War Photographer TV Show - "In Harms Way"

Good stuff, thanks.

Hi Zoriah,

According with the notice in the web page, the video can only be watched by US residentes…
there’s any other link available?

thanks.
cheers,
paulo

Interesting but sadly familiar scenarios…thanks for bringing it to the community’s attention.

Unfortunately there was little credit for the video camera person, who was just as much at risk during he shooting as were the subjects. The second-tier credits at the end sped by so quickly that it was impossible for the viewer even to see the name. Fie upon the producers for doing that!

If it swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.

for those not behind us firewalls, you can see it all on youtube…
here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/warphotography

Tommy,
Thanks…

Paolo,
Hopefully the link to YouTube that Marius provided will work for you (thanks Marius.) Sorry to hear that they are blocking it outside the US.

Neal,
Yes, very sad about the situation and also the credits, as the crew was just wonderful. If anyone in the community wants to hire one of them, I will figure out their contact info.

Andy,
Quack, quack…

I thought it was a bit surreal. A 16 person TV crew photographing a photographer at a demonstration…..and Zoriah, are you the person in the bio picture, or the person in the TV special?

youTube link does work in Paris. More than interesting.

Ok, as a last resort you can download the episode as a torrent and use a P2P client to download from there. You can find the torrent here:

http://eztv.it/shows/750/in-harms-way/

Andy,
Not sure what you mean…which bio picture? Yes, I am one of the photogs in the program.

I meant your LS bio shot and the one on your website……

zoriah: hulu only works inside the us, but the youtube was great. and thanks for the torrentlink, was searching but couldnt find it. good work you’ve done here! even though as you said, a bit hollywoodish production, the message got out. and very interesting to see. behind the scenes stuff like this is rare…

stay safe!

Sorry but I wathched the documentary and felt dissapointed witht it.
Not about the work of the two photographers but about the little or none talent the director of this documentary have.
This kind of things make me sick!!!

And the funniest thing, the little camera atached in the body…like Natchwey’s documentary…

So so comercial stuff….so hollywood style, kind of trip as they were in disneyland for a weekend!!!

Can it get more cheesy? War photography shown as being the new extreme sport. I guess there’s nothing better than the original “War Photographer” movie.

Rock music, fast cuts, effects…very typical.
Not very interesting video at all.

Of course, nothing against your photography.

One thing i found interesting. Do you use onion after teargas attack? I never heard about it. But I never was in war zone….

I’m sorry but I am unimpressed here. It makes me wonder, why do you photograph? What are you trying to say? As David mentioned earlier, seems more about war photography as sport more than anything. I sensed no connection between the photographers and the place, that they were not doing more than just reacting to a scene.

Why did you travel there, did you feel you were needed, what else could you have added to the story? The film showed that both of you had a lack of understanding of the place, thus it makes me question your motives and desire to be there. Seemed to me you were jumping in then out to the next conflict, not contributing anything to the dialogue of the place, but rather fulfilling your own needs to not lead a normal life.

Sorry. And why the gloves?

Yes, absolutely there were numerous things wrong with show, the music, the cuts, the focus on danger, the pace, many of the facts etc etc etc. However, it was able to bring an important subject matter to a group of people who would otherwise never pay attention to such things, and I am proud of that. Yes, the film War Photographer was truly wonderful and of course this made for TV/adrenaline episode will not compare to it or come near to its impact. But how many non-photogs do you know who have seen War Photographer? I think I know one…which is sad, but the film just did not spread that far outside of our circle. News and important issues should reach all people, not just those that seek it out.

This episode of In Harms Way reached an estimated ten million people. That is ten million more people who now have a clue that something is happening in that region. OK, maybe the other 200 interviews and sound bites Alissa and I did talking further about our motivations and why we believe in what we do did not make it in the show (as the focus was obviously the danger,) but a fair amount did.

I dont think any reasonable person expected this to compete with the film War Photographer, you could have just read my description in the post and saved yourself the time of finding out on your own that this was a Hollywood style production. The director did a good job balancing the networks thirst for danger, danger, danger with myself, Alissa and the crew’s desire to present something with meaning and something that may inspire people to learn more about the issues.

I realized going into this, from the day I was approached by Warner Bros. that there would be photojournalists and others in the industry who would question my motivations and this project as a whole. However, as a documentary photographer, as a visual story teller, I believe in using all the tools that present themselves to me in order to bring peoples stories to eyes that would otherwise remain closed to them. Despite its flaws, I remain proud of this project, my decision to participate and this large folder of emails I have received since the show aired from folks who “had no idea these things were happening over there.”

Well, I enjoyed it. :)

(A little annoyed your location states that Gaza is still an occupied territory, but I don’t want to start a pointless debate, so I’ll shrug it off).

Its very Hollywood, but I know a lot about this type of production, and I know your power to effect how things were edited was little (to none), so I’ll forgive you for that.

I have followed your blog for a while and believe in your ethics, so I know that the show doesn’t reflect you as a person, but I am sorry to admit – most people (probably 99.9% of people who see it) will see you more than an adrenaline junky than anything else.

Zoriah, congratulations for the great work…ignore the others, if they have nothing good to day…then they should shut up and shoot!

Actually I only commented on the TV piece – I know how those are made and that you didn’t have much influence on the final piece. I do not doubt your ability as a photographer. It’s not about you, but only about this TV piece.

Thanks James, I appreciate that. Also thanks go Bastian, I completely understand your point about the cheese factor :-)

Donald…do you really care why I wear gloves? Does that actually bother you?? My lord brother…do your own thing, live and let live!

Oh, and in general…why do photojournalists always question each others motives?? I think most of us can tell by someones work and subject matter they chose to document, why they are doing what they are doing.
But honestly, in the end, does this really matter? I have heard horror stories about the personalities of some of the biggest names in the business, but does that make their sacrifices and the images they produce less valuable? Does the fact that Pee Wee jerked off in a porn flick affect the quality of his movies or tv show? Does the fact that some guys volunteer at soup kitchens in order to meet women make the soup taste worse to the homeless?

We NEED more photojournalists. We need more people out there documenting and bringing these stories to the world. Why not encourage each other instead of worrying about what we wear while shooting?

Good motivations in life make everything better…especially photojournalism. Instead of spending time trying to figure out why our colleagues are doing what they are doing…why not spend that time trying to make our own work better…or donate some photos to an aid organization…or anything productive!

God knows there is a hell of a lot to get done…which reminds me, I have better things to do than write any more…

In solidarity,

zoriah

I really liked the pictures.

I think you are correct about that Bastian, from what I could see of the pictures they were good….but Zoriah I would argue that Hollywood-ization of news does little to tell the story of the occupation of the West Bank…..insteadit blends reality with fantasy, and allows the viewer an escape from the an understanding of the situation rather than confront it. How can a “real” demonstration occur when there is a film crew amidst all of that, photographing a photographer going back and forth between the Israelis and Palestinians?

If there were a few people who watched this show who knew nothing about situation in the West Bank and Gaza, there were millions who did and came away thinking that this couldn’t be terribly serious because it looked like an episode from Survivor, and I don’t think that benefits you or anyone else.

