Saturday, October 6, 2007

Alexandra Boulat


I read today about the death of Alexandra Boulat. Don't know her? Neither did I. How many international photojournalist do you know? I don't know many, but see the work of many in passing. Do we pay attention to the photographer when we see photos that move us?

I normally don't, but this is another in reminders to make sure I do. Take a look at some of her images. I can only say she and her work make me feel less than honest and less than someone I could be. Why don't we, the public at large, celebrate these photographers? They risk their life to give us images to make us think and act. And do we?

The numbers of photojournalist who have died in war zones in recent decades is staggering, and many more have died in Iraq as all sides have targeted them for their work of capturing and sharing the honesty and reality of war and those effected by it. We owe so much to them we haven't begun to realize it, and likely we never will.

Thank you Alexandra Boulat. I am sorry your life was so short. You could have shown us more of our humanity. Next time you see war photos, thank the photographer who stood there with their camera with the personal vision to be there and share with you.

2 comments:

  1. Merci for words that comfort Alex's grieving friends and colleagues.
    May I link them on a memorial post on a media blog,
    Feral Beast?

    ReplyDelete
  2. In response to, "May I link them on a memorial post on a media blog,Feral Beast?", you may. It's not much since I didn't know her, and like many photographers, we learn of their work after they've gone. Please give my heartfelt thoughts to her family. And please let me know if there are organization(s) I and others can contribute to in her name.

    ReplyDelete