PHOTOGRAPHY Inspiring Panel with Award-Winning Photographers at HIPA Headquarters

The panellists:

• Martin Grahame-Dunn – British Photography trainer, the host of the panel

• James Nachtwey – American photojournalist and five-time winner of the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal, recipient of the HIPA ‘Photography Appreciation Award’ for his outstanding services to photography throughout his career.

• James Balog – American photographer and environmental activist, recipient of the HIPA ‘Photography Content Creator Award’ for his efforts in highlighting some of humanity’s biggest environment issues today through photography.

• Muhammed Muheisen – the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, currently National Geographic photographer, recipient of the HIPA ‘Emerging Person in Photography Award’.

• Peter Bill – HIPA Judge for the Seventh Edition, titled 'The Moment'.

The discussions raised many interesting topics from photojournalism, ethical standards in photography, preserving and storing photographs for the future, photo manipulation, to the role of photographer in making the change in our society.

Martin Grahame-Dunn / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The host of the panel, Martin Grahame-Dunn, started discussion with addressing James Nachtwey and Muhammed Muheisen on what it means to be a photojournalist, to report from the war zones and to see the worst that society has to offer.

Muhammed Muheisen shared his personal story about his photographic journey, "I needed a place to expose my photographs and along the way photojournalism became my path. For me that path is a marathon, you need to have a passion for photography or you will not be able to do it. It is important to get out of your comfort zone. I go to war zones but it is not about the war, it is about the people and their stories. I try to stay invisible and be a part of the background. Being a photographer is not a job, it is my life." James Nachtwey said, "We don't know what will happen tomorrow, so it is a job of photographer to remind us all of that, to be present in a moment. We are all looking for the next new thing. We should not forget that fundamentals never change."

Martin Grahame-Dunn replied "To see the moment, if you see that, you are gifting the world." He continued the discussion by asking James Balog how he became an environmental activist. James Balog said "If we go below the surface, a whole new world opens. We as photographers go there and send out the message. If you stay on the surface, you don't see it. I believe that photographers are like an antenna for the human race, seeking and seeing what is happening in the world."

James Balog / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Peter Bill shared his perspective towards the news, since in US there is too much of manipulation happening with digital photography so general public no longer trust news. James Balog stepped in, and said that in 2012 when his documentary 'Chasing Ice' had a screening in Los Angeles, a visitor commented "I wonder how they did those special effects of icebergs melting." The audience laughed at that, but it is actually a sad reminder that young generation is slowly losing its connection to a bigger picture, we are staying on the surface, as James Balog said.

The hard work that goes into spreading the message is overwhelming and to see baby steps in changes is quite frustrating. James Balog explained that for the specific issue of global warming we are all to blame, not some huge corporations. We are all in the system, as we want our comfort, our air conditioners, our electricity, our cars, etc. all that is polluting the environment. We must seek better choices to do things differently, for example air conditioning could be powered by solar panels. James Balog made it his mission to spread the message, hopping that it will bring the change before we destroy ourselves.

Concerning photo manipulation James Nachtwey said, "It is easy to manipulate the image, but it's more about the person who will not do it. Photographers have a code of ethics that brings the value of credibility."

Martin Grahame-Dunn commented, "Are you searching of extraordinary or capturing ordinary in a special way? Ordinary people in extraordinary situations."

A panel with distinguished award-winning photographers at the HIPA Headquarters / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

When asked whether he takes photos that are dramatic for the drama effect, James Balog answered, "You start with experience and then it becomes so much more. You learn purpose. The icebergs are beautiful, but when conveying a message, it has to be with a purpose. Our aesthetic culture comes from your environment, shapes of architecture, art in the museums, from the history and great minds before us. My aesthetic culture comes from music, I learned rhythm, how the images follow, how to tell a story through the right rhythm. The art should not be done for the sake of art and images should not be taken for the sake of drama, they have to have a deeper meaning, a purpose."

Martin Grahame-Dunn asked James Balog about the technology behind making a time-lapse and he shared that he doesn't like computers and he has other people in the studio to help him with that. However, he acknowledged that we need to do new things and that we have to be willing to accept new challenges. He uses time-lapse video to show changes that happen in a waste period of time, so it is like bending time, to show a longer process in a shorter time. Muhammed Muheisen shared his understanding when it comes to technology by saying, "It depends on why you are doing it, to promote yourself or to tell a story. You use it or you are being used by it."

James Nachtwey / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

For James Nachtwey, when it comes to technology, "you start with the foundations, then you take it a step up and use other technologies to get the word out. Mission oriented way, many photographers have the need to go that way since there is a huge social media noise. Photographers must go back to foundations."

The next question came from the audience. How to store and preserve increasingly large number of digital images, since only one solar flare could basically destroy everything, and all our archive would be lost? James Nachtwey explained that his achieve is preserved at the university library; while James Balog sees that as a huge problem, since for one documentary he has made 1,5 million photographs. To store and preserve that, is quite a challenge. One of the options mentioned was to print and publish photographs in books, but in general, the question remains open.

Muhammed Muheisen / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Muhammed Muheisen was asked by the audience about Pakistan. He shared his personal story, how he got in touch with a very strict community in Pakistan, simply by being nice and asking. He became a part of that community, by not assuming anything. He was invited into personal lives of these men who allowed him to take photographs of their wives. That would be otherwise quite an impossible task, as those Pakistani men could see that as on offence from a photographer. His story is actually a reminder that a good word opens an iron doors. If we are respectful, we will always be welcome. Photographers have a role to play and should do it with honour. Muheisen also shared that a photographer must have a sense of responsibility. He left the agency so he could have his freedom. A freedom in choosing his professional path and also a freedom in conveying the message to the world. If a photographer wants fast results and is doing it for the glory, then he or she will be disappointed soon, as Muheisen said, "it is a marathon", so you must do it with all of your heart or you will not endure.

Peter Bill / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Ola Khalaf, from the audience, asked Peter Bill about time-lapse, whether that could be considered more photography or video? Bill explained, that we live in an era of conversion. Before it was considered that a sculpture is a moment, frozen in time, white a play in a theatre is a story-telling. Now we have the same difference between a still photograph that is a moment in time, and time-lapse becomes a medium for story-telling. Of course, story-telling is not excluded from still photography, we just have to admit that we live in time when many industries combine. It is about the final message, not so much about technology. As once photography was considered to be experimental, now time-lapse is carrying the torch of being experimental.

From the audience came a quite personal question for James Nachtwey and Muhammed Muheisen. As they are both photographers that document the horrors of war; what impact has that on them personally? They both replied that they are grateful to be alive. It is impossible to be unaffected by everything they see, and they do lose sleep over it.

A panel with distinguished award-winning photographers at the HIPA Headquarters / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Group photo / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

To conclude, the panel was inspiring, it showed that a photographer must be an honourable human being, above all, with high moral values and appreciation towards humanity. Everything we do, echoes in eternity, that should be more than enough to keep our feet on the ground, in reality, and to cherish every moment as if it is the last one. Photographers have a responsibility, to document, share and preserve. A huge respect goes to the photographers who are selfless and risk their lives to get the word out.