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Want to learn to photograph human tragedies properly!?
Bastian Ehl, Photographer
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 5:37 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> That is unbelievable. I have heard of carpetbagging but this surely takes the cake. This guy wants to make $16,000 in one week off of the misery of the Haitian people? Someone should kick his ass and then toss him on the first plane smoking out of there. Deport him. What a scumbag. Gives all of us who try and keep this profession honorable a bad name. I thought I'd seen it all. |
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Todd Spoth, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 5:50 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> saw this on lightstalkers. i agree with chuck. |
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Bastian Ehl, Photographer
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Magdeburg | _ | Germany | Posted: 5:58 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> True. Totally unbelievable. |
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Anantachai Brown, Photographer
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Jacksonville | FL | | Posted: 6:15 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> wow.....i have no comment for that idiot. there are a lot of negative comments on his site now. |
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David Seelig, Photographer
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Hailey | ID | USA | Posted: 6:21 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> Unreal. |
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Harrison Shull, Photographer
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Fayetteville, WV | Asheville, NC | | Posted: 6:40 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> Check out his "main site" where he asks for donations to fund his efforts to bring photojournalism to the world. This guy is the ultimate narcissist!
http://www.zoriah.com/donate.html
He writes...
"Each photo story that I bring to the world costs literally thousands of dollars to produce. While transportation to and from remote locations eats up the majority of my budget, I must also pay for food, accommodation, insurance and equipment such as body armor, cameras, lenses, photo storage and equipment maintenance costs.
These photo stories depend on your support and funding. Without your donations these projects will live only in my dreams and not in reality, where the world can see them and be affected by them. If you enjoy seeing this work and believe in supporting truly independent photojournalism, please support it.
The power of the still image to teach, affect and inspire change is truly amazing and people like you make it all possible. Every dollar counts!
You can choose to make a one time donation, or set up recurring monthly payments. If you have not considered recurring monthly payments, these are a great way to fund ongoing projects without putting a strain on your pocketbook. Because documentary photography is my full time job, recurring payments provide a much needed monthly income and let me focus on the issues that are truly important, intead of what subjects will sell to the corporate media." |
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Andrew Spear, Student/Intern, Photographer
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John Tucker, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cordova | TN | USA | Posted: 6:57 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> I can see where this guy is getting bashed, but in reality, aren't there a lot of photojournalists that went to Haiti in order to make some images to sell or went on assignments and got paid for them? No matter what the reason or assignment, it is all made from the misery of the Haitian people. Without the Earthquake and misery that followed, why would any of the journalists even go there?
We all do what we do to make a dollar, just this douchebag is going about it the wrong way. I'm sure people will take him up on the offer though......there's always people out there like that. |
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Jack Kurtz, Photographer
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Phoenix | AZ | United States | Posted: 6:58 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> He was also profiled on the CW show In Harm's Way. It was sort of most dangerous jobs reality show. They also profiled landmine clearance workers and Coast Guard parajumpers. It was on for a couple of weeks in the fall of 2008.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1296266/ |
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Joe Morahan, Photographer
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Denver | Co | USA | Posted: 7:05 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> this guy is a total ass!!!!
did you see his exhibitions page on his site?
http://www.zoriah.com/exhibitionsa.html
what a loser-
Chuck....I agree with you when you say that this sort of guy is what is wrong with this business. He is giving photojournalists a bad name.
Wondering when he will meet Karma? |
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Afton Almaraz, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 7:12 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> John, with all due respect. I have to seriously disagree with you. Comparing people going to legitimately cover a news event to someone selling "tickets" like it's a sideshow is just wrong. |
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Joe Morahan, Photographer
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Denver | Co | USA | Posted: 7:21 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> this makes me sick. rather than flying in some amateur photographer (looking to learn how to take pictures) maybe they should fly in food or something useful. Get photo workshops out of there- |
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Jim Comeau, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 7:23 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> At least he doesn't burn in his corners/borders... oh wait... |
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Matthew Bush, Photographer
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Hattiesburg | MS | USA | Posted: 8:05 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> Not cool.... I know nature guys that do this with bears in Alaska but not a damn 3rd world country in the middle of one of the worst disasters in history. Call me snobbish but I do not want to babysit somebody with a D40 in the midst of it.
