Description
Object description
British freelance photographer in GB, Africa, Central America, Afghanistan, Congo, Chechnya and Gaza, 1982-2011
Content description
REEL 1: Background in GB, 1948-1982:childhood in Plymouth; father's naval career; education at University of Sussex; three year assignment with British Council in Brazil; story of buying first camera for professional work; enrolled for City and Guilds photographic course at Paddington College, London. Aspects of period as freelance photographer, 1982-1989: photographic project in East End of London; five week visit to Libya; joined women only photographic agency Format in 1983; visit to Nicaragua at time of Sandinista government; further assignments in Central America; logistic problems of working as photographer; importance of magazine 'City Limits'; description of work in El Salvador during 1980s; importance of makeup for women suffering effects of conflicts; reason for move to Network Agency; work with NGOs; description of assignments in Angola, Sudan and Eritrea during 1980s, photographing effects of conflict on women.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as freelance photographer in Afghanistan, 1989-2011: story of first visit to Kabul, 1989; worked with all women film crew reporting on treatment of women in Pakistan and Afghanistan; description of Kabul before destruction; nature and subject of photographs; story of second visit to Kabul with Red Crescent in early 1990s; photographed victims of mines; visit to Bamiyan Buddhas prior to destruction by Taliban; bombing by Taliban; description of photograph of Hazara women fighters; story of further visit to Kabul, 11/2001; problem of travel after 9/11 terrorist attacks; reason for Afghan women wearing burkhas; danger of assignments; work with Action Aid, 2011; attitude to Afghan women MPs; opinion of treatment of Afghan women; description of photographs taken.
REEL 3 Continues: comparison of colour with black and white photography; use of photograph by Amnesty International; attitude to digital photography; problem of photographing rape victims. Aspects of period as freelance photographer in Rwanda, 1994: description of photographing aftermath of genocide; worked as part of small NGO with Rakiya Omer gathering testimonies and photographing victims; attitude to work as photographer in Rwanda; question of multi-skilling among journalists and photographers; story of photographing victims of cholera outbreak in Goma camp; reason for refusing to photograph victims being bulldozed into mass grave. Aspects of period as freelance photographer in Sudan, Congo, Chechnya, Tunisia, Libya and Gaza, 1983-2011: description of work in Sudan during civil war; opinion of effectiveness of Medecins Sans Frontieres and Oxfam in area.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude to current aid programmes in various parts of the world; story of photographing rape victims in Congo; assignment to photograph effects of conflict on women in Grozny, Chechnya; work with Merlin organization during uprising in Tunisia and Red Crescent in Libya; attitude to working with NGOs; description of conditions in Gaza following Israeli bombing. Reflections on work about women in conflict