Andy,
I agree with you in that Hollywood-ization does not tell the full story. However, I disagree with you on the benefits.
I dont see it as my job to make people think a certain way. I believe in documenting important issues and hope that people will be able to come to their own decisions on the matter. I dont think this show gave any answers, but I do believe that it has the ability to make people search out their own answers. Getting the western worlds attention is half the battle, and I think that wrapping peoples medicine in a candy coating can help certain individuals stomach something they may otherwise turn away from. The people who need to know about subjects such as this are not the ones who are out there renting hard hitting documentaries, they are the ones who are on their couch looking for something cool and exciting to watch.
Of course there are many of us, myself included, who would have loved for this to be a serious documentary piece. However, I think it is important to speak to all people, not just those who speak our “language.” I think that if Hollywood ever masters a way to take important subject matter and turn it into something that your average high school student would like to watch, we might have a more educated society. If nothing else, it seems worth a try.

Life is full of compromises. Let’s get over it. I think most serious still photographers in this community would tell this story differently, and better. But it wasn’t us doing it. In the end it was the purchaser of the work, probably not even the producers, who called the final shots.

The public no doubt benefited here from seeing the serious risks associated with conflict coverage by still photographers. And the piece is certainly better than yet another stupid sit-com, full of sophomoric remarks. We all know that the end product here was the result of the line between entertainment and journalism being drawn by most television well into the latter’s sector. So let’s keep this in perspective.

Zoriah,

I want you to know that I respect your work and
the few times I have either been shot at or
expected to be shot at, I can still remember
the veins in my neck throbbing in anticipation.
So, I am not trying to take the piss out of you.

The things that I find a bit alarming about presentations
like these are that they makes it look like so much
FUN and not solemn, serious business delivering
the truth to an apathetic public.

The other thing is the style of presentation is
so similar to these “wildlife” reality shows where
some handsome, young adventurer climbs out of a Land
Rover and taunts a snake, wrangles it because
it is no longer thrilling enough respecting
an animal and learning the nature of its habits.
That is our father’s documentary and besides it
not as thrilling as a guy facing down a king cobra
or a saltwater crocodile.

I would hate like hell to encourage just anybody
to do this kind of work because it looks cool.
Well, we have more than a bit of that already.

Every time I jog back in my home state in California
on a visit and encounter a rattlesnake and side step
it (live and let live), I think about the generation
of people juiced up on irresponsible documentaries
who are going to try to catch such a snake and maybe
get bitten in the process.

You take your work seriously and prepare carefully.
It is to war photography what Hong Kong films are
to martial arts (too much bust up and adrenaline,
and not enough about the years of work and respect
that makes it a discipline).

If you cut out the flash, it is quite informative
and it was great to watch you work.

With due respect,

James.

Neal, I find it odd that you would not look at this with a more critical eye— you worked for NPR, how would any NPR producer look at a story like this?

Knowing the kind of people here on LS, its not surprising that Zoriah has taken some heat, and he has stood up to it well I think— I wouldn’t mistake the kind of criticism that we have offered to Miller as insulting— we are all still a big family in the end.

Ahh… Lighstalkers, the cynicism here is predictable, but understandable. Obviously everyone here takes their work seriously or else you wouldn’t be where you are today. People who have invested much of themselves to tell a story might naturally feel a candy coated production like this would marginalize their line of work. But let’s take it for what it is eh? It’s a piece made to appeal to a broad audience. This debate rings like the one we had with Nachtwey’s TED prize. The sad truth is sometimes you have to dumb things down for the general public because they simply don’t have the attention span or the inclination to understand the “real” story. I don’t see how you can blame the producers or directors, that’s like getting mad at the butcher for killing the cow.

And I disagree with the suggestion that a show like this serves no informative purpose. Sure it’s easy to think it’s vacuous when you’re a PJ and you’ve been there and are intimately aware of of the situation but I’d bet 90% of that 10M would not have been able to even find Israel on a map much less have any real understanding of the conflict. Does the show even scratch the surface? Of course not, but I think most people walked away with their eyes opened a little wider. I spent 6 weeks there last year and I thought it was worth the watch. Just my opinion though.

Thank you all, very kindly, for your responses…yes, even the critical ones! And no, I am not insulted in any way at all. If I was not confident in my decision to participate in this project and believe that the final product has its merits (yes, of course, and its faults) I would never have posted it here on Lightstalkers.

The bottom line is that I believe that we need to share information. Let each other know what has worked and what has not. Some competition is always good, but in the end we are all looking for the best way to tell our subjects stories to the world. I also strongly believe that we all need look beyond our obvious outlets and start getting these stories to wider audiences.

As corporate media continues to shy away from reality anything they fear would upset or depress people, we need to search for ways to get our messages out…especially to larger audiences. The internet is a fantastic tool, but the bottom line is that what we post on the internet will mainly be seen by those who seek it out. We have to find ways of getting information out to those who do not actively seek it…especially since most major publications and news outlets are doing such a poor job of it these days.

So, this was an experiment for me. Parts of it turned out well, others I would have liked to have seen done differently. I am very happy to listen to all of your critiques and comments and am happy to see a healthy discourse on the matter!

Zoriah I had reservations when I clicked on the link, especially after reading some of the posts. I think it is valid to question why we do what we do. After watching halfway I believe it was a worthwhile endeavor. There was certainly a bit of an adrenaline junky touch but thats the truth of being in situations where death is possible and making it out alive. Any (thoughtful) viewer of this show can see beyond the adrenaline and see the story of suffering and unglamorous truth of war. From my experience the most critical people of war photographers motives are photographers. Keep up the good work. Hopefully I’ll see you out there one day!

Interesting to see this thread. In the last two years, a friend of my flatmate started working on a long form documentary series about photographers who cover conflict for FX—both from the perspective of well known photojournalists and people starting out.

My issue with our profession being featured in this way on TV is not our presence on the tube, but in the purpose we serve in doing so….as Ed Murrow said, the television “can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box”.

I’m sure Zoriah went into this with the best interests, but at this point, TV’s ethos is against us. What producer wants to hear us lament the lack of money in our industry, or the knitty gritty background of ethnic or internecine conflict? If there’s any dumbing down, or lack of depth—which at this point we SHOULD expect when dealing with lifestyle-driven “reality” based network programming, we automatically become manaquins for things like Zoriah’s gloves, or our assorted, already cliche scarves, on a dangerous catwalk populated by those we refer to as our “subjects.”

In short, we become the “wires and lights in a box” that Murrow was so afraid of….

Andy, my point was not that the piece would stand my scrutiny, the community’s scrutiny or that of serious journalists generally (like NPR reporters or producers). Rather, the die was cast once the deal was cut with the TV network and the studio — they just live in another world and one can no longer expect the networks and cable channels to do serious journalism. Indeed the fact that they did this at all is a bit of a surprise, st least to me.

As to my critical eye, it has already passed through the stage of criticism and come to the point where it wants to analyze why the piece was not what it could or should have been. That is the point of my post above, not that I was accepting of its flawed approach to the subject.

Got it Neal, thanks.

My concern, Neal, jibes more with Andy’s. The
pendulum has swung in fits and starts from
journalism to entertainment from the Murrow
days. He spent a great deal of time lamenting
about this very issue and eventually even Murrow
lost his job to info-tainment. But, the velocity
of this swing in the past decade or decade and a
half has taken on momentum that not seen since perhaps
the days of Hearst and yellow journalism.

My concern is that in depth, quality investigative
journalism has faded so far from the mainstream and
the decay in integrity has been so great that this
pendulum may not swing back in the direction
most of us would like for a very long time, if
ever.

Who says the pendulum has to swing both ways?
If it is accepted that the cause is mostly lost,
there may indeed be no going back.

I look at Jake Price’s piece from Harlem and those of
friends that never make it into print or on major online
magazines and I wonder why not. Certainly their
work is not lacking in merit. At least, people
like Jake and others are still producing this work
out of nothing else but the pure love of it.