What happened to people learning to shoot this kind of thing the way most of the shooters who are there did ? I am not that old but I cut teeth on murders, fires, car wrecks, Tornados floods and the mix of day to day tragedies that happen in every town, every state and every country.
Strange marketing of his projects though... I wonder how many people are actually seeing his images ? |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Jersey City | NJ | USA | Posted: 8:38 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> i like how he hasn't figured out how to turn off the default sounds on his camera. |
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Kevin Johnston, Photographer
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G.J. McCarthy, Photographer
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Dallas | TX | US | Posted: 10:00 PM on 02.03.10 |
| ->> And here I was thinking I was the only one who wore fingerless gloves when shooting in the heat ... |
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Jean Levac, Photographer
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ottawa | on | canada | Posted: 10:39 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> What I find interesting looking at his bio is the fact that he is #6, right after Nachtwey in the 10 best photojournalists of all time according to http://www.digitalphotographybasics.com/
He must be doing something right -
But I'm trying to figure out why I never heard of this guy before... They put him with some pretty heavy duty photogs. |
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Matthew Bush, Photographer
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Hattiesburg | MS | USA | Posted: 11:09 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> The list..... Not impressed. No Eddie ADAMS ? No Larry Burrows.
I can name at least 10 members here whos portfolio I like better. GJ and Chuck being 2 on the list
http://www.digitalphotographybasics.com/the-top-10-photojournalists-of-all-...
Not knocking his stuff the workshop was not cool but he has been around the block but I would not put him in the top 10. I am not a fan of the toning. |
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Dominick Reuter, Photographer, Assistant
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 11:52 PM on 02.03.10 |
->> This is a really depressing failure on his part in what was otherwise an interesting career. I have been paying attention to this photographer for the last year or so because of his independent approach to documentary work.
There was a lot about his methods that I appreciated, and other stuff that was unsettling. But this episode has tipped the scales.
His announcement is an implicit endorsement of the most narcissistic photographer behavior - $4000 just for the workshop, and the "student" still have to pay for everything themselves.
After $2000 for transport, $1500-$3000 for food and shelter, plus other expenses, some rich prick is going to shell out nearly $10,000 for some over-toned, cliched tragedy porn. And he wants four of them.
Why this workshop there? Why now? Why, when there are so many other Haiti stories in all of our backyards, or use the money to go somewhere the world press isn't paying attention, or donate to an org that will have an impact. |
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Dominick Reuter, Photographer, Assistant
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 12:00 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> Two updates:
It appears all the comments are removed...
And he says 50% of the funds go to a hospital he's worked with.
Hmm... |
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Matthew Williams, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 12:25 AM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> ok. i can't listen this anymore without saying something. you guys are calling names like a bunch of school kids and you want to argue about professionalism? if you want to start arguing the merits of workshops being held in poverty stricken areas then there can be many that can be lumped in to this discussion. But - and this is a big but in this online community - if you want to talk about his motivations then maybe you should get off the forums and actually write the guy an email. I don't care if you like his work or not or if he is on the list. It has nothing to do with the concept of offering workshops in impoverished places, which has been going on for years. |
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Chris Large, Photographer
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Okotoks | AB | Canada | Posted: 2:37 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> Matthew
Oh boy.... are you ever looking for a world of hurt here...BUT you are bringing a new view to this thread. I don't agree but I commend you for having the balls to speak up. Good on you.
I am in the camp of Chuck et all and think this guy is a self promoter of the worst kind and I don't see any positive spin on his racket. Just because it has been going on for years doesn't make it right or justify it.
Paparazzi has been going on for years and they are the lowest scum buckets of our profession - he is stooping even below their standards...... reminds me of alot of lawyer jokes but I digress.....
C |
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Bob Nichols, Photographer
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Tipton | IN | USA | Posted: 8:07 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> "workshops being held in poverty stricken areas"
Matthew Williams,
That was Haiti LAST year. Poverty stricken doesn't quite cover it now, and probably won't for a long, long time. It is now only one step above hell and for most, it is hell.
Everyone with any kind of disaster response experience has said that Haiti NOW is not the place to start your learning experience. Mr. Miller wants to hold this workshop in March. I am afraid that not much is going to change in 4 weeks.
