Quote :

"Maybe victimizing yourself to fulfill your greed for fame and praise is truly the fatal flaw."

Some of the comments in this thread are some of the most ignorant things I've read here, or anywhere else for that matter, in a long time.

He's been one of the world's leading conflict photographers for a long time. This wasn't his first rodeo. He knew what he was doing, what he was getting himself into. You really think Chris was doing it for the fame? That he was greedy somehow? If so, I feel bad for you and the way you view the world.

The last reason someone decides to become a journalist is fame or greed. The shitty hours, shitty pay, shitty working conditions, and in his case the constant threat of death do a pretty good job of weeding out people who don't truly want to do the job. I doubt Chris said to himself "Well... I didn't get the interview for that desk job so I guess I'll take my camera into a warzone because I have no other options." He loved what he did, and he was exceptional at it. The photographers/journalists who cover the raw stuff like this are as much heroes as the troops (and before some of you get butthurt over this statement, my father and brother are both active military and have spent time overseas).

You underestimate the power an image has to act as a catalyst for action and to facilitate real change. The world is indebted to him and his colleagues who do the job that some of you can't begin to wrap your brains around. If it weren't for him and people like him, the atrocities that happen would go unchecked.

I'd met Chris only once, but he was a rad dude, and when I was first getting involved in photojournalism his images were a huge inspiration to me. For some of you to sit here and say these things about a fellow alum and the invaluable work he did blows my mind.

4/21/2011 3:54:18 PM

I don't understand what the argument is..


Journalists know better than we do how dangerous these places are... obviously they are only there because they care about reporting it to us. If they die then yes its sad, but i'm not about to shed a tear... they know where they are and what the risks are. Plenty of people die in situations that are actually beyond their control every single day and i don't cry over that...

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

4/21/2011 3:56:29 PM

You don't have to shed a tear, that's fine. But saying he was over there for reasons like greed or desire for fame is disrespectful and ignorant. Saying he was stupid and that he shouldn't have been there documenting these conflicts is also ignorant.

I suppose expecting TWW to show some respect, even for fellow Wolfpack, is too much to ask.

Carry on with whatever ill-informed notions you have of what he contributed to the world and what he should/shouldn't have been doing.

4/21/2011 4:00:50 PM

....and here we have Ronny being Ronny, ITT.

[Edited on April 21, 2011 at 4:03 PM. Reason : e]

4/21/2011 4:02:46 PM

^^We wolfwebbers work our jobs anonymously and for charity, its not too much to ask this journalist to do the same

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

4/21/2011 4:03:46 PM

Just because you will never be nominated for Best Sandwich Artist doesn't mean you have to be jealous of someone else's accomplishments and resulting fame.

4/21/2011 4:14:53 PM

hahaha

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

4/21/2011 4:15:22 PM

However, you also probably wouldn't be in danger from deadly shrapnel and cross fire while restocking the cooler.

4/21/2011 4:17:39 PM

Quote :

"But would the world be worse off if people didn’t have access to war zones and didn’t know what was going on in places like Misrata? Who would benefit from that? I can only imagine it would be war criminals, murderers, rapists, dictators, war profiteers – they would be the ones who would benefit by a lack of exposure in conflict zones."

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/21/6508054-why-do-journalists-risk-their-lives-in-war-zones-

4/21/2011 6:45:59 PM

The loss of life is sad, but not completely unforeseeable given the proclivity towards sticking his hand into the hornets nest of battle time and time again.

Prayers to his family. Nobody should have to lose a son, brother, and friend this early in life.




Oh, and uh... photojournalism ruined war. Look at the popular opinion of US involvement in wars from before the involvement of combat photographers through today, and that's basically indisputable. The more cameras that are on the battlefield, the more the public at large is shown the horrors, the less support they have for the cause - no matter how just or noble it may be.

4/21/2011 7:02:10 PM

somewhat off topic, but, I just saw this:

U.S. to use armed Predator drones in Libya

4/21/2011 7:04:50 PM

Quote :

"Oh, and uh... photojournalism ruined war. Look at the popular opinion of US involvement in wars from before the involvement of combat photographers through today, and that's basically indisputable. The more cameras that are on the battlefield, the more the public at large is shown the horrors, the less support they have for the cause - no matter how just or noble it may be."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Szathmari
Combat photography isn't a recent concept. It's just more prevalent.

4/22/2011 4:49:39 PM

what cause is noble enough to kill for

4/22/2011 4:50:12 PM

4/22/2011 4:55:26 PM

Jesus

Allah

oil

land

4/22/2011 4:55:37 PM

Quote :

"If they die then yes its sad, but i'm not about to shed a tear... they know where they are and what the risks are. Plenty of people die in situations that are actually beyond their control every single day and i don't cry over that..."

So fucking what? Why even say this?

Quote :

"Oh, and uh... photojournalism ruined war. "

And fundamentalism rears its ugly head again

Funny how it's always the idealists who faithfully defend brutality

Quote :

"what cause is noble enough to kill for"

If he were honest he'd say god and race

[Edited on April 22, 2011 at 5:35 PM. Reason : .]

4/22/2011 5:32:41 PM

Quote :

"there's no bravery, cowardice, greed, avarice, or whatever involved here."

Disagree.

There is a great amount of personal courage that is involved in pursuing your passion in life, regardless what it is, but especially when it is something that is so risky both financially and physically. To adopt photography as your craft, to seek to make a living on it independently on the merits of your own skill and to seek to pursue something as dangerous and technically challenging as war photography is bold indeed. Granted, different men pursue different dreams . . . some noble and some evil . . . but to ignore the bravery involved is to miss what it is to be human.

Quote :

"If they die then yes its sad, but i'm not about to shed a tear... they know where they are and what the risks are."

Knowing men and women like this, they do not want your pity. They want to be appreciated for their work and for the information they brought to light to remain in the light.



[Edited on April 29, 2011 at 1:31 PM. Reason : .]

4/29/2011 1:28:26 PM

Photojournalism ruined war because it forces people to acknowledge how much it sucks. I have a good friend at work that is fundamentalist Christian and has the typical right-wing political view ("America, fuck yeah!") but she won't even watch a somewhat-realistic conflict movie like "Blackhawk Down" or "Hurt Locker" because she thinks its too graphic and violent. I think its important to have at least a rudimentary understanding of what happens in war because the shit ain't pretty. I'd love it if war was more like some Mel Gibson the-good-guy-always-wins summer blockbuster where everything is cool, but its not.

4/29/2011 10:47:14 PM

i am sorry for the family and their loss.

4/30/2011 12:46:14 AM