No Easy Witness

It’s not easy to witness another human being’s suffering. There’s a deep sense of guilt—not that I caused the situation, but that I’m going to leave it. At some point, my work will be finished, and if I’m lucky, I’m going to get on an airplane and leave. They’re not.

It’s a hard thing to say, but there’s something a bit shameful about photographing another person in those circumstances. None of this is easy to deal with, but overcoming emotional hurdles is just as much part of being a photojournalist as overcoming physical obstacles. If you give in, either physically or emotionally, you won’t do anybody any good. You might as well stay home, or do something else with your life.

People understand implicitly that when a journalist from the outside world shows up with a camera, it gives them a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have. To permit someone to witness and record at close range their most profound tragedies and deepest personal moments is transcendent. They’re making an appeal; they’re crying out and saying, “Look what happened to us. This is unjust. Please do something about this. If you know the difference between right and wrong, you have to do something to help us.” It’s that simple, that elemental.

James Nachtwey: Born in Syracuse New York in 1948, and a graduate of Dartmouth College Nachtwey came to photography after a series of unrelated jobs, including a spell in the merchant marine. Self taught as a photographer he started his career on a local newspaper in New Mexico, and subsequently joined Black Star in New York. He has covered conflicts since 1981, and has received the Robert Capa Gold medal five times, the World Press Photo Award twice, and is a founding member of the agency VII.