Should Jake been followed around by a shaky camera
while shouting out Beastie Boys riffs or something to spice
it up? I was thrilled enough by the ring of truth and
subtlety. Obviously, Fox or whoever produces this hyped up
reality programming wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in the
direction of poetic work like that. That is the problem.
Great stories are not always jacked up.

Why should we care? Well, for one, an ignorant public
gives us Sarah Palin as a VP candidate, a woman who
apparently believes that the continent of Africa
is a country.

Zoriah, in the current media environment, probably
made a good career choice. He raised his profile
in a way that works right now. Despite the hyped voice
over, his methods of working seemed sound enough. I don’t
know because I was not there.

In the end, though, I think we are allowed to
talk about a bad taste in the mouth. Looking
to the past for reference is not curmudgeonly.
It informs the present and future. I used to
do it when I was 21. It has nothing to do with
age or agility when it comes to change, as is
so often implied. Nonsense. Murrow, who has
been dead and gone for decades, was far more progressive
than 99% of any one of us despite our conceit to
some superiority over the past.

Couldn’t agree more, James.

Having worked with with one of “Murrow’s Boys,” I know ERM left a powerful legacy of serious journalism. Electronic journalism is indeed in a bad fix today — in part that fact contributes to the extraordinary success of NPR, which has refused to fall into the same pit as other electronic media.

There are reams of psycho-sociological studies explaining why media is where it is, and we can lament the reasons. The principal thing each of us can do, however, is to try on our own to do the best work of which we are capable, including publicizing the importance of our work. Therein lies the benefit of Zoriah and Alyssa’s story, even told with flaws (which Zoriah himself recognized in his first posting — he called it “not a crowning achievement in documentary film making”).

I do not understand why a critical assessment of this documentary is interpreted by many as 1) cynical or 2) an vituperative attack against Zoriah or his work. Frankly, I found the entire show not only disaffecting but unfaithful to the real life of a working journalist, including those working in conflict zones. For me, it was the worst kind of TV imaginable: a MTv-reved up bad-ass motfo drip down the eyes and throat of the viewer which in general did little to educate the viewer about the totality of the life of this profession or the context or reason WHY this profession is so necessary.

Do i blame Zoriah? Of course not. I do not know what the level of his or Alyssa’s involvement were other than to agree to the allow the crew (although the number of crew members tracking/hunting them, 16, would surely have belied the absurdity of the endeavor)to “document” them. Moreover, Zoriah has seemed to be a fair sport and open to the legitimate criticism of this piece.

I am absolutely with James and Don and Andy on this. While surely the participants are not responsible for content/editing/feel of the piece, it does seem a bit disingenous to not be more discourage by the appearance of the doc.

That the overall feel of this piece is that the photographer, superhero and all, is more important and more compelling than the people and their lives being reported upon is the worst kind of chauvinism imaginable. When the young women is agonizing over the story of the death of the young woman by missle, we get close up shots of Alyssa’s reaction, not once, but multiple times. Moreover, there is no attempt at all to show, discuss, refine the lives of War Reporters outside the context of the immediacy of the adrenalin of war. Part of being a photographer, particularly a war photographer, involves long periods of time of research, investigation, depression, anger, sadness, fear and spiritual conflict. Most photographers, even in conflict zones, are still (or at least the good ones) researchers/investigators, who spend as much time away from the scene of battle, talking to people, learning about the lives of the people they’re covering. Moreover, part of being a photographer involves doubt, the very human doubt that makes one even more feel compelled to document the moments which unfurl.

This piece was absolutely a cliche-ridden, super-charged bit of testosterone pin up silliness. When a documentary proports to speak about the profession and particularly to follow reporters on the ground and engage with them and the people’s lives, they have an even more high level of responsibility to provide the viewer a richer context: of the people, their lives and the lives of the reporters.

Again, I do not blame Zoriah or Alyssa. They are not the ones who are shooting/editing this (what’s up with all those quick cut, godardian lapses of edit when they’re walking quietly in a street?), and actually, i feel kind of sorry for both of them. They both look like 2 intelligent, remarkably hard working, dedicated, concerned reporters and my compassion goes out to them for their work and their commitment.

But, as a profession, if we cant see how empty and silly this kind of “documentary work” is, we are lost. And if the public learns about Gaza or the middle east conflict through this kind of feverish and superficial bit, we are indeed lost.

Will the viewer spend more time thinking about all the shots of the boy who’d lost 3 limbs and the reasons for this or think more about Zoriah jumping down a 100-meter hole and taking shots in the near-dark.

Sorry folks, but for me, because this job is serious and because the people’s lives upon whom we all owe our livelihood and often saftey are the reason why this profession exists, it is incumbant upon all of us to contribute, the best we can, to make work that is richer than this.

No disrespect meant for the 2 journalists, my ire is reserved for the idiocy of the production team and the support of this.

Incidentally, for a much more informed documentary, can I remind the group of this documentary about the difficulty of being a conflict journalist, which features many of the Lightstalker family.

BEYOND WORDS

http://www.cbc.ca/beyondwords/

REQUIRED VIEWING!

all the best
respectfully
bob

Good points, indeed, Neal.

Well i just watched it and i have to say you did a fine job.

I did feel that only, and only just the presenter made this seem like a game show? But i disregarded that and i have to say lad you did a fine job explaining and telling you’re story of the events in Gaza along with Alissa also.

May I ask if you found out what happened to the photojournalist? It come out alright? It didnt say..

Good job to the camera man who filmed you also – he got some great shots out of it.

Thank you all for this discourse, it has been nice to hear all of your comments, even the critical ones.

For those of you who are interested in viewing the images that I took during the filming, I am beginning to post them on my blog http://www.zoriah.net (sign up for email alerts on the sidebar.) The protest shots are up and the images from Gaza will come in the next couple of weeks. I will also be working with the crew from the show to host a fundraiser for the young triple amputee, who needs funds for prosthetics and items for the family home. The fundraiser will be held on my blog and donations can be made via PayPal.

The blog should provide some of the information that the TV show lacked as well as several stories which did not make the final edit at all. You can also see the images of Israeli journalist Shimi Gat after he was shot and read about the disturbing events that happened while he was in the “care” of the border police.

Obviously another motivation in doing this project was the chance to get back to Gaza and the West Bank to work on my own projects…so if you have some time, take a look.

Thank you all again, very much, for taking the time to view the show and offer your comments.

zoriah

Here’s the link to Beyond Words – the documentary Bob suggested.

Click on Judge’s Choice (GRAPHIC) on the bottom left and it should start streaming.

I haven’t written anything here for a long time, i’m not crazy about most of what LS has become, but this time i just need to react

I watched the movie, all 5 parts. and i just puked in my own mouth a little bit.

Sorry for the crudeness, but the problem is not just the editing and the producers. Both Zoriah and Alissa took an active part in this guided tour to “action land” they both showed a total lack of understanding of the situation by making some ridiculous statements and by their approach to the situation. (ie Zoriah’s explanation of what the tunnels are built for or “They don’t have any land mines here, hey?”) and took advantage of people’s real fight and suffering for some ridiculous self PR.

For example, when they interview people for the camera, it’s not a question of editing.
The positive outcome of bullshit:

At least, Zoriah got some good pictures out of it.

(which might be published in Kol Hazman… a free City newspaper. not as suggested in the show: Ma’ariv, a national newspaper)
Alissa’s won’t see the light of day with Nati Shohat. (a private agency owner, again, not the editor or photo editor of a national newspaper.) good luck finding her photos on his website’s front page, as he said he would do in the show.