I think that is why everyone else on this thread thinks it is ridiculous to host a photo workshop in Haiti. It has NOTHING to do with liking his work or not! |
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Steve Ueckert, Photographer
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Houston | TX | | Posted: 9:50 AM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> Wasn't this the same guy who was un-embedded from the USA military in Iraq for publishing photos outside the embed rules? |
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David Manning, Photographer
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Athens | GA | | Posted: 9:57 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> Yes Steve, same guy.
It really is a small community we work in. |
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Stew Milne, Photographer
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Providence | RI | USA | Posted: 10:35 AM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> Not small enough! |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 10:44 AM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> unfortunately sh!t does not seem to stick this guy (and we all know people like this) proven by the fact he was un-embedded and various other things that have been talked about here and other boards. If you fake a journalistic image that will get you kicked out of the "club" for the most part, but just being an @ss and treating others like crap won't do it. Hence he still sticks around and as long as people watch the typical stupid reality crap on tv and movies, they aren't going to see a difference between what this guy's doing and.... jackass. The average person is fairly desensitized, they might feel a mild sense of disgust at what he's doing but most people outside of us photojournalists are prob more upset Michael Jackson is dead. It's screwed up but that's the way it is. I don't think there is an answer to it. We can continue to shine a light on cockroaches like this but I wouldn't expect to win this fight and send people like this back out of the business. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 10:56 AM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> matthew, fyi I did write him. Told him exactly how I feel. I also wrote the Haitian embassy and sent them his link. I truly don't understand how you can compare working in a poverty situation and working in one of the worst natural disasters in history where the infrastructure is stretched to the breaking point. Wait, there is NO infrastructure. The country is completely shattered. It wasn't a very nice place to begin with. That's what Haiti needs right now, a bunch of friggin "photo tourists" with a egotistical driven "tour guide". |
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G.J. McCarthy, Photographer
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Dallas | TX | US | Posted: 11:10 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> " ... but most people outside of us photojournalists are prob more upset Michael Jackson is dead."
Wait, what!? The Kind of Pop is dead?? Oh Jesus, why didn't anyone tell me?
On a serious note, how many other shooters out there -- besides the awesome, talented and super fly Elsa -- go by one name only? Serious question.
I mean with the exception of people like Cher, Bono and RuPaul, it doesn't seem like to many folks outside of Renaissance artistry, Roman and Greek Mythology, and murderous totalitarianism can get away with the one-word moniker.
Oh crap, how could I forget Elmo??
Anyways, just sayin' -- it might be an easy litmus test to ascertain the level of one's "chodeness" ...
- gerry - |
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Mike Anzaldi, Photographer
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Oak Park | IL | USA | Posted: 11:14 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> yep, matthew, people here will shift their focus from this guy to you. topics such as these are all about passing judgment. there is a right way and a wrong way. as you have read, clearly it is wrong to do what this guy is proposing- if you ask outspoken professional photojournalists. what always gets me is why this type of stuff attracts attention from this community. it's not as if canon is offering a workshop. it's not sponsored by a professional organization of any sort. it's some dude. he is trying to sell a photo tour to 4 other dudes. 5 dudes all together.
who cares?
i may be very much mistaken, but i don't believe this guy has the ability to give photojournalists a bad name. people have 'curious' money-making ideas all the time. if this mope has the ability to damage the public perception of news photographers, then our craft is like a house of cards built on a bean bag.
it would be pretty comical, however, to get a resume with the "haiti earthquake workshop" listed as education or experience. |
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Mike Anzaldi, Photographer
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Oak Park | IL | USA | Posted: 11:16 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> GJ-
i thought RuPaul's first name was Ru...no? |
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Thomas Campbell, Photographer
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Houston/San Antonio | TX | USA | Posted: 11:25 AM on 02.04.10 |
->> On a serious note, how many other shooters out there -- besides the awesome, talented and super fly Elsa -- go by one name only? Serious question.
-----
Platon is the first to come to mind. |
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Matthew Williams, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 1:00 PM on 02.04.10 |
->> one...I never said I supported what he was doing, in fact it makes me cringe. and two...I know haiti is not "just a poverty stricken area", I was merely questioning why other workshops that have similar intentions and disregard for the communities they are working in are given such praise. I guess what I was hoping would be to really talk about workshops and how/if they actually help any of the communities that they are held in and why you would pay 4 or 5 grand to attend?
chuck, thanks for following up to this topic to the different players. I definitely agree that haiti does not need a bunch of photo-tourists setting up shop for a week and then leaving. sorry if that didn't come across.
