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Spencer Platt, winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2006, responded to questions about his work. How did you become involved in photojournalism? I had wanted to be a writer, but had the good sense early on to realize my limitations in the profession. My friend Tyler Hicks got me into photojournalism. We grew up together in a small town in Connecticut, and both got newspaper internships that led to staff jobs. I eventually found a place at Getty Images. They have given me the time and space to find my voice as a photographer. What is it that motivates you as a photographer? I am very much a wire shooter. I will be one for the rest of my career. Wire services, which send news and images immediately to a wide range of outlets, serve the public in a way that few media outlets can. I want my images to be viewed and understood by as many people as possible. I have always admired the great wire photographers. They are often the first media on the ground and have to be slaves to the satellite phone and deadline….file, file, file. This is good; it keeps you on our toes and saps your anxiety. It is also very much a team effort at a wire service. You must always be prepared to drop everything and edit a disk for a colleague. This is good, it keeps you humble. Can you describe the circumstances that led up to your taking the winning photo? I took the image of the young people driving in a red Mini through the devastation of Beirut after a long morning walking through rubble and documenting people returning to what was left of their homes. It had been a difficult day due to the tension between members of Hezbollah, who controlled this area of town, and the media who wanted to document an important story. I was lucky to have a terrific fixer by the name of Wafa who, by being a Shiite, was able to get me into various parts of the city. Only the pervious day I had been running through those same streets, which were totally deserted because of continual Israeli bombing. The contrast between the two days was both astonishing and indicative of the resilience of the Lebanese people. On approaching a street packed with families in battered cars surveying the wreckage, I saw out of the corner of my eye the people in the convertible. There was only a second to capture that moment; no time to meter, focus or compose the subject. The moment had vanished in seconds. Once I had a moment to analyze the images I realized just how unusual this tableau was. We often think we know what war looks like, but it is not until we get to war that we realize it looks like us. What impact do you think the photo may have? The image is certainly not a critique of these people in any sense. I do not know the people in the car. For all I know they have lost their homes in the war like thousands of other Lebanese had. Like everyone in the Lebanon, their lives are complicated and resist simple definition. There is a temptation to classify these individuals as Sunni or Shia, Christian or Druze, rich or poor. For me they transcend all that, they are simply the great Lebanese. No one was immune to the bombs that fell. I think some in Lebanon are a bit uncomfortable with the image as it acts as a mirror on them. It is ok when we, the media, are covering the bloody aftermath of an Israeli bombing, but not when we turn the camera on the contradictions of the war. If anything, the picture starts a conversation. It asks you to reconsider stereotypes of victims of war. Did the assignment carry any emotional impact for you? It was distressing at times to work in Lebanon, as we were never sure what was simply done for the media’s benefit and what was authentic. The Middle East has become incredibly media savvy. They are more aware of the power of imagery than just about anyone in the world. There were many situations where I and other journalist were suspicious of what was actually going on. What I feel most proud of about my winning image is that it is a valid depiction of a moment in Beirut in the turbulent summer of 2006. Article Courtesy World Press Photo |