For all the new photographers out there, please don’t think this represents us. most war / conflict photographers are not superstars, have first and last names, don’t wear funny little gloves, do wear protection in conflict zones, have medical insurance and… definitely, never ask for donations. (and do know about onions and tear gas. and that bandannas won’t help you, but goggles or a gas mask will.)

p.s- i hope that at least, you got some good money out of this.

Something to remember is that this was one episode entitled “War Photographer” is one in a series for a Warner Bros. TV show called “In Harm’s Way”. It goes without saying that this was going to be a Jazzed up, MTV-ized, adrenaline pumped glossy version of photojournalism… (Who wants to go to a bull fight if the bull is Ferdinand?) W.B.‘s ultimate goal is to sell advertising time. Did they achieve that? I’m sure they did. The W.B. producers produced the “Idiots Guide to Photojournalism”; a piece for the masses. Had the show had been more in line with a PBS Frontline piece then it would have played on PBS and would have had a much different tone… and audience.

Zoriah and Alissa had an opportunity and they took it. It got them exposure. I don’t think there’s is anything wrong with that.

Just a thought…

A little OTT there Guilad.
Its a very “Hollywood” production, dumbed down for the masses, and we’ve pretty much agreed on that and, I think, we accept it as such.

To go so far as to say that it sickened you? Physically? (puke reference)
Brother, your reaction seems a little excessive to me.

And to be frank, and I truly hope you don’t take my saying this as a personal attack, I think this deterioration you feel is happening to LS is due more to responses such as yours than anything else.

The things you said are fine, but the way you said them?
I personally find my self put off more by the tone of your answer than its content.
In fact, I sort of lose interest in what you have to say, due to the tone you use.

Truly OTT.

I’m glad to see war photogs and photojournalists in general getting more mainstream exposure. The whole production felt very simplified to the process, reducing it a 1, 2, 3 step process but as a small glimpse overall I feel like it should give people not familiar a good feel for how things go.

good work Zoriah, and congrats for the exposure.

Guilad,
I am sorry this left such a bad taste in your mouth (and yes, pun intended.) So, since you have such strong views, would you mind explaining them. For instance, what do you think my description of the tunnels lacked? If you were walking into a large field on a border in a war zone would you ask your fixer if there mines…or just jump right in?

And if we are giving advice to young photographers, I would like to mention that most photojournalists wont care whether you chose to use both your first and last name. Most of us wont make fun of you if you chose to wear gloves…especially if you are wearing them while running through a field full of rocks and cactus while you are being shot at. Correct, most of us do not consider ourselves superstars, nor does anyone else consider us superstars. Medical insurance…not sure, take a poll. Yes, I do think most of us know about onions and tear gas (if you watch the episode you will notice that when we are speaking to the Israeli soldiers ahead of the protest I mention that we forgot to bring onions…so maybe, just maybe, the producers of the show asked me explain the use of onions with an interaction between myself and fixer on the street.)

As far as donations go, I am proud to say that I fund most of my work through private donations. It allows me to shoot in the field almost year round and focus on projects that have personal meaning and not just the ones that agencies and publications think will sell.

I am sorry if you feel that we made some ridiculous statements on camera. When you are filmed nearly 18 hours a day (including nightly interviews) for two weeks straight, I promise that not everything you say will be as eloquent as you would like. I also promise that when they get those 252 hours of film (18hrs x 14days) into the studio, they will cut out the parts that are not exciting enough to fit with the theme of the series. I was actually pleased that several of the points I felt were important did actually make the cuts. For an adventure tv show they did a pretty good job showing that our motivations are helping people and telling their stories to the world.

Anyway, I am sorry you did not like the show but I remain proud of the effort. I have received yet another email today from a human rights activist thanking all those involved for getting more on the subject of that region on prime time tv than they had ever seen before. Yes it is a baby step, yes it has its flaws but it will affect some people and hopefully it will prompt more of them to become active than it will make people puke in there own mouths.

That was he silliest shit I have ever seen. Please, no more of that. Respect what we do, and don’t let our profession, our calling, be turned into pornography more than it already often is. I’m speaking to anyone who is ever offered a similar 15 minutes of MTV fame. Let your pictures do the talking, or we are truly doomed.

Rubbish. I encourage anyone who is offered a similar project to take it. As documentarians and visual story tellers we owe the people of the world, and even more importantly our subjects, getting the work we produce to the largest audience possible!!

We are doomed, and what we produce truly is porn if the only people that see it are other photojournalists and those who seek it out. Do whatever it takes to get your stories to the world, even it if does involve going on MTV or any other network. Being a photojournalist is pointless if you do not get your work seen…how can it help people if no one is aware of it.

Yes, let your pictures do the talking but if someone offers them a megaphone, use it…whispering is just not loud enough!

We owe the people of the world a bucket full of sensational crap? Well, who is that show helping? really. be honest. Sorry, nothing personal man. That show had little to do with the issues, and everything to do with action heroes. I, like others here, am not really blaming you, and I do like your pictures. But please dont no one make that mistake again. please. That show embodied everything wrong with the state of “jounalism.” People need to be encouraged to read fucking books, not watch video games on TV. Stick to the stills man. Give me a brake.

Zoriah, I actually stumbled across the show just as it started and I was quite captivated. I was truly impressed with your work and being able to dice through the Hollywood bullshit it was a great to see you and your co-worker at work. As a photojournalist myself it was impressive to see you work and respect the situations you put yourselves in to tell a story. If you ever find yourself in need of a second shooter please feel free to contact me I would be honored to work next to you. As far as some of the negative feed your getting for this… just remember anyone can claim to be a perfect Super Bowl quarter back from the comforts of a couch. You did an amazing job and you should be proud.

Nick M

Eros, TJ is a little over done for me now. I’ve been there enough to actually like the food now. Thanks for the offer though.

Eros,
Sure, of course I will give you a break…I like your photos a lot too! However, as far as this issue goes, I think you are wrong. Yes, books are wonderful and PBS is wonderful and NPR is wonderful and enlightened, passionate documentaries are wonderful and I love filling my life, and the lives of my friends with them.

The people who really need to see our work are not the ones that are already following it. They get it already. They are watching PBS and listening to NPR and are paying attention to the issues. The ones who need to be informed or at least inspired to get informed are the ones who are sitting in front of the TV watching prime-time shows!!

This world needs more real life heroes mate (and no, I am not boasting that I am one.) What is wrong with looking up to people who are trying to improve the world and not just sports stars and rich celebs. Why cant doing good work be cool? Jesus, half the country would not know Africa exists if it were not for Angelina Jolie and Oprah!

We need to communicate with people on a variety of levels and we need to focus on communicating to those who are not already listening!

Helping people IS cool and fighting for what we believe in IS cool and since there will always be people in the world who want to grow up to be “action heroes” lets at least push them towards being ones that will help people and make a difference and not just sign up to work for Blackwater!

See, good work being cool is fine. I’m just saying that show was not cool. It was total sensationalism. Again, bad production, I’m not blaming you necessarily. I’m saying no one who takes their work seriously should do red headed stepchild versions of a bad “20/20” episode. Total porno. I hope you decline future projects off that ilk, because your photos are good, and this horse shit may come back to bite you and hurt your credibility as a serious journalist. Maybe not, maybe you’ll get more work because of it. As far as The people you speak of who really need to know something about the world, well, they need to be encouraged to turn off the boob tube, (unless it’s frontline.) Shows like “In harms way” do not promote learning in the way you speak of. They promote laziness. If you really want to help people, go work at a free clinic. I’m so tired of this notion that our photographs “help the people.” Photographers have been working in Palestine for decades. Are they any better off today because of us? Think hard on that one.

