what’s happened in Russia/SovietUnion/Russia can be glimpsed by reading Kapuscinski’s “Imperium”, Tom Bissels “Chasing the Sea” and Tiziano Terzani" “Good Night Mr. Lenin”…all of which, by simple coincidence, i’ve had the good opportunity to read over the last month. All three books attempt to describe and discuss the deep historical complextion of the former soviet region, including the Caucuses and Central Asia…but one needs to return even farther back, to the time of the Turks, the “invasion” of Islam into the region usurping the former Persion control and the battle of christianity…it’s a quakmire of time and land and identity…this area, the breadbasked of “civilization” from the cradle around Baghdad spread up through the areas around the black sea, the caspian sea, iran, india, afghanistan and up through central asia…it’s an imposibility to expect a Photographer to fully measure or explicate, include into this the nefarious behind the curtain tantrums that still exist between Russian and American politics (a big big part of this predicament) jostling for continued hegemony, and one understands the futility of both the “results” of explanation but also any huberis that accompanies a reporter/photographer/analysist who attempts a clean and vital and full explanation of this area, or any area for that matter…take a read at Kapuscinski’s “Shadow of the Sun” about Africa and one begins to loose all sense of stability, the rings of the levels of madness, our human madness…

accordingly, for me, I expect only 1 thing from a photographer. I say this as both a photographer and a writer, but also more importantly, a human who is interested in learning in hearing the story unfold. A photographer must report, must offer to us what has gone before them, in front of them, around them, to voice both their reaction and the reaction of what they have witnessed to their best of abilities. Marcus’ work, like all the best work coming out of that region, and any region where there is conflict, is that it offers me a window, a human window for me to try to see, to try to hear what it is that people are enduring…Does the work fail? As pefectly conveying, as truly conveying the depth and sorrow and complexity of what has and is happening, of course. Photography, just as words, will always fail in this respect for a photograph, like a word, is a single document amid a lexis of documents, a word among and alphabet of language, that offers us a way into the complexity of what we as humans do to one another…

photographing “causes” and photographing “consequences” amount to the very same thing, for a photograph is testimony, an indication…and i would ask you to think that we must see Marcus imager, and all the rest now coming out of georgia, as we must also educate ourselves with the photography (and the writing) of georgia or north and south ossessia that came before this latest conflict…the problem is not the photographers, not Marcus, but us…the world sucks upon the immediate without much reflect prior…but this is not the photographers who cover conflict’s fault…that is their job, their witness, there are others covering before and long after…ironically, my wife and i have/had intended to do a photographic and writing project on the caucauses and central asia, involving our own personal relationship to russia and this area, spread out over time…we’d wanted to do this as photographers and writers ’cause it had seemed much of the world had forgotten about or had no longer been interested in this region, and yet there is so much to report on….

and than this….

the question you raise is not a question, imho, that can be layed at the feet of Marcus or others like him, but to each of us who ask ourselves, why is it that we know only regions that seem to be hot…spend more time on american films than in reading or listening to people’s stories…that is the more important question…

by the way, take a look at Marcus’ work on congo: a war, surely for years and years and yet the depth of his reporting there begins to attempt to flesh out some of the strains of that horrid and decade(s) long conflict…and even his work, as deep and magisterial and as important as it is, is still a drop in the bucket, pebbles in the pail…and yet, we need it, terribly as a way to try to get a grip of understanding…

hope this makes sense…

cheers
bo

P.S

In others words, Marcus and all the PJ’s now reporting from Georgia are Reporters…not Historians…and we shouldn’t hold them to that, for their work will and is part of the work that will allow others (historians, writers, each of us) to gather and sift as a way to understand…photographers often can become “historians” or rather Documentarists with long term commitments and approach to a story, but here it is their job to report what they say and hear, to report the anguish and the death and the sorrow that is unfolding…

it is OUR responsibility to take that information and reflect upon it…

but good and important question David…

b

Jonnek,

Thanks for the post. But I don’t go to a place to take good pictures, motivation for that and awards I leave to others. I don’t post pictures on a website for recognition either, they are they to make people aware of reality. This post on lightstalkers was made by others, not me.

