Make Photography, Not War

"For me, the strength of photography lies in its ability to evoke humanity. If war is an attempt to negate humanity, then photography can be perceived as the opposite of war." -James Nachwey 

I’m going to start off by saying, this blog post is not about fashion nor about travel, it’s about something more important.

 As I walked to Photography today, not much was on my mind, besides what my plans were for the evening and when I was going to study for my French Midterm. Little did I know that when I went to my photography class that evening I would be thinking about much deeper problems.

Two and a half hours of my day were completely absorbed on a television screen in my Photography class. We watched the documentary “War Photographer” about the praised war photographer James Nachwey, whom takes pictures of only war and tragedy. As I sat through the documentary, eyes still and mind numb, I could not help but think how someone could go about their whole life, taking pictures of nothing but tragedy. Nachwey explained that taking these pictures is not for attention nor for his own benefit, it’s for the mass media. He explained that seeing the haunting images of Vietnam photographs as a young teen are what inspired him to be a war photographer. Vietnam unlike any other war previous to, was the first war that had uncensored photographs. The young generation stopped the war, because someone fought to stop it. Those “someones” were not all political heroes or charitable donators, they were people who had passion to stop the injustice. I think people need to see the real stuff, they need to see the disturbing, they need to see the gritty, they need to see the raw images of tragedy, otherwise we are all just looking at photographs of nothing. The viewer needs to connect with the victim, the viewer needs to see that the victim had a life, had a family, and ultimately is a person just like us. Photography can be the poison that kills tragedy.

One of the most disturbing things about watching this documentary was simply the lack of how unaware I am sometimes. I blame this mainly on the fact that I hate hearing about death, I hate hearing about crime, and I hate hearing about violence. Sometimes I choose to live in my own reality, sometimes being naïve to the world’s ways just makes sense, and in a way protects me, key word… me.

I hope my blog post might have provoked some thoughts out of some of you.  The biggest question we should ourselves, is what are we doing to make a difference?

From Paris with love,

Marcy

Sudan- Famine victim in feeding center.

Romania- An orphanage for "incurables."

Afghanistan- Mourning a brother killed by a Taliban rocket. 

Rwanda- Survivor of a Hutu death camp. 

Chechnya- Pallbearers come for a woman's husband, who was killed by the Russian Army.

All photographs by James Nachwey. 

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

     It’s a peaceful evening here in my little Parisian apartment, or “flat” as the French like to call it. Nothing is better to come home after a day of classes and tests, and unwind. Unwinding usually consists of some hot tea or coffee, some music (lately the Decemberists), and of course, seeing the beautiful face of Mr. Mac. Tonight is also the first evening I have not heard La Roux thumping my ceiling from the neighbors upstairs. God bless you for having great taste in music, but really, how many times does one need to listen to “Bulletproof” a day? I much prefer listening to Dylan and the Shins like you had playing the other night… okay?

    This evening I stuck around school a little later than usual to listen to Professor Jean Pierre’s special lecture “Monsters.” I could not miss this… I love Halloween, and no not in a creepy worship Satan kind of way Melissa. Halloween is mysterious, cryptic, and interesting, what’s not to love? Among all of the “monsters” through history he discussed and showed on slides, there was one that completely captivated me. Ever wondered who inspired the evil queen in Snow White? Place a picture of Joan Crawford beside the queen and you will know. It all makes sense... the long fingernails, the mirror on the wall, the evil stepmother, the creators of Snow White had a clear inspiration for what they envisioned when creating the Evil Queen in Snow White. When I think of Joan Crawford I automatically think of the movie “Mommy Dearest,” which is enough to give anyone the correct persona of Joan Crawford.

     I realize my blogs updates sometimes jump from one topic to another, I can’t help it… annoying or not, it’s me. This past Saturday, Mel, Lana, and I took a break from studying and braved the cold to venture out to a tearoom I had read about called Les Deux Abeilles owned and ran by a mother and daughter. Most of the desert recipes have been passed down in the family. Supposedly they have the best lemon meringue tart in Paris… I had to decipher whether this was correct or not. The lemon meringue tart was blissful. I don’t see how one finds it possible to diet while in Europe; there is so much wonderful food! Melissa and I are determined to start eating better. Everyone told us we would have the time of our life in Paris, no one told us the ugly truth about Nutella crepes or French bread.

