Another dose of inspiration...

I had the opportunity to meet this man at the VII workshop this past October. At that time Marcus Bleasdale was a guest photographer, but later became a part of VII. When he spoke, his words reflected the passion he had, and his photos spoke of the intensity of the conflict in the Congo. This is about a 12 minute piece, but every piece of the documentary--- the stills, the video, the interviews, and the audio keep you glued to the screen and after watching such a piece forces you to think... "What can I do?"



I think a lot of photojournalists get into the field because they want to somehow make a difference in the world-- they believe in the power of the image. And it amazes me to see photographs that reflect not only the person in front of the lense, but also the person behind it--their compassion, their strength, their heart, their eye.

Some people think--- I being one of them sometimes-- that being a documentary photographer isn't enough to help the person, people or cause they are reporting on. I fall into that internal debate telling myself, "Maybe what I'm doing isn't enough to help..." Then I come across a piece like this, and I REGRET even thinking that photography doesn't have the power to make a difference. Images bring stories to the surface... it is that droplet that causes ripples sometimes we ourselves cannot see.

Sebastian Salgado once wrote: "The documentary photographer must have to show one person's existence to another."