I went to Georgia to do a job for a client. Human Rights Watch. It was my job to document Human Rights abuses. I was not there for a magazine, I was there for an advocacy group who felt the need for a photographic record of abuses, on both sides. I also interviewed victims on both sides and took testimony on film. I was there with a Human Rights Lawyer, from Moscow, an arms expert, from the USA, to identify weapons and document where those weapons came from. We had a team in North Ossetia and South Ossetia and Georgia proper. To me that is effective honest, balanced reporting. It is a job, it is not vanity. It is documentary evidence which may in future be used in a court of law.

Please no one should jump to conclusions about the motivation of any person going to these areas. We are all photographers who have very different motivations. I don’t doubt some went there to “further their careers” or “win awards”. If people enter their work into these things afterward, I have no problem with that. BUT as a motivation to go, I disagree wholeheartedly. Many people were there because this is their job, clients sent them there. NYT, TIME, Newsweek, Le Monde, etc etc feel the need to inform their readers. That is our industry, that is why most people were there, it is what we do.

My client base is slightly different, I do work for the mainstream media sometimes and I certainly sell to them later, but the people who sent me to this area, HRW, had a job to do, hopefully I was part of a team achieving what they set out to do. It will form part of a report which will be used by HRW to inform and hold to account those responsible for Human Rights Abuses. I simply provide a visual testimony so people can relate to the situation there.

Sorry, Jonnek, that should have been a reply to chernogora, apologies

David :))

totally, makes sense! :))…and yes, I know Tarr and love him…and i love The Werckmeister Harmonies…ironically, i just watched last weekend (while my wife was away) Santantango…the mob scene is brilliant, not only as a crescendo for the film but directorially an amazing amazing build up, and i love the long long shot of the main character (cant remember his name) running through the streets…the shouting the sound the shadows…but hell, what to make of a film that begins with a brilliant enactment of the earth going around the sun in a bar to the stare of a whale’s eye…the film is brilliant (so too all his): you should get ahold of Santantango nextA: be warned: 7 hours :)))

art, in the end, is probably the way (at least for me) we begin to couple all this madness together…then again, that’s just what i do, but i need the work of photographers like Marcus, whose art is just as informative and chrystalline for me…not just because he makes great work and is committed but because he has a vision: a vision to get at the pulpy heart of things…and this is what the best of artists, writers, historians, …parent s;)) do :)))…to digest and nurture as a way of trying to come to understand: by meditating upon things and then churning them up and out :)))

by the way, another example for you, from the world of books: if you can get the book, please do…

Antonio Munoz Molina’s SEPHARAD….extraordinary…about war and death and people and history….and memory :))

good discussion……wish there were more of this and less of the squabbling and bickering that goes on…

and I can assure you that it’s testimony of the strength of Marcus’ work that ellicits this kind of thinking and questioning…and that can only be a good thing…and i for one (and im sure marcus does as well) appreciate this kind of thoughtful reflection…

if only it existed more :))

cheers
bob

chernogora:

IT WAS ME that posted the link to Marcus’ work…he did not solicit or ask me, i did it because i believe it is necessary, compelling and important work (lots of work out there too on Georgia)…and i can tell you this from knowing him personally:

what compells him to be a photography has absolutely nothing to do with awards or “magnums” or any of that shit…

“why more of these”…i tried to answer that in the great question David Carr raised…

Marcus, though, has answered much more eloquent than i.

best of luck
bob

On one end of the spectrum Marcus puts his life on the line so we can no longer say: “Some people don’t know how other people live”.
On the other this thread breaks into:
- Some people don’t know how.
- Other people live.

So, thanks Marcus for being among the “living” and bringing back the story.

Interesting points, David and Bob, but… running/bbl.

Mark:

it is critical to ask questions, of our work and of each other, and I think the world (and particularly the world of PJ’s) could use a bit more of thoughtful and interesting discussions/questioning. The sad point is that instead of thoughtful and meaty chats, we get (at LS and elsewhere in the waking world) attacks disguised as “questions”…a big big difference…

people have been lamenting all over the place about the disappearance of discussion at LS and I am wish it would return…more than photographers, we’re people and at the crux of our lives (and the center of our professional lives) lay that: the need to question and to attempt to udnerstand…

when i post something (rare nowadays) is the hope that it will draw attention to great work (here, Marcus’ work) or an idea or thought that will stimulate conversation, comradery and interest…

i imagine a difficult task on the web…which is a shame…

but i am an optimist!

it’s the meditation practice :))

cheers
bob

Bob, what a ridiculous argument. Who doesn’t want awards? Who doesn’t want to be in Magnum, or at least have been? What is wrong with that? Can we be honest and admit that self-interest is always part of any human endeavor, even that of fucking Mother Theresa?