Mike, thanks for the post. |
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Nick Morris, Photographer
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WorldWide Global | ALL | Terra Firma | Posted: 2:46 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> Hey guys, I know Zoriah and I have for a few years now. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the guy and what he's done. I was shocked to see him offer this. When I read $4,000 per person I almost called him to say WTF DUDE? I kept reading and noticed he's donating half the money to a charity. Does that make it any better... not much it's still a tough pill to swallow. I liken this to a cabbie in NY offering tours only hours after 9/11. I'm going to hold off throwing rocks until I hear from him and find out what his intentions are. I'll let you know when I find out. Before you lynch me I want full disclosure here. I AM NOT defending him. I too think this is of the utmost bad taste. |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Jersey City | NJ | USA | Posted: 2:54 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> he only added that donation update as an afterthought. it wasn't there yesterday afternoon. |
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Jim Colburn, Photo Editor, Photographer
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McAllen | TX | USA | Posted: 3:09 PM on 02.04.10 |
->> This chump is amazing, but you can't say that he's not into self-promotion...
"...his name and work have been seen alongside of master photographers such as Robert Capa, James Nachtwey, Phillip Jones-Griffith, Sabastiao Salgado, Don McCullen, Larry Burrows and many others..."
Wow! Alongside? Really?
Wow! |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Jersey City | NJ | USA | Posted: 4:17 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> hah. he just removed the entire post COMPLETELY |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 4:21 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> thanks chris. I'm going to print that sucker out. just to keep. I guess egotistical fools like him don't realize the internet is forever. |
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Susan Angstadt, Photographer
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Reading | PA | | Posted: 5:08 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> This guy makes me sick. It is so depressing to think someone would try to capitalize off of the suffering of so many people. |
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Jim Colburn, Photo Editor, Photographer
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McAllen | TX | USA | Posted: 6:12 PM on 02.04.10 |
->> Jeez... The guy even wants you to pay to subscribe to his blog!
"Please consider a paid subscription to this blog! Paid subscriptions are the best way to ensure I can continue to do my work!"
I'd be curious to know if there's anyone out there dumb enough to "sponsor" this guy. There's a bridge in Brooklyn I could get 'em cheap. |
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Jon Helgason, Photographer
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Armando Solares, Photographer
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Englewood | FL | USA | Posted: 6:53 PM on 02.04.10 |
->> I'm not so troubled by the idea of promoting an experience, albeit, a disturbing one. I have a bigger problem with those willing to attend the "workshop."
He is no different than the NYT, Miami Herald, freelancers and other news entities, in that they are all profiting from a major disaster. Having said that the mission of the news media is to inform the public, and to raise awareness of the tragedy that is Haiti.
His mission seems to be to help photographers better cover disasters. A hands on experience if you will.
I'm not defending him or his idea per se. However, it troubles me to think that someone would pay to attend a workshop in order to better themselves at a craft (profession,) knowing the difficult situation most Haitians are in.
I don't know what to think - It seems wrong, it probably is wrong.
But what makes it wrong? Is it the money? 1/2 of it is going to charity. If it is the money, why do we send so many photographers and reporters, tv crews etc.?
All that money could have been donated to charity.
How many different stories of "hope," can we see before they all look the same? How many bodies on how many channels or front pages do we need to see before we realize it is not like something we have ever seen?
What makes Zoriah's idea wrong? Or why does it bother so many?
Is it the money? If it is, then isn't that the same goal all news companies have - to make money.
Like I said, it troubles me more the person who is willing to pay for the experience. |
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer
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Coeur d'Alene | ID | USA | Posted: 8:35 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> Looks like he pulled the post down from his blog. |
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer
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Coeur d'Alene | ID | USA | Posted: 8:40 PM on 02.04.10 |
| ->> Whoops, I see that Chris mentioned this a few hours ago.... |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Steve Ueckert, Photographer
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Houston | TX | | Posted: 9:59 PM on 02.04.10 |
->> Gerry--
Can we please leave Elmo out of this....
And don't suggest Grover either.
--Steve |
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