I had in mind to share events over the last two days shooting a reflective piece in Tahrir Square with friend Salma, a local TV Journalist and Ahmed, a videojournalist. Last time I was in Cairo, we got stopped by plain clothes police. Not this time.
Or even explaining some more thoughts about discombobulating videojournalism.
But that's all irrelevant in light of the news of two photojos killed Brit Tim Hetherington, and American Chris Hondros, in Misrata. Two other photojos, Guy Martin and Michael Christopher Brown, escaped serious injury.
I knew none of the aforementioned, but Tim is someone who's work I and thousand others deeply admired. Having worked in hotspots myself e.g. South Africa, Ghana and known personally other photojos such as Yannis Kontos, you build a healthy respect people like Tim.
He spent many years working in West Africa documenting conflict. I mean, that's a huge feat. Having experienced a couple of coups myself in Ghana I had revere respect for him.
It's a reminder, as if we ever forget that there are some people who seek out the truth; they're not reckless and value life. They keep us in touch with this conflicted world from the comforts of our suburban homes.
In 2008 Hetherington wrote a piece that I tore out from the British Journal of Photography in which he mounted a robust defence of the image in visual journalism.
I'm reading it again By any means necessary
Photography et al mourns.