….

Andy I totally agree with you, you just took the words from my mouth. I had the luck to meet Marcus at the Danish School of Journalism a couple of years ago as a student, and I don’t think that being a world recognized, award winning photojournalist takes a gram away from the weight and quality of his work. I think everybody need recognition, even more when risking their lives, to feel it’s worth it. And that means awards as well, the damned money.

no one is lamenting awards, what i do disagree with is the motivation to create the work in the first place being to win an award. I would hope PJ’s are a little more motivated by the world around them and want to highlight issues close to their hearts. IF the awards come later then fine, but don’t jump on a plane to hell in order to get a wpp award.

I agree Marcus and Andy, I must say I am surprised by this conversation in place where is so many photojournalists.
We all know that many journalist are wrong motivated, but I don’t see any relation in this case.

Marcus, no doubt….I was over-reacting to Bob’s rant. I enjoyed the work.

Marcus – I have asked bitter questions.

I didn’t recognize you in these pictures. I didn’t recognize the war. Instead of the crude war I know, they are sort of “processed” war.

I felt they are disproportionately one sided, detached, sterile, almost surgical and sort of court evidence like.

And they are. As I know now from the profile of your client. You achieved what your client asked for.

I was worried that something is wrong with you. That you burned out or so. I am at ease now.

Thanks all of you guys for the input, especially those who lectured me so patronizingly. Dear Lord… Hope when you write, it force you to think.

Andy:

as usual, you are right. surely, you know better than I. that’s the last rant you’ll ever get from me. as my wife suggested, at this stage, it is not worth the effort to write, since conversation is invariably defined by those who know more. and for the record, yes, i deleted my last post trying to write that not all photographers are concerned with awards, material attainment, fame, etc. but the attempt to talk with someone who already considers your opinion (as you do of me) as one of a raving lunatic on a rant, just aint worth the effort. you got what you wanted. no more rants from me, nor lengthy comments. shame on me for “ranting”… ’bless you mr. levin. thanks for keeping me in check.

Chernogora:

I apologize if you thought i was being patronizing, was not the intent, rather I was taking responsbility for the post, and to let folk know the reason what i put the link was to celebrate the work and had no relationship to Marcus “clients.” It is much easier to attack others than it is to think of what others are doing (pictures, writing, etc) and thus my comment to you wasn’t meant as an insult. Just as Dave Carr’s question wasn’t about Marcus/the work, but a question that arose from the circumstances of photographing war. I did not mean to offend. This crazy internet is always hard to express. Accept my apology, i really didnt mean to sound patronizing.

cheers
.

all the best
bob

PS Marcus
Is it possible that you went that far with your client’s breaf so that you lost a bit of you own human eye for it? Just a thought…

BOB! you haven’t been patronizing – you are one of the most friendly and positive souls I know. I enjoy your openness and honesty. Thank you. And most of all thank you for bringing Marcus’ link for our attention with you usual generosity.

And – why this discussion vanished from LS? Are we filtered? By whom?

David, your post actually made a lot of sense…..many of the criticisms were valid……but the bottom line this is where we are, with photography. The news moves quickly over the internet and TV, the images come out, many are immediately available, people respond to the news, and then over a few weeks all this other imagery emerges, its fine and well made work, but it starts to feel very distant from the events themselves. It all start to look similar, Lebanon or Georgia, Bosnia or Chechnya, and there are dozens of people making images where once maybe it was only a few. It kind of sucks to be a photographer now. I have no answers, but I do think that the context of publication means everything, and that the web has made wallpaper out of all of us.

As far as Marcus goes, he has his own path to follow and I respect that tremendously, and he is trying to fight through all of this himself I am sure…..and you have to respect him for participating in this as others really think that LS is sort of, beneath them, sorry to say.

“Thanks all of you guys for the input, especially those who lectured me so patronizingly.”

