1. Ria Daniel
April 26, 2013
History of Photojournalism

2. A Man with a Talent
of Words and an
Eye for Art.
"I have been a witness, and
these pictures are
my testimony. The events I
have recorded should
not be forgotten and must
not be repeated."
-James Nachtwey

3. Era
Some of James’ profound work was in the early
90s.He unexpectedly did really good work on 9/11
photos. There will be a few slides dedicated to show
some images that were unpublished by James. In
this section along with the photos there will be
quotes from Nachtwey.

4. Motivation
A direct quotes from James Nachtwey describes his motivation.
“Why photograph war? Is it possible to put an end to human behavior which has
existed throughout history by means of photography? The proportions of that notion
seem ridiculously out of balance yet that very idea has motivated me.”
Source: http://petapixel.com/2010/10/11/james-nachtwey-on-the-importance-of-
photography-in-war/

5. Technology
•James uses a Canon EOS-1D 20-35 2.8 lens,
•A TiffenBW
•He attaches a uv filter on it
•This is a top notch camera and the UV filter eliminates the haziness that is created
By ultraviolet lights

6. Ethics
A very angry blogger “Mel” wrote “James Nachtway
“Fights TB with Pictures?” The arrogance of this guy
is astonishing. Exactly how is violating the privacy of
extremely ill people receiving medical care for
purposes of shock value and self-aggrandizement
fighting TB? I guess this comment will never see the
light of day…” James like many war photographers
was faced with the ethical dilemma of having to
exploit people in pain and in a vulnerable moment in
order to capture the “moment”

7. Photo 1
Subject’s Expression:
Unfortunately we can not see
the subject’s expression. But based
on the surroundings and it is safe to
conclude that their expressions
would be of pain or distress.
Quality of Light:
The quality of light is intense
and very dramatic, by having the
image black and white and
eliminating the color it raises the
suspense of what is going on in the
photo. The water that is dripping
from the man’s hand on the right
becomes more intensified being in
black and white.
Rule of Thirds:
It is not certain whether the
photographer purposely placed the
subject off to the right and not in
the middle frame. Although there is
two men in the picture, the male on
the right is the main subject. The
photographer made it clear to show
more definition of his body. If the
picture is dived into thirds , the
main subject is indeed on the outer
thirds.
Photo by: James Natchwey
Image Source:
http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/james-
nachtwey/
Year Taken: 2010

8. Photo 2
Obvious main subject:
The main subject is both the doctor
and the patient, there is another
image in the background of another
patient; but the patient that the doctor
is holding is the main subject. If the
person in the background was taken
out, the impact of the photo would
still be the same.
Keep it Simple:
The image is simple, it is not
cluttered. The subjects are in a simple
room and the image of the man’s skin
that is suffering from Tuberculosis is
enough.
In or Out of focus:
The image is in focus, but the
image of the patient laying down on
the stretcher is out of focus. The
outlets on the wall are also out of
focus. I think the photographer
wanted to eliminate everything in the
room that was not [portraying what
he wanted out of the picture.
Photo by: James Nachtwey
Image source:
http://www.everyoneisfamous.com/blog/
2010/1/27/james-nachtwey-on-tb.html
Year Taken: 2010

9. Photo 3
Subject’s Expression:
We are unable to see the
women’s faces, but it is
appropriate for their culture.
Is the image black and
white or color:
The image is in
color, although there all of the
subject’s are wearing black.
The sky is a beautiful blue and
the colors contrast of the
black with the blue is
beautiful.
Use of lines:
The women’s attire make it
difficult to see the lines of
their images. The arm that
extends out from the black
clothing is interesting and
eerie. Based on the lines, it is
hard to see where the arm is
coming from.
Photo by: James Natchwey
Image Source:
http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/02/photographer-james-
nachtwey-70-awarded-the-dresden-international-peace-
prize/
Year Taken: 2003

10. Photo 4
What image does the image
create?
This picture creates many
emotions, including
sadness, pride, and anger.
What in the image helped
create that feeling?
The fact that the solider is
cradling the child creates great
pride. As an American it is
beautiful and honoring to see the
solider caring for the child who is
in need. It creates the sadness and
anger because the child is so
emaciated. A child should be
healthy and the first priority.
Texture
The texture is rough in the
background, but smooth in the
front of the image. The lines and
depth of the image is clear.
Photo by: James Natchwey
Image Source:
http://learningfromdogs.com/2011/01/25/afghanistan-
and-truth/
Year Taken: 2011

11. Impact Made on Society
James Nachtwey made a huge impact in society. Amongst his many
accomplishments, he was awarded the Heinz award and Overseas Press Club
for six years. His images raised awareness about issues such as
tuberculosis, war, and poverty. Jame’s shot images that were very intense and
showed things that some people would rather not see.

12. Major at AIC
I am a liberal arts degree with a concentration in psychology. I think that
being a war photographer could be detrimental on a person’s spirits, but
it can also be rewarding. It can be detrimental because they run the risk
of contracting whatever disease the subject has, they also run the risk of
being killed. Emotionally it is sad to see so many people in pain and
poverty.

13. Viewpoint
The image located below was taken by photographer Christian
Fei shows Nachtwey in a different light, an angle that shows
Christian in his work field. It is interesting to see James
Nachtwey surrounded by scared individuals on the ground and
he is not scared to be in the middle of the action. There will be a
section of unpublished photos, with some personal quotes. An
example of one is located on the next slide….

14. Photo by: Christian Fey
Image Source:
http://petapixel.com/2010/10
/11/james-nachtwey-on-the-
importance-of-photography-
in-war/
Year taken: 2002

15. References
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/
http://www.war-photographer.com/en/