Black and White

Rupert, the picture editor for SKIN and my roommate, met Christopher Anderson today. Chris was a photographer for VII for 6 years and the moved to Magnum, one of the best photo agencies in the world. We hired him to shoot some stuff for SKIN and NOX. They went out for some food and drinks and when Rupert got back I was curious to know what they had talked about. He told me everything from what camera he uses to where he lives in New York. Although what he was telling me was interesting, it wasnt something that I already didn’t know.However, at the very end Rupert ask him why he was a war photographer. It is a common understanding that some photographers are addicted to shooting conflict just because of the rush they get of being in the zone. The excitement, the spontaneity, the danger. Chris said that it wasn’t about that for him. It was about clarity of the mind. He said that when you’re in a war-zone everything is black and white, there is either death or life. You think about how not to die, or you are dead and you don't think it all. However when your in regular, real life there are so many grey areas that you think about. How to pay bills, your family, car broke down, bullshit like that. When you in the middle of a war you don’t think about any of that, and it clears your head. Your addicted to that feeling. He said that’s why he shot war.

I thought that was the most interesting thing he had said in their meeting. I don’t really care about where he has traveled the world, where he is going next, who he is married to, where he lives, what camera he uses...etc. I’m interested in the way a photographers mind works. Why they do what they do. It helps me understand why I do what I do.

Now that there is a seize fire I was thinking about going to Beirut and shooting. I didn’t wanna just go there and not know what I was planning on photographing. So I’m going to wait a little bit and shoot Ramadan in Lebanon. Ramadan starts September 20somthing. Whenever that is I think will go over for a couple of days.


(The images displayed are some of Chris Andersons photographs from Beirut)