Sorry my friend, but is kind of difficult not to be patronizingly lectured, when you suddenly launch in such a thread a paragraph like this..:

"but we still just need another half a glass full of blood to sell another daily paper, to receive another award, to be accepted yet in another Magnum.

great pictures, Marcus
but – why?
don’t you have enough?"

If it is difficult for you to understand that this paragraph of yours looks like a cruel and unfair hit in blind (even if it isn’t), then you really don’t need lectures, as you said, but basic courses of sociological behaviour.

Hope with my writing make you think. Dear Lord, or not..

—Jonnek Jonneksson

I have received the above by email, but it doesn’t appear on LS. Why?

I am not your friend, Jonnek.

I had my questions and I am happy with Marcus’ answer and more.

Aren’t you over sensitive a bit? YOU? from all the folk

And may be I am just cruel and unfair person. It takes all sorts.

wow…. again?

Well, it ain’t me babe. But David, what we have is too many poets, few stories, and a whole lot of background noise. Having said that lets get on with it—its what we do.

Of course, it goes with the territory here….but I was talking of visual noise, not words really.

“I didn’t recognize you in these pictures. I didn’t recognize the war.”

Chernogora, You have no idea who I am or what drives or motivates me, so how can you “recognise me in any picture I take”

You didn’t recognise the war? So you were there? On which side?

I felt they are disproportionately one sided, detached, sterile.

I agree to some extent, I was reporting on the war from the Georgian side as were many other journalists and photographers, I did smuggle myself on a food truck and into south Ossetia through Russian checkpoints once, I did go on a “Kremlin organised tour” once and the other days I drove several hours round checkpoints to try to report from there. But that said. I was still part of a team. HRW had 2 researchers photographing and taking video on “the other side” so our report is hopefully balanced. Have a look at their web site.
I do think IF the Russians allowed access to Journalists all reports would be a little more a balanced. If you look at any work from this war it is mostly from one side of the other. That is the nature of war. But that said if you look at the images I have online 16 pictures reflect the pounding Russians took from the Georgians and 22 reflect the subsequent Russian response. (others are neutral).

“I was worried that something is wrong with you. That you burned out or so.”

I am perfectly healthy thanks, but find it extremely weird and unhealthy that people seem to want to analyse the photographer so deeply. Surely it is about the issue here.

“Is it possible that you went that far with your client’s breaf so that you lost a bit of you own human eye for it?”

I went as far as I personally felt was necessary and the images I file to HRW are much more “sterile and detached” to use your words. They represent receipts of weapons (interestingly Georgia was supplied by Poland in April of this year – Planning?), the are images of cluster bomb duds, which were used by Russia to maim civilians, there are pictures of UXOs.

When I am documenting I don’t think of “my own human eye” I think of the individuals I meet and how to accurately reflect their reality.

I don’t know where you are all from, but it seems amazing to me that anyone can be so informed about the work given the time they take to look and read it. Google analytics tells me the average time anyone spent looking at the story on Georgia on my site was 2 min 13 seconds. Even that is skewed by a very nice person in Rego Park who spent 13 mins on the page, (Maybe they left it open and went for a coffee) The average New Yorker spent less than one minute looking. Europe is a little more at 4 mins. If I take time to read my own work and read the text and captions and look at the images it takes me minimum 6 mins and I know the work. So when people attack it, which they are perfectly allowed to do, I only ask them to know it properly before hand.

Marcus, my friend,

Don’t waste your time and energy to answer this kind of pointless personal attacks. I have been ‘victim’ in the past of similar stupidities as well. As we all noticed, “Chernogora” is an alias, used by someone who hasn’t the gut to speak under his(her) real name, (that is to be accountable for).

Your work and engagement throughout your career speaks for itself, you are one of the most committed and talented photographer around.

Unfortunately, the once positive and generous Lightstalkers’ community turned into a nest for vicious attacks, either politically or personally motivated. I for one, as well as many original members very rarely tune into LS these days for this reason. It is a pity, but there you go.

Again, don’t worry, real friends are real friends, idiots will remain…idiots. Keep up the good works, wee need you out there!