“If you were walking into a large field on a border in a war zone would you ask your fixer if there mines…or just jump right in?”

Thank you for proving my point: “a total lack of understanding of the situation…”

You should at least do some minimal research and try to understand the situation when going to cover anything, especially such a “dangerous war zone”. and if it is really that dangerous, why didn’t you were any protection?

p.s- when you’re already in the middle of the field… it’s too late!

“the border police had refused Shimi medical attention in hopes he would bleed to death”

“the Israelis are using bullets that change direction once in someones body, causing far more damage than a regular bullet, which would usually exit the body.”

“border police are using real bullets (with the tips dipped in rubber) for crowd control instead of actual rubber bullets, which should not penetrate the body and definitely not change direction, flatten out and cause severe damage.”

Written by Zoriah on Zoriah.net

Need i say more? do you still all blame just the producers?

Sorry, forgot to answer you about the tunnels.

The tunnels are used for carrying weapons, ammunition, explosives and militants. not food and medicine. Even after being told by Elik what they are made for, you still chose to present them to the audience under a completely false light.
But anyway these are just examples, the lack of understanding is throughout the show.

Here’s another example, when you talk about the demolished houses in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border. you say it is done in revenge by the IDF after a suicide bomb in Israel.
DO yourself a favor, go do some research about the “philadelphi route” and what caused the houses to be hit.

Guilad, thanks for all the quotes from my blog. You got some of the major points I was making but you lost the context of those points and taken out of context, like you display them, they are read as 100% truths which I never claimed they were. If you think the Israeli Border Police are saints, it would seem that you are the one that should do a bit more research.

In case you read it too quickly and missed some parts, here is what is written on my blog:

After nearly an hour of driving around searching for information on where Shimi has been taken, we intercept the border police vehicle and transfer Shimi into an ambulance that we ordered from Jerusalem. It appeared that the border police had refused Shimi medical attention in hopes he would bleed to death, which luckily did not happen.

“At the hospital, x-rays show that the bullet that entered Shimi in his upper chest had flattened out to the size of a large coin and made it all the way down to his pelvic region, puncturing a lung and possibly other organs on its path. This seemed to offer some merit to the rumor that the Israelis are using bullets that change direction once in someones body, causing far more damage than a regular bullet, which would usually exit the body. It also seemed to support the theory that the border police are using real bullets (with the tips dipped in rubber) for crowd control instead of actual rubber bullets, which should not penetrate the body and definitely not change direction, flatten out and cause severe damage.”

Yes, I mentioned weapons in the program…one of the dangers etc etc. As far as the houses go, hitting houses is one thing…turning them into Swiss cheese is another.

It has been interesting to see people’s reactions to this program and I thank all of you for your input. Unfortunately, I find that I am spending far more time than I actually have responding to comments here. Please feel free to continue the discussion without me.

Yes, photojournalism has the power to change things!! Yes, our work helps people!!! Our work educates people and without education we do not have the ability to make informed decisions!! Dont underestimate its power!

“Bullets that change direction?” For the most part they all have the potential of doing just that if they are in the .22-.25 caliber range. I did not realize there were “direction changing” bullets designed for that purpose as implied. With high velocity weapons the kinematics of trauma are different from low velocity weapons. For instance, a bullet may follow the curvature of the skull depending on the angle it enters in smaller caliber weapons. Not a good thing for a projectile to bounce around in our bodies. I’d rather be shot through and through and have my liver shredded. At least then it would be a matter of bleeding out. Couple of minutes or so tops.

The best lessons on this are found in the ER rooms in heavily gang populated areas of the US.

Just a simple lesson in kinematics of a GSW. Want to know how I know all this, just PM me.

Now back on track.
I found the documentary lacking and more of the same. I have to agree that more research should be done before showing this sort of thing to the world. I would like to see how these souls live from day to day. Like, what markets do they shop at and what schools do they go to. I could really care less what side of the border they are on and what they are using to destroy each others lives.

Best always
Paul

Hi Zoriah

I didnt care too much about the video itself. If you had fun and it was interesting then it was a good experience.

I was watching your moves and and all that, and what you carry around. One big question: Why are you not wearing a helmet? Even a plastic one protects you from a stone. And that place had a lot of stuff flying around. Was that asked by the producer or is that how you always shoot?

In riots that involve stones and teargas I always wear a helmet. I must look like an idiot but I can not afford to loose too much braincells anymore if I get accidentally hit ;-)

Curious!

OK, I defended the show earlier because despite its flaws, I think the general public, who know very little about what is happening in the world, would walk away knowing a little more about what is happening there. Regarding what you are saying in your blog though, the gross errors indicate ignorance, bias, or both. In this case I think it would be better if nobody had to read propaganda such as this.

The wound you are describing has the bullet entering a man’s upper chest and coming to rest near the pelvis. There is nothing unusual about any bullet fired from an M16/M4 not exiting the body when it has to travel through that much flesh and possibly bone. Almost all rifle bullets will “change direction” (yaw/tumble as ballisticians would say) when they enter a body. The standard issue round used by IDF and border police is basically a copy of the SS109 round used by ALL of NATO. There is nothing evil or inhumane about it. In fact after Somalia, it’s been criticized for being too “humane” and zipping right through the targets and not stopping them right away unlike the round it replaced which reliably fragmented causing much uglier wounds(M193). Either way, this idea of inhumane bullets is self righteous drivel, if an IDF soldier sees someone about to set off a bomb or fire an RPG, he needs a round that will stop the perpetrator right away, not after he killed 20 innocent people. The only bullets fired from std issue rifles of any country that don’t “change direction, flatten out and cause severe damage” are armor piercing bullets and if they used those, I’m sure bleeding hearts would be bleeding even more. Although it doesn’t make for a good story to paint the Israeli soldiers/police as evil oppressors, those are the facts.

I knew I’d seen those little gloves somewhere before…

http://www.tombraider.com/server.php?change=LandingPage

Once again, the post does not offer anything as truths, it just states that the rumor among many Palestinians that Israel has a bullet designed to cause extra damage in a persons body would seem to be backed up by events like this. I have added to the blog post after Tommy and Pauls comments, it now reads:

At the hospital, x-rays show that the bullet that entered Shimi in his upper chest had flattened out to the size of a large coin and made it all the way down to his pelvic region, puncturing a lung and possibly other organs on its path. This seemed to offer some merit to the rumor that the Israelis are using bullets that change direction once in someones body, causing far more damage than a regular bullet, which would usually exit the body. Others, who seem to know much more about ballistics than I would ever claim to, say that such behavior is standard for most rifle bullets and that there is no such thing as a bullet specifically designed to change direction upon penetration. Either way it seems to support the theory that the border police are using real bullets (with the tips dipped in rubber) for crowd control instead of actual rubber bullets, which should not penetrate the body or change direction, flatten out and cause severe damage."

Any way you look at it, it seems a shame that the Border Police would target a journalist with any kind of bullet, much less one with the potential to do this kind of damage. Once again, Shimi is a journalist an not a masked man with a rock sling.

This has become quite a thread. Dialogue is always good, and Zoriah has been a god sport, probably one of the few threads on LS that actually retain any meaning, so thank you for that.

But, as I stated earlier, I don’t buy the argument that you did this to reach a larger audience, in fact I find that a bullshit answer. You haven’t answered why you felt the need to be there, I have yet to hear what the motivation was other than some generalizations about ‘bearing witness’ and shedding light on an issue few Americans know about. What did you bring to the story? Why you being there is important? Is nobody else there that could not have taken the same type of shots that you did? What did you say that no one else has said? Please, find something that connects to you and that you feel can contribute to the larger dialogue in the world on whatever issue you feel so desired to tell. This In ’n Out business is doing nobody any good, not the viewer, not the people in the program and not the American viewing public.

