The Digital Journalist: In the Eye of the Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone - The Digital Journalist
moimoi
· 1 year ago
I think this entire photo feature which is outstanding should be all in color. Why? The color would have a lot more impact on many of the images.
Mike
· 1 year ago
Honestly, you people are more concerned with the photographer's choice of aesthetic than the subject themselves. This photograph is not about Delano showing how clever he is or whether or not he shot RAW or JPEG or whether they are sharp at 100%. THIS, is what is wrong with photojournalism, not whether or not the photographer CHOSE color or black & white. Almost none of you had anything intelligent or "deep" to say about the situation over there. It's all about cameras and gear and whether it's sharp or this and that. Shut the hell up!
moimoi
· 1 year ago
What you photographed was Excellent. My comment about the color was because in the Canadian MACLEAN's magazine they ran some 8 pages of photos from over there.
I found out from Dirck that you use a Lica and shoot with Trx. Had I known that in the beginning or perhaps I missed that part but then I would not have said anything about the color.
For what you did you did an outstanding job and the images are very powerful.
Sometimes when all the cards are on the table one can make a better observation.
There is NO need to be all upset with me as I would have had a very hard time to photograph what you did and in the sensitive way in which you did. You are to be commanded for what you shared.
I apologize if I offended you, that is not my intent as I am a sensitive person myself.
Keep up the good work and go out and again and out do what you just did.
This is because some of us feel that given the nature of the situation, "artsifying" the work may be borderline inappropriate. Personally I find it to be tasteless and disrespectful. The fact that so many people are commenting on the way the photographs were shot, should tell you something about how distracting it is from the subject at hand.
The sad part is, none of the pictures particularly stand out on their own. If they hadn't been embellished, they'd just be snapshots.
Boris
· 1 year ago
i agree with the last comment - black and white immediately creates distance with the viewer .
kombizz
· 1 year ago
Not a bad shot. Like to see in color and BEING SHARP!
babelcor
· 1 year ago
I like the black and white, to me it shows how the color has been stripped (at least temporarily) out of the world that these people know.
Melissa
· 1 year ago
Excellent perception: the color and vitality has definitely been stripped of these individuals lives. It would have been interesting to see it in color. . . . but this particular black and white image, brings it home just fine. It's not about aesthetics at this time, it's about capturing truth of the devastation.
Steve Koves
· 1 year ago
The Photo's are great, but I like a black and white photo to look like a photograph, not a a Digital Black and White Photograph.
hphotog
· 1 year ago
An outstanding body of work. The choice of black and white adds to the photojournalistic endeaver. Shooting in color would have diminished the impact.
irsslex
· 1 year ago
Congratulations and deep thanks to James for taking these very sad, very real and very shocking photos of life after a catastrophe on a Biblical scale. The actions of the junta that is in charge of Burma is in dire need of some different motivation. After this, the people are too beaten down to even contemplate revolution; I can only hope that when recovery is done in spite of their "government" that they will get angry and organized and rise up against it so that Burmese can once again live in the peace and freedom that these kind people deserve.
Simon Larbalestier
· 1 year ago
What you see here is dedication in the darkroom - the only digital aspect is the final output for the web and the magazines that have chosen to run the story. This IS how James see's this devastation and for me, this personal stamp, gives the work great depth and integrity. A harrowing story extremely well told.
Matt
· 1 year ago
I'm sure James is a nice guy and everything, and kudos for taking the risk and going out there, but that's some nasty processing.
Claudia
· 1 year ago
I decided to use the name Myanmar because it was the official name since at least the time of Marco Polo’s 13th Century writings. The English had changed the name to Burma, which they adopted from "bamar" which refers to Burman ethnicity or also to the Burman language, while in literary Burmese the name Myanmar refers to the whole country. In 1989, the government changed the official English name from Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar, in order to conform to Burmese usage, but there has been no change in the Burmese language for the name for the country. Using the word Burma only includes 65% of the population and it is a colonial name. There are another 35% of the population who do not belong to the Burman ethnicity. The people of Myanmar use in their own language never the name Burma.
Wishing for US soldiers to come in to "help" is the mostly deadly wish anyone can have. The country is not one united nation. It has many tribes and as many problems among them. Only the Kachin have three armies of their own who do not agree on what they want. The Shan have a army too. Another huge problem is that there is no alternative to the government right now. The opposition party is also run by people who got their education in the army. Unfortunetely western countries caused more damage through their boycotts than they helped. To build up a democratic party who would be trained in how to run a country democratically needs help from ooutside. Exchange not boycott. To read more about that you could have a look here www.freeburmacoalition.org
Claudia
P.S I'm working on a book project in Myanmar since 2003 and have been in and out and around since then
Art is a about point of view and the artist's choices when he aproaches his subject. And photography is not just about recording the human landscape in the way it comes. The events you photographed are dramatic either in B&W or Color. But you chosed B&W, which, to me, does more justice in you trying to go beyond the subject itself so the rest of the world can get an idea of the tragedy. You've had the privilege of having the unique opportunity of taking a visual stand towards the events that affect us all human beings. Keep up the good work and your poit of view.
LeonardoGalavis
· 1 year ago
Art is a about point of view and the artist's choices when he aproaches his subject. And photography is not just about recording the human landscape in the way it comes. The events you photographed are dramatic either in B&W or Color. But you chosed B&W, which, to me, does more justice in you trying to go beyond the subject itself so the rest of the world can get an idea of the tragedy. You've had the privilege of having the unique opportunity of taking a visual stand towards the events that affect us all human beings. Keep up the good work and your poit of view.