Bruno

Out of frustration, and because I don’t want to be associated with anything that could be interpreted as a personal attack on Marcus Bleasdale (or any other photographer for that matter), I have deleted my posts. I have no idea why this thread – once again – degenerated this way. It seems some people are simply incapable of reading what has been written and addressing the issues raised. Either that or,despite my very best efforts, I’m unable to write clear english. I give up!

Marcus, Great work and warm regards from Aya (WFP Congo). I just sent you PM.

Eddie

I certainly don’t mind a good discussion, even when opinions differ greatly. But I have long since decided to ignore all anonymous posters, regardless of how provocative/interesting/amusing they may occasionally be. I simply don’t see the need for anyone to be anonymous in a forum like this, where credibility and integrity should be highly valued. Surely, the web has more than enough outlets for those who don’t want to stand by their words?
Meanwhile, I really hope Marcus and others who have something useful to contribute will continue to do so regardless of the flak.

Nice work Marcus keep it up, shame your post got jack but hey it happens i guess

Getting jacked comes with the territory. Marcus has replied and admirably so, I respect him for engaging in the dialog….and I bet a lot of folks are more familiar with his work than before. I hope to see a book of his work sometime in the near future….

Marcus

Thank you for responding against the cool advice of some former players. Perhaps you accept that some of us were bullied out of our names into anonymity. But we are still not dead enough to not to ask questions. And luckily you are alive enough to engaged.

You feel defensive up to making from me someone who stalks you almost, spending hours at your website and pretending to know you privately. Common. European 4 minutes is enough to gain the impression which can be described and augured for months.

Yes – I was inside of one recent European wars. It was going for weeks and weeks but so intensively and hectically that it wasn’t a chance to figure out how many sides were there fighting. Mind you, women are raped by all sides. And some times not only by the men with guns. Fists and simple shouting, but loud, are enough . Kindness of foreign aid-providers, journalists and photographers were used to seduce females also, as many were desperate for any savior figure. It was like a natural disaster in a way. If one has been squashed on the rock by avalanche – ask on what side one was? On the side of avalanche? Rock?

There was a link to Georgian photographer from Tbilisi on LS. Where it’s gone? why? His pictures are crude war. The war I recognized.
You have explained about the purpose of your pictures, and it clicked with my impression – processed. I know why your eye was colder than usual.

Of cause I now you – via your photographs. As I know and love Mozart and afraid of Stephen King. If Kind will start to try to calm me down as Mozart does I will ask him ’what’s up?’.

As a society we will never have enough wars and awards, other man’s land or his wife. We are greedy lot.I was glad to learn these things are secondary for you (wars and awards), that you are just about satisfying your client the best possible way.
As for you as a person – you belong to your private life, same way I belong to mine. I was relating only to you as a photographer.

Look how many guys rushed to your defense! Nice.
However many of them have this jungle made ‘support the strong one’ undercurrent agenda though.

Andy

In you wisdom you almost come close to suggesting that I am Marcus’ PR helper:)
wicked mind!

“Yes – I was inside of one recent European wars. It was going for weeks and weeks but so intensively and hectically that it wasn’t a chance to figure out how many sides were there fighting. Mind you, women are raped by all sides. And some times not only by the men with guns. Fists and simple shouting, but loud, are enough . Kindness of foreign aid-providers, journalists and photographers were used to seduce females also, as many were desperate for any savior figure. It was like a natural disaster in a way. If one has been squashed on the rock by avalanche – ask on what side one was? On the side of avalanche? Rock?”

Sometimes words are worth a thousand pictures.

chernogora

‘As a society we will never have enough wars and awards, other man’s land or his wife. We are greedy lot’.

I am not able to understand human aggression, because mostly it goes after something stupid what I missed. The same is about what you are writing now.
I am disturbed what happening with world’s journalism now, but what you said, it is not dicussion but only agression. The same we can say about doctors or lawyers.
Yes we all are rapacious and bad.
This is wasting our time.

Andy

And you know what’s the most weird? When two men rape they somehow need to talk it through. The top one will say something like:‘Look, her pupils widened. Bitch enjoys herself in fact!’ While kipping a barrel of short gun in her mouth.

Every creative tool has it’s limitation. Pictures of such moments cannot be done I guess.

When documentary done in real time the biggest crimes can be overlooked as it took ages to come back from the mute shock of the war experience of a civilian.