I still believe pictures can do a lot of good, but not when the pictures become about you.

Lastly, and I am not going on a personal attack, I looked at your website under the workshops category, and your same attitude that you displayed in the film is displayed in your course selection for your workshops. The first one, stay in an AIDS hospice in Cambodia for a week and learn how to shoot a photo essay on said topic; India, spending a week photographing the ‘beggars’; Indonesia, child drug addicts, spend a week shooting them inhale glue, I mean the list is endless and this just displays your lack of understanding of any issue. I’m sorry to say, but entering into these people’s lives for a week at a time, how does that advance their story, rather than your own (or the workshop participants?) In the end, all it comes down to is: “I’m a Photojournalist. I care.” How does any of this advance the cause of the people you photograph?

Now that’s just mean… all Zoriah wanted is to post a self glorifying message on LS and we’re all being mean to him…

All he wanted was “to bring a few issues of significance into the laps of the American prime-time tv viewers”. and i agree with him, it’s important for Joe the plumber to see for the 1000th time that the Hammas is building tunnels exclusively to transfer explosives and weapons through Egypt. it is also important for Jane McRedneck to see for the 1000’s time that every Friday for over 5 years there is an orchestrated theater show in a single tiny village in the west bank against a separation wall that has reduced terrorism in Israel by 80%.

But more than anything, it is important for the public to see what has become of photojournalism, maybe it’ll jolt the publications into putting money back into the freelance community so that freak shows like this one never happen again. and photographers don’t have to beg for donations but rather make a living from selling their photos if their photos deserve it.

Ignorance is bliss.

Donald, the reason for most of my work is to try to help people understand what others have to live through. I have always felt that if western eyes were able to see what people in the developing world went through on a daily basis, this would change their views, open their minds and help them realize that there is a huge world out there and that not everyone is as lucky as they are. I believe in the power of education and as an educational tool photography brings an emotional element to the table that can connect people to an issue in a way that no other medium can.

Could other people take these types of shots…yes, absolutely and I hope they do! We need as many people out there as possible taking pictures and getting them seen by the world. My photography speaks to some people and it may not to others, so I am happy to know there are others shooting the same stories and getting the message out in every way they can.

The suggestions in the workshop section of my site are there to give people ideas about things that they could document. I encourage my students to come up with their own ideas and tell stories that are close to their own hearts. Can they tell the whole story in ten day…no. Could they in one year, no. We do our best with the time and resources we have.

How does this help people…listen, like I mentioned before, we are educators. We are the eyes for people who will never go out and see these thing on their own. Photography effects people on an emotional level and can prompt them to do anything from donate to worthy causes to getting involved in their communities or work overseas. Even if the only thing it does is make someone say “wow, that’s tough…I didn’t know people were living like that” it does good…it effects people and educates people and in the end that will benefit our society.

Honestly, it feels strange to explain these things. I am really a bit surprised that I am having too. It does not bother if you question my motives and my style or anything else because I am following me heart and would rather be true to myself and my beliefs than what people think I should be doing.

Ok, now…I really am going to leave this thread. Thanks again to all who participated…it has been interesting!

Just a quick chime in about the above developments:

the questioning of one’s work is CRITICAL and any good photographer (or writer, teacher, postman, barber) welcomes the valid criticism and warrants conversation about the work. In a world filled by sensationalism as defining real pain, death, sadness, suffering, history, it is even more important that these issues not get swept beneath the rug but discussed, even argued about loudly, in the full light of day…

I trust and hope (think), that the great benefit of this “doc” and this thread is that Zoriah and others (me included) will see the importance of debate and more importantly the importance of decision making…

This kind of discussion is what used to keep me here at LS and I am happy that it is still extant…even if it’s brought out by a TV program…

the points that Guilad ( I miss his bad-ass comments, ‘because they are real and get at the heart of the matter without soft applause and i love them), Eros, Don, Paul and others have added are critical for Zoriah and each of us to consider…it’s what i had tried to offer as well…this is not an example of a thread devolving, but EXPANDING: to get at very important questions about the role and job of a journalist, again,

remember, each of us owes our lives and our livelinhoods (and our CV) to other people’s lives and suffering…we must never forget that…and our work and the portrayal of that must not trump or shower over those other lives….that’s just ego and chauvinism, we need to do better and i see all of our criticism of this piece in that light…because if we do not make a better difference in how WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES, we’re doomed and fucked and our work will do nothing, let alone speak about suffering or the reality of others lives…we must re-constitute our selves and our perspectives…otherwise, we’re just fucking living in 90210…

just a reminder, if you havent seen it, to catch

CBC’s Beyond Words….

bob

ps. being critical is NOT arm chair quaterbacking at all…put reflection from being and doing a job that matters, matters more than the names on our passes…

the one part of the show that i personally found most interesting was seeing the way these two specific PJs have approached selling/marketing/publicizing their work, through their decisions to participate in the TV show, but especially in beeing able to watch the way they approached these editors trying to sell their work.

obviously, the presence of the TV crew must have had some influence on how those meetings went. but it was interesting to see all the same, to demystify the whole process for someone as inexperienced as myself. Personally, i’ve always found it very difficult ‘selling myself’, so i did find that part of the show was helpful to me because i can’t recall ever seeing that process documented (in most other docs about PJs you only see them working with editors who they already have long-standing relationships with).

so despite the very valid criticisms noted above, i do feel like i got something very positive out of watching the show. but also the discussions in this thread (as well as the Nachtwey TED thread) have also been very helpful (at least to me) as it has highlighted the importance of thinking long and hard about the balancing act of having to sell oneself as a product while at the same time being very careful not to jeopardize one’s credibility and integrity, without which we would not be albe to really do justice to the stories we are covering.

Zoria himself acknowledges that this show does not do justice to the complexities of the situation in Gaza. I don’t know what kind of impression it will leave with it’s target audience, but it has obviously generated a great deal of thought and debate within this community. and it is helpful that we can all learn something from Zoria’s and Alyssa’s experiment.

thanks for sharing

I’d be gutted if I was in Zoriah’s shoes and this was how my work was represented. You’re catering to the lowest common denominator, your supposed message is being massaged into easily digestible sound bites while at the same time being drowned out over the shaky camera angles, overly loud camera clicks and extreme sports style music.

The false chemical prints flashing on my screen are also a perfect example of everything that is wrong with this documentary.

At the risk of beating a dead horse…

Regardless of what you think of the video or Zoriah I would like to add that I don’t think it’s any of our places to judge another photographer’s motivations. Even Nachtwey said in War Photographer that his motivations changed over time (I believe it was in response to a question during his gallery show at ICP).

A separate issue that I wouldn’t mind hearing people expand on is when Alyssa (sp? the female shooter) was taken to photograph the Islamic Jihad and they appeared to be posing specifically for her to make photographs. I can understand that it is hard to explain the ethics of photojournalism to people that don’t speak your language when you are taken to a secret location and lots of angry men with guns just start posing for you… but it seemed like nothing but the creation of propaganda.

What do you do in a situation like that?

Edward, you have raised some really important points…

Though I think everyone should question their motivations and others, constantly…

I always go back to the ethics of good journalism, call me old fashioned but if you are representing a story (especially in the first person, certainly not my gig to be the story- but each to their own) which is meant to be in the public interest, then it behoves you to represent it truthfully and I am sorry I couldn’t watch the whole ‘documentary’ as I believe the coverage was completely skewed towards the producers viewpoints and that was to SELL an hour long piece of TV.

