Hi Robert, firstly thank you for the IAma I've been following you closely since I saw the VICE trailer. Been looking forward this all week.
When you started out in Bosnia another journo said you had an 'aura of bad luck'. Do you think that was bullshit? Is it still around today?
Have you ever gone back to Bosnia or Chechnya and caught up with some of the subjects? Is it better to let sleeping dogs lie?
In the latest Vice piece, where the hospital was bombed, it looked like you could have done some amazing shots.
Where is your personal line between documenting the event/situation and being a participant? Would you have felt like a dick just going up to some dazed guys who've just been bombed yet would have made great pictures.
Do you think that there is such a thing as 'war porn'? ie people not really empathizing with the subject but just enjoying the combat shots.
With years of experience in war zones, do you ever worry about becoming numb or apathetic about the scenes you're capturing?
On the flipside, do you experience any PTSD or survivors guilt when you come back home (knowing the war's still going on).
What do you search for in your photographs? Is it to capture 'truth'? Is it to report? Both? (sorry it's a bit of a vague question and better said verbally).
How do you feel going into situations where there's a good a chance of you dying? Do you have a peace with the possibility of death? Or is it like a constant 'fuck you i've got me and my family to look after'.
How do you not end up like Austin Tice? He was an ex-marine but the army still kidnapped him. Is it just a roll of the dice game?
What is something you wish someone told you when you were starting out?
What advice would you give to someone looking into war photography/reporting from war zones?
I thought of joining the army reserves (non NATO country). Do you think that would be a good way to get medical/survival training and so that I can handle it when I'm embedded with rebels for months on end? I worry that I would be indoctrinated by military thought and lose my objectivity.
What is the best way a young journalist can make contacts? You got contacts through activist groups right - who do you know who to trust?
Sorry for the long questions.
Thank you again for all your work and I wish you the best of luck.
backseatfreestyle64 karma
Hi Robert, firstly thank you for the IAma I've been following you closely since I saw the VICE trailer. Been looking forward this all week.
When you started out in Bosnia another journo said you had an 'aura of bad luck'. Do you think that was bullshit? Is it still around today?
Have you ever gone back to Bosnia or Chechnya and caught up with some of the subjects? Is it better to let sleeping dogs lie?
In the latest Vice piece, where the hospital was bombed, it looked like you could have done some amazing shots. Where is your personal line between documenting the event/situation and being a participant? Would you have felt like a dick just going up to some dazed guys who've just been bombed yet would have made great pictures. Do you think that there is such a thing as 'war porn'? ie people not really empathizing with the subject but just enjoying the combat shots.
With years of experience in war zones, do you ever worry about becoming numb or apathetic about the scenes you're capturing? On the flipside, do you experience any PTSD or survivors guilt when you come back home (knowing the war's still going on).
What do you search for in your photographs? Is it to capture 'truth'? Is it to report? Both? (sorry it's a bit of a vague question and better said verbally).
How do you feel going into situations where there's a good a chance of you dying? Do you have a peace with the possibility of death? Or is it like a constant 'fuck you i've got me and my family to look after'.
How do you not end up like Austin Tice? He was an ex-marine but the army still kidnapped him. Is it just a roll of the dice game?
What is something you wish someone told you when you were starting out?
What advice would you give to someone looking into war photography/reporting from war zones?
I thought of joining the army reserves (non NATO country). Do you think that would be a good way to get medical/survival training and so that I can handle it when I'm embedded with rebels for months on end? I worry that I would be indoctrinated by military thought and lose my objectivity.
What is the best way a young journalist can make contacts? You got contacts through activist groups right - who do you know who to trust?
Sorry for the long questions. Thank you again for all your work and I wish you the best of luck.
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