From Paris with Love,

Marcy

Belgium

This past weekend Melissa and I visited Belgium. We stayed in Waterloo, Belgium with Melissa’s cousin’s pastor. The Benjamin family was so welcoming and loving; it was a nice change to get away from our tiny Parisian apartment, as well as a change in scenery from Paris. I can’t explain how amazing it was to sleep in a queen size bed and wake up to breakfast every morning on the table. Oh and did I mention they had Starbucks coffee. I have been missing Starbucks like crazy… and of course this weekend I got my fix. Yes, Melissa and I have a French press but… A) it is nothing like the coffee that Breann makes and B) somehow I managed to break the French press.

Friday, Melissa and I went to the Waterloo battlefields. We climbed to the top of the monument and must have sat at the top for an hour in almost complete silence. Sure, I wasn’t on top of the world, but it’s moments like these that make me so thankful that I have had the opportunity to travel around Europe.

Saturday

On Saturday, Melissa’s friend’s cousin Dana picked us up from Waterloo and took us in to downtown Brussels. Brussels is such a unique city, as well as a beautiful one.  It was so nice to have someone with us that knew there way around the city. We visited the city museum, the chocolate museum, and the brewery museum. Of course I was not going to leave these museums without sampling some Belgium chocolate and beer. Dana kept telling us that we had to try the Belgium waffles. We decided we needed two waffles that day just to see if the second waffle was as good. ;) The waffles are not like the waffles that Americans pop into the toaster, they were indescribable. After sightseeing around Brussels we made a quick stop by Dana’s house. Just when we thought that Dana couldn’t be more nice, she sends us back with a bag full of goodies. She called the bag “hodge podge” but we call it gold. J I was so excited to get some TEAVANA, I’ve missed it almost as much as Starbucks.

Sunday

Sunday was a day of rest for Melissa and I…literally. Mr. Benjamin took us to Villers Abbey before he dropped us off at the train station. Although our time was limited there because we did not want to miss our train, I still managed to get plenty of pictures… somehow I manage to do that everywhere I go though. Ha J

From Paris with Love,

 Marcy

Mercredi 6 octobre deux mille dix

I'm getting so lazy about updating my blog... it's because I currently have a visual journal for Photography with journal entries and sketches, and a another journal with mostly writing and postcards. Needless to say, it's a lot of journaling to keep up with. I'll give a brief overview of some of the things I have done in the last two weeks that I have really enjoyed. :)

Vintage Expo

While getting lost trying to find Musee Picasso, Melissa and I found a Vintage Expo! We have never been so happy to be lost. The entrance to the giant warehouse building was like the golden gate to heaven, well for any fashion majors at least. The expo had everything, records, furniture, clothes, vintage designer clothing, and an endless assortment of jewelry, handbags, and shoes. I finally found an Edith Piaf record for only ten euros, I was so psyched. 

Granville/Musee Christian Dior

Outside of Paris, Granville has been my favorite place to visit. Granville is a quaint little fishermen town populated by mostly locals and sits along the coast. I have never seen ocean water so beautiful. Christian Dior's pink home and garden sat on top of a hill overlooking the turquoise ocean. The landscaping was perfect and in incredible condition...Granny and Papaw would be proud. The inside of the house is a small museum that features all of Christian Dior's work. The exposition featured at the time was of all haute couture.  

Claude Monet Exhibit

The day I visisted the Monet exhibit I felt like a true study abroad student. As I walked through the exhibit I was in complete awe. I regret to say this is the first art museum I have been to in Paris, and I have to change this soon. While I was walking through all the crowded rooms looking at the paintings, it was astonishing to me to think that all of these paintings were real places. I tried to create a mental image in my head of these "real" places... we really do live in a beautiful. It's crazy to think we will live in this world our whole life and never even seen half of the beauty it has to offer.

Versailles

Highlight of the whole trip...seeing Marie Antoinette's chamber. If your reading this Jordan... I thought of you. :)

From Paris with love,

Marcy