The presence of an observer defines the way any event will be seen. And the presence of a reporter will define how that event will be known to the public. The fact reported or portrayed is actually but one ‘version’ of a fact. Underline “one version.”
When in his reportage we see a youth standing in defiance, stone in hand, face covered, flames and smoke in the background, we normally assume he is in the midst of a raging battle. But, as Salvadori shows, that may not necessarily be the case, because there may be no battle at all at the time the picture is taken. The subject is simply posing for the camera. Partly because it serves a propaganda purpose, partly because he hopes that the publication of that picture will gain him his 15 minutes of fame. And the photo reporter goes for the snapshot because the picture is in any case representative, symbolic enough to tell the world about the war he or she is witnessing.
This project aims to play with the creation and destruction of “drama” by breaking the taboo of the “invisible photographer”. By including him in the frame, it shows how the image-production process can generate similar photographs that are often over dramatized. In addition, the huge presence of the media turns the conflict into a show in which the photographer has his own role in choosing the dynamics and
thus becomes an actor.
This photo essay is a form of self-criticism by a photographer who became disillusioned by photo journalism after seeing how photo agencies push many colleagues into a hedonistic approach which does not encourage them to consider how their presence influences the events they witness and how their images are produced.
(Source: planetnext.net)
