I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated.
James NachtweyRead
I try to use whatever I know about photography to be of service to the people I'm photographing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a commitment to using one's skills to benefit others, particularly in the context of photography.
James Nachtwey emphasizes the importance of empathy and service in his work as a photographer. He believes that his knowledge and skills in photography should be directed towards helping and representing the subjects he captures, highlighting the ethical responsibility of artists to serve and advocate for their subjects rather than merely document them.
Themes
PhotographyServiceEmpathyArtRepresentation
In practice
Example use cases
At a photography exhibition discussing the role of photographers in humanitarian work.
More from James Nachtwey
All quotes βI became a photographer in order to be a war photographer, and a photographer involved in what I thought were critical social issues. From the very beginning this was my goal.
James NachtweyRead
I don't think tragic situations are necessarily devoid of beauty.
James NachtweyRead
If you want to connect with people who are in distress and great grief and scared, you need to do it in a certain way. I move kind of slow. I talk kind of slow. I let them know that I respect them.
James NachtweyRead
[Photography] puts a human face on issues which, from afar, can appear abstract or ideological or monumental in their global impact.
James NachtweyRead
If Im feeling outraged, grief, disbelief, frustration, sympathy, that gets channeled through me and into my pictures and hopefully transmitted to the viewer.
James NachtweyRead
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The artist uses his reason to discover an answering reason in everything he sees.
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