Tag Archives: photographer

Pulitzer Winning AP Photographer Detained by US Without Hearing or Charges

By DSLRBlog Editors | Published September 21, 2006

Associated Press says one of their photographers has been detained for five months by the US military without hearing or charges. The photographer was part of a team that won a Pulitzer last year.

More at Wired News

The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned an Associated Press photographer for five months, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.

Military officials said Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for “imperative reasons of security” under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative’s review of Hussein’s work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.

Hussein, 35, is a native of Fallujah who began work for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained on April 12 of this year.

“We want the rule of law to prevail. He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable,” said Tom Curley, AP’s president and chief executive officer.

Source:Richard’s Notes

Obviously there are two sides to this story but you would have thought if there was any evidence against this chap then something would have been done in those 5 months. It is a sorry time when just the accusation of “terrorism” is enough to lock someone up for months on end without even a passing wiff of any legal movement.

It seems the allegations are about his associations. I knew a policeman who had informants in the criminal underbelly of the city where he worked. There are also long histories of journalists getting friendly with criminals to uncover big stories. Could be this is the case here. Could also be of course that the AP were duped and he really is a terrorist, they do say they knew very little of him before working with the guy.

Either way though, just an allegation really ought to not be enough?

With any big story like Iraq it is important to get good, accurate reporting and images that aim to tell as true a story as possible. Actions like this could cause a chilling effect on photographers getting involved.

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Photographer Ethics – Diana Photograph Controversy

By DSLRBlog Editors | Published July 14, 2006

I have just been asked what I think about this kuffufle around the publication of the “Diana death picture”

The ‘last photograph’ of Princess Diana taken moments after her fatal car crash has been published by a foreign magazine.

The black and white photograph shows the Princess being given oxygen in the Mercedes at the crash site at a Paris underpass.

Now it is an emotive subject for a lot of people but I can not make my mind up about this. On the one hand it seems in poor taste and is bound to upset people but on the other hand why ought she be treated any differently? Why is it ok to have gratuitous pictures of Iraq conflict victims but not a princess?

Personally I would never have taken it in the first place, let alone been in a position to sell it, Diana or not. I’m not entirely sure there is any good to come from this other than a big payday for the photographer.

What do you think? Would you take and sell this picture or not? Should it be published?

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What is in Dan Chung’s Camera Bag?

By DSLRBlog Editors | Published July 10, 2006

Dan Chung from the Guardian is giving us a look inside his camera bag and gives us an insight into gear being used for shooting the world cup. Geeky stuff but I for one love looking at what equipment people use, especially the top guys like Dan

Anyone not interested in gadgets can stop reading now, but for those of you who asked, this is the kit I use to cover a World Cup match. Like the vast majority of photographers at the tournament I’m using Canon digital cameras. You only have to look at the number of big white lenses at the pitch side to realise how dominant the brand is in professional sports photography. I use up to five Canon Eos digital camera bodies at the average match, my main cameras are two Eos1D mk2 cameras on my 500mm f4L and 200mm f1.8L long lenses. I also have my Eos1Ds mk2 attached to a fixed 35mm f1.4L wide angle and a 580ex flashgun which I keep by me in case the players celebrate right in front of me. I then place an Eos20D with a 14mm f2.8 and a borrowed Eos1D mk2n with a 16-35mm on remote controls placed at either side behind the goal on Manfrotto mini tripods. I also have a 135mm f2L and 70-200 f2.8L lenses with me in case I can’t get to sit where I want to use my preferred lenses.

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Insight into a professional photographers life

By DSLRBlog Editors | Published April 27, 2006

I love reading about the travails of professional photographers, Michael Fox in particular seems to have carved out an interesting career.

I’ve been shooting everything from an evening with George Lucas at his beautiful Digital Arts Center in San Francisco’s Presidio, to the Fetish Ball in downtown San Francisco. Michael Chertoff has passed through, and so has John Travolta. I can never complain that there is no variation… But last weekend I was hired by The Learning Annex to photograph their “Real Estate Wealth Expo”, an event that drew approximately 61,500 people

Read the full thing, it makes for interesting reading. I think that sort of creative pressure wouldn’t sit well with my nervous nature but it’s fun to read about!

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Photographing the Winter Olympics

By DSLRBlog Editors | Published March 6, 2006

This is an interesting article about photojournalist Vincent Laforet and his experience of photographing the Torino Winter Olympics.

Apple – Pro/Photo – Vincent Laforet, pg.1

There are no medals awarded for photojournalism at the Winter Olympics. But anyone watching photojournalist Vincent Laforet run with 50 pounds of equipment from the Oval Lingotto — where he’d just photographed 5000-meter speedskater Chad Hedrick winning America’s first gold medal of the 2006 Games — toward Palavela, the pairs figure skating venue, a chilly mile away, might easily believe that he was witnessing an unannounced leg of a new Olympic test sport.

Even though it is obviously there to promote Apple products I still enjoy an insight into a professional photographers working experiences.

“What gives you an advantage as a photojournalist are your wits, your eye, the amount of research you do, and the speed with which you can deliver images.”

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