I think the colour is better . for burma and for burma people . I don't care about Art
James Sedwick
· 1 year ago
These are moving photographs. Thank you, Mr. Delano.
danu primanto
· 1 year ago
A tragedy of a military nation... I think is a smart choice to use BW. With a little pocket camera BW film inside, more safety than a big hi-tech digital camera in Myanmar. The military gverment paranoid with journalist, especially from western. I think James entering into dangerous line in South East Asia region. He need a little gear for not to glare. Salute !!
Stephen Uhraney
· 1 year ago
Francis Bacon once wrote,” The contemplation of things as they are, without substitution or imposture, without error or confusion, is in itself a nobler thing than a whole harvest of invention” This essay is tremendous, you have to be thinking World Press Photo!!!!
James Whitlow Delano
· 1 year ago
Thank all of you for the constructive commentary. I am glad that this series has generated such a vigorous debate.
A couple of comments from me may illuminate point of view etc. I use Leica M cameras. My newest camera is 20 years old. The older one is over 40 years old. As Simon mentioned, and we have sat in the same boat photographing before, it is entirely analog in process. Remember that the darkroom still can be a place to produce images different from much of the work out there and it can be done with what is described in digital these days as "ordinary darkroom techniques".
I choose to call the nation Burma fully aware of the multiethnic make up of this post-colonial nation. I am aware that the Bamar people themselves refer to the nation Myanmar. The indescribably cruel military junta decided to name the nation again Myanmar. I met and photographed Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Yangon (another name that can generate a contentious argument) in 1996. She referred to the country as Burma and it has been adopted by the resistance as a symbol of their protest. In support of Aung San Suu Kyi, who along with the Dalai Lama, are heroes (heroine in her case) of mine, I refer to that country as Burma.
No offense is intended to the historians out there. The past informs the present and help us to avoid making horrible mistakes again in the future.
The cyclone is a disaster of massive proportions and the suffering is not yet over. So creativity is nice but I want this point, above all, to be communicated in the series.
All Comments
because in the Canadian MACLEAN's magazine they ran some 8 pages of
photos from over there.
I found out from Dirck that you use a Lica and shoot with Trx. Had I
known that in the beginning or perhaps I missed that part but then I
would not have said anything about the color.
For what you did you did an outstanding job and the images are very
powerful.
Sometimes when all the cards are on the table one can make a better
observation.
There is NO need to be all upset with me as I would have had a very
hard time to photograph what you did and in the sensitive way in which
you did. You are to be commanded for what you shared.
I apologize if I offended you, that is not my intent as I am a
sensitive person myself.
Keep up the good work and go out and again and out do what you just did.
Dave
Dave Roels
Convention and Portrait Photographer
Photographer in Residence, The Vancouver Board of Trade
604-733-9222
http://www.daveroels.com
dave@daveroels.com
"You have to get the best talent to be successful."
http://www.etwebhosting.com is my provider
The sad part is, none of the pictures particularly stand out on their own. If they hadn't been embellished, they'd just be snapshots.
Like to see in color and BEING SHARP!
been interesting to see it in color. . . . but this particular black and white image, brings it home just fine. It's not
about aesthetics at this time, it's about capturing truth of the devastation.
Wishing for US soldiers to come in to "help" is the mostly deadly wish anyone can have. The country is not one united nation. It has many tribes and as many problems among them. Only the Kachin have three armies of their own who do not agree on what they want. The Shan have a army too. Another huge problem is that there is no alternative to the government right now. The opposition party is also run by people who got their education in the army. Unfortunetely western countries caused more damage through their boycotts than they helped. To build up a democratic party who would be trained in how to run a country democratically needs help from ooutside. Exchange not boycott. To read more about that you could have a look here www.freeburmacoalition.org
Claudia
P.S I'm working on a book project in Myanmar since 2003 and have been in and out and around since then
www.claudiawiens.com
Keep up the good work and your poit of view.
Keep up the good work and your poit of view.
Leonardo Galavis
www.replicaphotography.com
and for burma people . I don't care about Art
I think is a smart choice to use BW. With a little pocket camera BW film inside, more safety than a big hi-tech digital camera in Myanmar. The military gverment paranoid with journalist, especially from western. I think James entering into dangerous line in South East Asia region. He need a little gear for not to glare.
Salute !!
has generated such a vigorous debate.
A couple of comments from me may illuminate point of view etc. I use
Leica M cameras. My newest camera is 20 years old. The older one
is over 40 years old. As Simon mentioned, and we have sat in the same
boat photographing before, it is entirely analog in process. Remember
that the darkroom still can be a place to produce images different from
much of the work out there and it can be done with what is described in
digital these days as "ordinary darkroom techniques".
I choose to call the nation Burma fully aware of the multiethnic make up
of this post-colonial nation. I am aware that the Bamar people themselves
refer to the nation Myanmar. The indescribably cruel military junta decided
to name the nation again Myanmar. I met and photographed Aung San Suu
Kyi at her home in Yangon (another name that can generate a contentious
argument) in 1996. She referred to the country as Burma and it has been
adopted by the resistance as a symbol of their protest. In support of Aung
San Suu Kyi, who along with the Dalai Lama, are heroes (heroine in her case)
of mine, I refer to that country as Burma.
No offense is intended to the historians out there. The past informs the present
and help us to avoid making horrible mistakes again in the future.
The cyclone is a disaster of massive proportions and the suffering is not yet over.
So creativity is nice but I want this point, above all, to be communicated in the
series.
Thanks again for the commentary.
Cheers,
James Whitlow Delano.