James Nachtwey - Memoria

[Jimmy Junco]

I was lucky enough to stumble into the Fotografiska museum in Stockholm back in 2019. The exhibit that absolutely floored me was James Nachtwey - Memoria.

It was a major retrospective of his photojournalism work across the majority of his life. I did not know his name but I immediately recognized many of the photos. What impresses me about his work above and beyond his sheer bravery is how strong the compositions are even while being made in what is often complete chaos.

Those of us working in LF (or just starting like me) are probably rarely in the position where we must compose, focus, think about light, and avoid a bullet in the few seconds we might have to get the shot. It's clearly a different medium with a different purpose. Perhaps it represents something some of you do outside your LF work. Obviously, the hobby has space for many ways of experiencing it and practicing it.

At any rate, his work stuck with me over the past few years. It was a complete lark that I was in that place and time but the cosmos has a way of getting us to the right places...eventually.

Have any of you seen his work before? Or visited any of the Fotografiska exhibitions?

[Tin Can]

No I never KNEW his work, but after the Link I know I saw his work

RIP

[Willie]

He is shown in the movie THE BANG BANG CLUB, though he did not play himself. He was an associate of the Bang Bang Club. This was basically a group of four photographers who photographed apartheid in South Africa from 1990 to 1994. In 1994, as James, along with the Bang Bang Club, was covering an upcoming election in South Africa, Ken Oosterbroek was shot right next to him. Greg Marinovich was also injured. Ken later died in the hospital.

The movie WAR PHOTOGRAHER is a documentary about his work.

[Jimmy Junco]

He is shown in the movie THE BANG BANG CLUB, though he did not play himself. He was an associate of the Bang Bang Club. This was basically a group of four photographers who photographed apartheid in South Africa from 1990 to 1994. In 1994, as James, along with the Bang Bang Club, was covering an upcoming election in South Africa, Ken Oosterbroek was shot right next to him. Greg Marinovich was also injured. Ken later died in the hospital.

The movie WAR PHOTOGRAHER is a documentary about his work.

I'm going to track down both of these. Thanks for the tip!

[jim_jm]

War Photographer is an excellent documentary. It gives a great insight into his selective process and timing while he's shooting. He was still using film at this time, but you can tell that he's carefully editing and composing each time he presses the shutter. One of my all-time favorite photographers.
He was a member of Magnum Photos and later one of the founding members of VII Photo Agency. Look up some of his TED Talks as well.
He is still alive, AFAIK.

[Jimmy Junco]

He is still alive, AFAIK.

Wikipedia agrees. 75 years old.

[ic-racer]

I thought he died based on the title. Good too see at 75 he is still showing work!

[ic-racer]

No I never KNEW his work, but after the Link I know I saw his work

RIP

I first heard of James when researching Durst 8x10 enlargers and big prints. I came across this video. I'm surprised you have not seen it. This is a clip from the great documentary about Nachtwey, War Photographer.

[Jimmy Junco]

I thought he died based on the title. Good too see at 75 he is still showing work!

When I saw the exhibition, that was my thought as well. I'm not sure how that title was chosen for the exhibition.

[PRJ]

I saw the prints from War Photographer back around the turn of the century at a museum. The experience of seeing those amazing prints as large as they were from probably Tri-X and a Canon made me laugh at all the "experts" on the internet, in places like this ironically. They were incredible. Made me realize that the people who weren't "doing it" really had no clue.

You really need to see War Photographer. It is extraordinary. IIRC not too long after that documentary he was in a humvee that someone threw a grenade into and he was injured.

I've never met him but I've had friends who have. One described him like an old general. I suppose when you've seen that much war and destruction you'd end up that way if you survived it all. Whenever people talk about war photographers they always talk about Capa, but Capa couldn't hold a candle to Nachtwey. One of the great photographers. And he did it all with humility which is the amazing thing.