VIRTUAL ESSAY

When I was in high school, I had taken an elective of Journalism. At the time, the war in Afghanistan was really big. My teacher had given us an assignment of researching the cause and effect of the war to the people who lived there, and the effect it had on Canada as a nation. I wanted to include photos of war to give more of an impact on my presentation. The way I went about getting photos was to just Google them, that is when I stumbled across the photographic work of James Nachtwey.

James Nachtwey is an American man born and raised in Massachusetts. Photos that came from the Vietnam war and the American Civil Rights Movement had a great effect on him, which ultimately led him to become a photographer. He has covered many wars from Afghanistan, Bosnia, Vietnam to Rwanda. 

A few weeks ago I was looking through some of my old magazines of Vanity Fair and saw a picture captured by Eddie Adams. I thought that the picture may have been taken by Nachtwey and when I checked to see who  it was from it said Eddie Adams. I knew then that these two were the perfect match for this project.

Starvation, Haiti 1976; Photograph by Adams

Rwanda, 1994, Survivor of Hutu Death Camp; Photograph by Nachtwey

Both of the pictures show the effect of a war, although they may not be the same war the effect is the same, pain and suffering. The photographs both focus on the boys in it, the background is doing what it should to help bring out the subject even more. Both of the pictures are in black and white, which about a week ago I learned helped bring out a certain emotion to help make the photograph have an impact, and in this case is sadness.

Most of Nachtwey and Adams' photographs are in black and white. I feel that it is only right to give that feeling of sadness because after all their photographs are about different types of war. 

World Trade Center Construction, 1973; Photgraph by Adams

Ruins of World Trade Center; Photograph by Nachtwey

After doing research on Eddie Adams, I came across this  picture of the World Trade Center being built. It immediately reminded me of Nachtwey's photograph on the same subject but in ruins.

Israeli Soldier, 1970; Photograph by Adams

Mourning a brother killed by a Taliban rocket; Photograph by Nachtwey

The certain thing that I love about both of these photographers is that they do not tell whomever it is they are taking a picture of how to pose or act in the picture. It is all in the moment, a picture they see in their minds to be great that they need to take a photograph of it. In these photographs, both Adams and Nachtwey have captured a moment of misery. I feel that the Israeli soldier is taking a moment of his time to sit and think about who he is protecting and who he is fighting. From his posture it makes me think that he feels miserable. While the photograph by Nachtwey shows a sisters misery of losing a brother. What I love about these pictures is that even though both of the subjects faces are covered I can feel the emotion that they are feeling through the way the photograph was taken.

Chinese Soldiers, Pecking; Photograph by Adams

Mujahedin praying while on an operation against the
Soviet army; Photograph by Nachtwey

The two photos above are similar in the way that they are about a group of soldiers coming together to fight for their cause. I though it was brilliant that both Adams and Nachtwey took a photograph like this and to add they both took it in a color instead of black and white.

Haitian women waiting for food, 1976; Photograph by Adams

Jubilation at announcement of Suharto's resignation; Photograph by Nachtwey

When I saw the picture of the Haitian women I just wanted them to be happy, the looks on their faces made me sad and angry. The emotions caused by that picture made me want to help find a solution to their problems so that they could celebrate. This emotion brought me back to the photograph by Nachtwey of the joy and celebration that ensued after Suharto's resignation. Even though the pictures similarities is only limited to a group of men and women to the black and white effect, the emotions that a photograph brings is another aspect that i truly appreciate. 
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 "Exhibition - Robert Adams." Matthew Marks Gallery. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.matthewmarks.com/exhibitions/2003-11-08_robert-adams/>.

"Eddie Adams Prints | Eddie Adams Photographs | Eddie Adams Photos." Monroe Gallery | Black    and White Photography. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. <http://www.monroegallery.com/photographers/display/id/66>.