Journalist Anthony Shadid died in Syria today. He was the finest journalist of his generation to cover the Middle East and a hell of a nice guy. Anthony, born to Lebanese parents in Oklahoma, spent over a decade living in and reporting from Lebanon and Iraq, with trips to the surrounding countries. He understood and loved the Arab world in a way few other journalists could match. To work the streets with Anthony was a rare pleasure. Signage, architecture and modes of dress took on new meaning as he explained the hidden markers outsiders missed. Anthony focused on the plight of civilians caught in war. Night Draws Near, his book on Iraq, is the definitive account of that war’s effect on ordinary civilians. His passing is a tragic loss for his wife and two children and, to a lesser degree, for the entire world–a world much poorer without his warm humanity and empathetic journalism.
I took the photos above of Anthony in March, 2010 in Baghdad.
Mike Kamber
From the NYT, a jumbled piece that interchangeably and incorrectly uses the terms “street photographer” and “street-style photographer.” To further confuse matters, the writer opens the piece with Vivian Maier, who really was a street photographer, yet is presented here as a street-style photographer.
The crux of the piece is that models are increasingly taking pictures. The writer and headline writer seem to not understand that there has long been a genre of picture-taking called “street photography,” widely practiced by women since Berenice Abbott was shooting in the 1930s.
Lizette Model, one of street photography’s godmothers, taught Diane Arbus and a generation of others. The New York Photo League, active primarily in the 1940s and 50s—and made up largely of street photographers—lists over 20 female members. An excellent show of Photo League work is currently up: http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/photoleague
click on the artists link above for a list of members
Lastly, to write a piece about models taking photos, and not mention Lee Miller, seems a glaring omission. One of the great beauties of her time, Lee began photographing in 1929 and became one of the leading photojournalists, fashion and portrait photographers of the 20th century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Miller
Michael Kamber
Tomorrow, February 16th, begins the annual two-week showcase of recent nonfiction film and media at the Museum of Modern Art. Be sure to check this out.
From the site:
This year’s festival includes both feature-length and short documentary films, a retrospective of works from Paper Tiger Television’s 30 years of media activism, and a seminar on database documentary practices—an emergent form of interactive narrative and nonlinear filmmaking that employs computer and Web-based media. The majority of films in the festival are premieres, and filmmakers will be present at most screenings.
