James Nachtwey, a bold war photojournalist, one of the best photographers in the world, went in all the places where people needed a pair of eyes to witness their misery. This is thus, his testimony; top 20 pictures of James Nachtwey:
1. West Bank
The endless war between Israel and Palestine made many victims on both sides. Nachtwey, stopped in Palestine as well. This photo was taken in 2000, on the West Bank.
2. Indonesia
This photo of a one-arm, one-leg beggar washing his child in a polluted river is heart-breaking. Despite his poverty, despite his extreme handicap, he still finds the power to take care of his son. And we are complaining of not having hot water one day…
3. Romania
This iconic photo, takenby James Nachtwey right after the Romanian Revolution is tragic, because it force us to see beyond our daily ride at the supermarket, to understand more than the regular newspaper we are reading, to become aware of sufferance, misery and to feel guilty that we have so much while others have so little, and it is not even their own fault.
4. Somalia
In 1992, this child was feeling such a hunger as you will probably never feel in your life. Necked, with no hope for the future and born in a world that has no means to support him, this Somali child seems to have no reason to keep fighting. How many children must died of famine since then and how much food did we throw away last year?
5. India
These are the Untouchables, the low-caste workers of India. They are traditionally the outcasts of the Hindu society and the worst is that they had no right of improving their condition. A newborn in this cast will be an untouchable all his life, condemned to clean toilets and streets,remove garbage for the rest of their life. Things are way better today, though, as big city life tend to diminish the importance of casts.
6. South Africa
Aids is devastating Africa. In This picture, the old woman is taking care of a baby, her grandchild, who is sick of aids. No other comments needed…
7. Afghanistan
What does God has to do with guns? Everything, for these soldiers who are praying with their weapons underneath their body! The mujahedin featured here were pictured in 1986, during the war against the Soviet army.
8. Afghanistan
This beautiful yet, apocalyptic image is telling us the story of a war: The civil war in Afghanistan turned Kabul into ruins. On this background, the white image of this covered lady seems a ghost rather than a human being.
9. East Germany
This is a picture that Nachtwey took back in 1990, in East Germany. Surprisingly or not, the description bellow the picture, on the photographer’s site states that this image which seems to be coming from hell, is actually describing pollution at a coke factory. Yes, Coca Cola.
10. New York
It is sad that even in a place like New York, war photojournalist James Nachtwey found an important subject: The Ground Zero of the 9/11 attacks, probably one of the most ravaging images he was ever witness to, continues to make an impact on the world, even after 10 years.
Leave a Reply