And their voices, mostly anonymous, may first and for a while sound unkind towards the whole world.

And perhaps the only way forward for these persons and for the world is to be heard and to be answered, to talk and argued through.But never to be ignored.

Every creative tool has its limitations, and certainly every medium of dissemination has its limitations too. I think that the web, although it allows for dissemination of pictures that never could be seen before, favors the written word. In magazines, surprising, it was photography that was stronger. Some might disagree….

Among 28,000 members of Lightstalkers, there will always be some finite numbers of members who inevitably act and think in ways that are cutting and negative. That, however, is no reason for people to abandon LS. To do so is to empower them, not the good guys.

By any standard Marcus’ Georgia work is profound and powerful. No one can genuinely debate that. Even though I work regularly with Marcus, for me it was still a treat to see the work early on after his return.

when real violence confronts us it is never as it appears in photographs.. not so gentle as an aesthetic or cast light.. and sometimes words carry the weight of the blunt, out of control animal with much more force.

i think photography does what it can and dependent upon the method of delivery it can do a great deal.. M does a great deal..

sometimes words can shock more.. left alone with imagination and well written experience, the horror can filter through stronger.

what interests me from this thread is how photography and words have collided while trying to express this horror.

both are valid.. M’s peripheral, somehow gentle photographs hint at human fragility and the horror which C has laid bare.. regardless of sides.. regardless of clients.

C – perhaps you need to write more? perhaps you do already.. there is no question that your input has astonished and injected reality.
M – the work is what it is and respect to you for lifting your camera.. getting the work out there and then joining us here in open discussion.

personally – i hope you both continue and sow the seeds of awareness from within you to others.. and in your own way..

anyone who has seen this blunt animal and who returns to show others deserves the utmost respect if there motives, methods and conduct are as clear as Marcus’.

i wonder if it like an electric shock from a fence.. some grab on involuntarily and some are thrown backwards..
because i’m not sure that anyone could hold onto an electric fence simply for the sake of an award.

a lynching i saw many years ago.. with my camera arm paralyzed at my side.. threw me backwards to photograph positive human experience for the next 10 years..
we all do what we can.

I just received the book “Invasion Prague” by Koudelka. Years later we are still in the same quagmire, just a different country different time.

Thanks for your fine work Marcus, and the risks you took. I’d like to know how people carry on after such a mess.

about Georgia I think a very powerful feature has been done by Espen Rasmussen from Panos, have a look at new feature in their site panok.co.uk, for my personal opinion is the best i have seen so far.
d

see

http://www.panos.co.uk/bin/panos.dll/go?a=disp&t=us\nw-loader.html&tpl=nw-index.html&max=0&maxlb=0

http://www.lightstalkers.org/espen_rasmusen

I would also like to thank Marcus not only for his brilliant work but for continuing to engage with LS. So too to all those who have established themselves in their careers for speaking on here, even if it is only occasionally like Bruno nowadays.

Thank you so much.

Peace,
Jenny

Funny how we always lament the decline of professional opportunities in photojournalism, and then disparage a guy who is breaking new ground (MediaStorm, Human Rights Watch) and is represented by an agency that is offering new opportunities (VII Network, New York Photo Festival).

Marcus congrats,

I also want to point that i have seen few works from georgia but must admit Espen Rasmussen s pics were really saying lots of things!

Awards and recognizations are normal human things but must be used in a normal dose..

recently i hear many young photographers only think of the awards or being in top line. ppl forget the real side of their motivation maybe.. maybe their motivation is just a to be great photographers who does a great composition.etc..

i ve met personally some of them here in my own country.
I wanted to go to Georgia as well but never cover any wars so far or any violence indeed. I do also think the since last 5 yrs the most wars have been covered from one sides it s maybe impossible anyhow these days to cover—well it would be dissrespectfull for me to comment on the wars or how the photographers work on cause i have never been any of them. so i cut it here.

best to you all,
IG

I am agree with Ilker about normal dose of awards… maybe 5-6 good ones per year and not 3 awards per day like now… photography now is just how to entry an award or how to go to a workshop… topics to cover are the opportunity to show your own talent but i remember in the old days where talent was the opportunity to discover a good topic to cover.
d

Espen is a great friend and he has done some fantastic work, not only in Georgia. you should check out his site