I agree, mostly, with Donald and Guilhad and it seems to me the commercial interests of this have far outweighed any ‘message’ you may have been wanting to deliver…

Anyway, just one question, Zoriah have you seen ’Don’t mess with the Zohan’?

(G, how are you my old mate? Long time no hear, promise next time I am in Bangers I will certainly organize to have that beer…)

It’s all a bit like “Saving I Zoriah”, …. anyway I am off to find a fancy pair of sunnies for me horse

You made a video that now is in the public domain so no amount of posturing, squirming and squealing by you Zoria is going to change the publics’/critics’ take of it plus spare us the lines of trite justijfication

“How does this help people…listen, like I mentioned before, we are educators. We are the eyes for people blah balah balhin the end that will benefit our society.”

….it seems that an ego has been dented here

james miller..
‘death in gaza’ is an astonishing film.. the friendships covered.. the conflict as a backdrop.

the social pornography film this thread is instigated to discuss is appaulling.. the war photographer becomes a parody of itself.. tragic.. a pimp of suffering.

zoriah – i like your eye and appreciate your experiment in new means of storytelling..and funding… BUT keep as much control of the production as you keep on your stillphotos and the results would be better..

and cover up a little.. a journalist without armour or insurance who is wounded becomes a liability to the very people they are seeking to help.

having photographed hardship in my youth i also have problems with the subjects of your workshops.. do they figure in the profit margin or is it just photographically that they may benifit..?

in any case.. respect and keep on..

I just joined LS a few weeks ago and so far have really enjoyed debates like this one.
I’m quite new to this job so I may be lacking insight but I find some of the remarks on this thread really over the top. I’ve watched the doc and yes it’s not great, the first minutes were really cringing to be honest, but if I unsderstood well it’s one of a series of a cheesy reality tv show about people who risk their lives, not about the israelo-palestinian conflict, I mean, I loved ‘War Photographer’ with Nachtwey, but even with a quality piece like that, you are not watching it to seriously inform yourself about the Rwandan genocide or the conflict in Northern Ireland, ultimatly it’s a doc about Nachtwey and not much else. And all this nasty stuff about what they’re wearing, honestly who cares… Some in the thread questionned Zoriah’s motivations while agreeing that the photos he got out of that trip weren’t bad, and he managed to bring them to some audience, so isn’t it what matters ? My partner is a text journalist and he always remarks on how PJs are so harsh with one another, he says it’s like if everytime he was writing a piece his colleagues would jump at his throat if it wasn’t demonstrating the same level of commitment of a Robert Fisk or a Mark Tully, and by reading this thread I couldn’t agree more with him.
I agree with a lot of the criticism, even with my lack of experience I guess I may have approach the subject a bit differently, I may have tried to keep greater control over the final edit of the doc and maybe do some research to find some angle which hasn’t been documented yet, but even well established photographers like Pep Bonet for instance say they don’t like to do too much research before they go somewhere, people work differently and have different motives for doing what they do, criticism is healthy but the tone could be a bit gentler.
And Guilad are you a PR for the Israeli Army ? It’s common knowledge that the IDF are no angels with journalists, check the CPJ reports on the subject, to say that doesn’t make the Hamas look nicer or the palestinian cause more worthy, so why the defensive attitude ? Are you actually monitoring every tunnel in Gaza to be able to say with such confidence that only weapons and explosives are smuggled in ?
eve

Funny how the moment someone says something in favor of Israel he is accused of being in the PR for the IDF…

Sorry Gidi, but that was a bit my point, I don’t think being pro palestinian or pro israeli has its place here, reading Guilad comments I just found it funny that someone being so virulent about one’s professionalism and journalistic integrity is also expressing such clear cut opinions about the tunnels or IDF intentions, isn’t self doubt and permanent questionning also at the basis of good journalism ?

I also found strange that on a thread discussing the morality of certain PJ’s and their ability to empathize and engage with their subjects, no one reacted to the comment made by Tommy Huynh on ‘humane’ and ‘inhumane bullets’ and ‘targets’ and all the rest, I almost find it more shocking coming from a photographer than the silly programm we are meant to discuss.

Anyway, just a thought.

Eve, what exactly was it about my post that you feel people should have reacted to? Bullets are made to kill, is that a surprise?

"isn’t self doubt and permanent questionning also at the basis of good journalism"

If you actually believed that, you would have been offended by what Zoriah wrote. Instead you are here defending his reportage which was formed by latching onto rumors and hearsay in order to paint the Israeli soldiers/police with bias. Nobody said the IDF/Magav were angels, but if a journalist carelessly or willingly spreads false and biased information, shouldn’t we take exception if we are to be as objective as you claim to be?

Sorry Eros, I thought I was very clear.
On LS when ever someone says anything in favor of Israel he is attacked as being in Israel’s PR or biased towards Israel.

What do you want me to do? Find you these threads and point them out?
Don’t see what was weak…

Its a well known fact – defending Israel can only lead to you being attacked yourself.

“yeah, he loves Israel. Anyone who’s spent time on LS knows that.” that proves exactly what Gidi said. Eros, you have no idea what or who i love. and just like Gidi said, as soon as you say something that doesn’t completely condemn Israel, you “love israel”, also the way you say it, like it would be something bad if i did? that is just a little more antisemitic than what LS should be. it also shows extreme ignorance.

Please quote me, where i expressed a personal opinion about Palestinians or Israelis, the tunnels, the bullets, or idf intentions i quoted Zoriah for writing this crap on his web site. this is a photographer who’s been in the business just a few years but already permits himself to judge journalists who have been covering the situation for as long as he’s been alive. “here’s a terrible article”, pointing to a local article about an event he witnessed but failed to understand.

Then he has the audacity to try and give others a lesson about photojournalism, wow!

If you have something to say that contributes to this debate, either pro or con Zoriah’s TV show, please do so.

If you’re just here to start a fight with other people because you think other people’s opinion aren’t valid for WHATEVER reason, or if it’s just to open your redneck mouth and get some attention, i’m sure there are some great forums for that. (stormfront.org)

Actually Guilad, having met Eros personaly I can assure you he doesn’t “Hate Jews”, but I do think he may be leaning into the bias which is fueled so strongly on LS.

Eros, I have a lot of respect for you, and don’t want thins to come off as a personal attack, but it is a simple fact – on LS you are free to have and voice your own opinion, as long as it isn’t in favor of Israel.

Guilad didn’t voice an opinion, he stated facts, and got condemned for it, simply because he came of as pro Israel.
Similarly, Zoriah who I also think highly of, allowed his preconcieved ideas of Israel to side blind him, which made him see bias where there was none.

I chose long ago to not argue in Israels favor on LS, because I would simply get burned for it.
People often speak of how LS is deteriorating… I don’t know, I’m relatively new here, but I’m guessing this is one of the things they talk about.

My criticism of the show, was the lack of understanding it offered. It didn’t talk about the background of the conflict at all. I agree with other comments that the film crew were in as much danger. The fact they took two film crews to the same point of conflict jarred with me. you could clearly see the other crew in shot yet it was cut as if they were in different places.

I wont comment about Zoriah or the other photographer because I feel that the show was edited in such a way as to sterilize their existence, if the audience were to empathize with them for the job they did it wouldn’t be entertaining, and would leave the audience with a jarred feeling. This would have been good for a documentary but not as a “sports show”. It does paint them adrenaline junkies which i object to.

I know it seems pointless but the reason i want to be conflict photographer is because i want to tell the story of the people in need, suffering injustice, oppression, those murdered, “displaced” etc. This show makes the profession look like a thrill seekers job.

Ah man I watched approx 40 seconds of that video and it made my crinch.

The dumb arse questions, are there mines here, whats that teargas!! I’m suprised you did’nt ask if they were real guns…I don’t know what else to say but it was the worst thing I have ever seen.

Zoriah if you think that has enhanced your reputation you are seriously mis-guided. For the producers it was just another “chewing gum for the eye’s” for the stupid audience.

For fuck sake is “Reality TV” taking over all our miserable lives.

Sorry but is was just unbearable to watch.

If you want to see the reality of war check this film made by the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen.

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/812940

Tommy, I never defended Zoriah’s work, I merely commented on the irony of some of the comments, when one is attacking someone’s professional integrity, and that is one of the most important thing for a journalist or photojournalist right ?so quite a serious accusation, one should also display balanced insight into an issue as complicated and delicate as this one, and Guilad’s attitude or comments about the tunnels, the demo, or the wall of separation didn’t come accross as balanced or informative for that matter.

As for your comment, surely any bits of weaponry be it an IDF bullet, a shrapnel from a Hamas rocket or an anti personal mine in Ouganda that is going to go through someone’s body, tumbling through or not, is always ‘evil and inhumane’, I may sound very naïve on that but I’ll stick to it.

Guilad, I am not sure if your accusations of starting a fight with other people and being an attention seeking redneck are intended to me, I hope the one about hating Jews isn’t because that would be really funny.

Either way, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I just felt naively that our job as photojournalists is also to go beyond the politics of a place and fight our own personal bias, I guess when covering conflicts one sometimes tend to feel or empathize more with one side than the other, but if someone would come to me saying the tunnels in Gaza only transport medicine and food, my natural instinct would be to seriously question that, as I do the other way around.
Of course, I may have understood you the wrong way around and yes my experience clearly doesn’t compares to yours, and yes the show into which Zoriah features is not good, but as you are so eloquently inclined to judge other PJ’s professionalism, you should at least accept criticism without having to retrieve to stupid accusations like ‘hating Jews’ and all the rest.

Bests

No Eve, that wasn’t really for you, but more for Eros. But, if you feel that i have overlooked your ignorance (or lack of ability to read), then feel free to apply my advice to yourself as well. i wouldn’t want you to feel ignored.

A word of advice: (not just for Eve)

Respect yourself, respect your profession. do some research when you do a story. know where you’re going, know what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, who you’re doing it with. Learn the difference between propaganda and information, inform yourself, then inform your viewers.

Eros: not fun when your crap comes back to bite you? don’t you think that writing that “i love Israel” and such on a public forum, given the amount of time i work in Muslim countries is a tad bit irresponsible?

Good for you for “liking my frankness” but your wild accusation are much more dangerous than mine. My politics? you haven’t the slightest idea what my political views are.

“I was informing Eve that it’s Guilad, and he talks shit about everything”… and who the fuck are you? the welcoming committee? it’s exactly this attitude that made me stop writing on LS a year ago, and as you’ve noticed, i’m not the only one who left. Thanks for reminding me.

As Gidi said: “Its a well known fact – defending Israel can only lead to you being attacked yourself.” and you just proved it, and that my friend, is pure redneck. the funniest part is that i didn’t even defend Israel, not once, read the post! all i did is quote Zoriah’s ignorance on his website. but since his ignorance is against Israel, it shouldn’t be attacked? are you for real?

Dude, you are so incredibly rude. At least speak to me in a civil manner. I’ll take your point about said quote (although I think it’s just weak retaliation or you would have screamed about it earlier in your utterly foul way.) If your so concerned about your security because of what I said, why do you keep repeating the “dangerous” quote in all your posts?
But because I am a reasonable man I have deleted the “dangerous” post I wrote about you. Which by the way, you still fail to recognize as light-hearted humor, and possibly even friendliness. You are not welcome then. I will never welcome you again, how’s that? It’s up to you now to erase what you will. Including the outright lie you wrote about me.
Just delete the post.

Generally speaking, the inability for some LS’s to stick with the thread concerning the video in question, and instead attack each other is an indication of the smallness of gray matter, of phallus size, and of professional relevance.

Eros, there you go, hope it makes you happy.

I deleted some of the post although you haven’t deleted the “talking shit” post.

Bravo, you’ve managed to divert the attention from the discussion on Zoriah’s work to this stupid argument. react to the reactions instead of reacting to the actions.

Thanks again for reminding me why i haven’t posted on LS in a year, this experience should last me another year.

fuck you for coming, glad to not see you in a year

“Generally speaking, the inability for some LS’s to stick with the thread concerning the video in question, and instead attack each other is an indication of the smallness of gray matter, of phallus size, and of professional relevance”

followed by “fuck you for coming, glad to not see you in a year” ………………. hummmn you sorta got me there!

exactly, strange artist person

An outsider’s view:
1. Misguided Zoriah with no last name expects to promote himself positively on LS
2. Non-working, desperate photographers bash him for his efforts
3. Cynical photographers bash the tv show
4. Angry photographers use thread to direct attention to their own psychological issues.
5. Zoriah, the man with no last name, tries in vain to defend himself to no avail, because there’s nothing to defend.
6. Small-phallused, small-brained photographers jump in for the kill, hoping to resurrect their unknown name in a tiny-internet-circle, known as LS.
7. Anyone who calls them on this shit gets castrated online.
8. No chance of getting back on topic, so entire conversation gets shut down.
9. Experienced photographers with something good to say get spooked, and avoid LS altogether.

10. Monica goes in for the kill same same but different ……………….. now about those sunnies for my avatar

11. Another (misguided) post by Monica involving derogatory comments relating to the penis.

As far as I can tell you’re the only one here with any sexually charged commentary by the way.

Is it just me? Or are there too many members of the Morris family in this proffession?

:)

Tis cool though hey? :-) We could be related as well!

Monica Vasquez is my hero. Leave the lady alone.

some kind of conspiracy…

toby morris
Tara Morris
Sam Morris
Ryan K Morris
Rod Morris
Oliver Morris
Jonathan JK Morris
John Morris
Jim Morris
David Paul Morris
Dan Morris
Christopher J Morris
Will Morris
Stephen Morris
Shannon Morris
Sarah Morris
Paul Morris
Oliver Morris
John Morris
James Morris
Errol Morris
damon morris
al morris

oh and the gloves are cute, it seems the whole “in harms way show” is made so they can latter sell action dolls and all the other guys/gals get to wear gloves. wouldn’t be a proper if the photographer doll didn’t have gloves.

z, not a personal attack, couldn’t really care less but you realize you put yourself up for a certain amount of flack for fitting the gi joe stereotype just a little too well.

Don’t forget this Morris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_the_Cat

Morris the cat rocks.
By the way Jonathan – I’m British too (I’m not in England now, but my roots are there), so who knows ;)

Good riddance Guilad. This thread was over anways, and if you did not read before you spouted off, I indeed contributed to the original theme. all that needed to be said was said. I deleted the post where I called you on your bullshit as well. But my main point was to satisfy your “concern” about the love for a nation part.which as I thought, was total shite, as you still have my qoutes up on your posts. so you must not be too concerned. Hope never to hear from your foul mouth again. see ya, wouldnt wanna’ be ya. Signed: loud mouth redneck (you dumb-ass, I’m from Berkeley – last place your gonna find a red-neck)

In the words of Rodney King….“Can’t we all get along?”