Have you heard of the Ted Talks? If not, let’s start there. I think they say it best on their site;
“TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.
The TED Conference, held annually in the spring, is the heart of TED. More than a thousand people now attend, the event sells out a year in advance, and the content has expanded to include science, business, the arts and the global issues facing our world. Over four days, 50 speakers each take an 18-minute slot, and there are many shorter pieces of content, including music, performance and comedy. There are no breakout groups. Everyone shares the same experience. It shouldn’t work, but it does. It works because all of knowledge is connected. Every so often it makes sense to emerge from the trenches we dig for a living, and ascend to a 30,000-foot view, where we see, to our astonishment, an intricately interconnected whole.”
Out of all 50 speakers, only three are picked as the winners. The three winners are given a grant of $100,000 to help make their “One Wish to Change the World” come true.
James Nachtwey is one of the most amazing war photographers of our time.
He also became one of the three TED winners. Read this quick bio for more info on him. His “one wish to change the world” was this;
“I’m working on a story that the world needs to know about. I wish for you to help me break it, in a way that provides spectacular proof of the power of news photography in the digital age.”
From what I understand, no one knows what this story is about. The unveiling of this story and his images happens globally this Friday, October 3rd! This is an event photographers and non-photographers have been sitting on the edge of their chair to see.
If you’d like to see his moving Ted talk go to this link. I highly encourage you to see this clip, but keep in mind, it’s not for children. His war images are to disturbing for my little ones to see. Just an fyi for you.
James Nachtwey is a man that deserves talking about. Tell me what you think after you’ve watched his talk. It shook my inner most being to listen to his talk and see his images.
Set your calendar and mark your this page to see the unveiling on Friday!
Wow…I’m speechless.
thank you for sharing this, for helping tell this story. i would not have heard/known about it if it weren’t for you.
i am moved by this witness, by the freedom fighter that is James Nachtwey. for a man to devote his life to tell the story of the weak and voiceless, to photograph that which most could not bear to watch and use his camera as a tool, a weapon for injustice, i am certainly inspired. i will most definitely be watching to see what he was able to do with the help of TED, wish they could have given him $1 million.
so much more to say, will have to let it all process. photojournalism has been on my mind heavy the past few days. these are uncertain times. but i can’t seem to reconcile how one witnesses pain without physically being able to reach out a hand, reach into his pocket, or comfort those that he is documenting. i realize that telling the story in this way is far greater than what one man can do, what physically and emotionally one person can give. it is on such a larger scale, such a greater purpose.
i think what speaks to me in my photography is the truth in pain, the beauty in joy, the ability to convey someone’s soul through their eyes. connection. how can one connect when you have to be removed to tell the greater story? these are questions i am excited to ponder…
Wow Me Ra..thank you for sharing something like this. I got chills watching this and while I wanted to look away at times, I didn’t. It is so important to hear these stories and see the reality. I am looking forward to seeing the story on Friday. I had to go to the Ted site to see what other things have won this award and encourage everyone to take a look. This idea is very cool: http://onceuponaschool.org/
Carrie..I once again am in awe at how you can communicate so well what many of us think. I too wonder how one can see so much pain and not want to help everyone. Like you said though, telling the story is going to have such a larger impact.
I believe I have shared the following with you Carrie, but wanted to let other readers take a look as it is somewhat similar to what James has done. This link is for the 2007 pulitzer prize for photography. A photographer documented the journey of a mother and young son as he battled and ultimately lost his fight with cancer. Some of the most heartbreaking pictures I have ever seen, but once again a story that needs to be told.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/swf/april07/mother/
Carrie, I love your thoughts around this.
I was so moved by his Ted talk, especially when he talked about how he had to find a way to channel his anger into something good. Can you imagine the injustice he has seen and experienced, yet to keep going and give what he gives to the world.
To commit yourself to capture such horrific things happening in the world–James Nachtwey truly is a hero of our time. I can’t wait to see what he has done with Ted.
very interesting. that is something i wrote down, what he said about channeling his anger. it really spoke to me as well. i think as an artist i am trying to learn how to channel these and other feelings outward, rather than inward…
i wish i lived in a city where they were showing, they really are reaching out worldwide…i didn’t see a link on the page of where to watch, I’m guessing the url will be displayed Friday? my mind is all over the place trying to figure out what he HASN’T done, where he hasn’t been…and the X, it must stand for something! maybe crossing out poverty, wouldn’t that be nice.
I was very moved by his speech and photos..what an amazing human being. Thank you so much for posting this and exposing more people to his important work.
Me Ra, thank you for this introduction to James Nachtwey. I have seen his work but I didn’t connect the name until I saw the images of the family by the railroad tracks. What a great story that is, when donations poured in to help this family….all because of his passion and respect for human life. I can’t wait for the 3rd…I will pass this story on. And to James…you are a brave soul with a huge heart. Thank you for your courage.
I’ve watched a video on James Natchway and his photojournalism during the Kosovo war and was moved to tears. I was a missionary in Kosova for 6 years, and it was such a part of my life, that to see someone else capture that raw pain that the Kosovar people felt and were still feeling was extremely sweet in a way – precious. It’s hard to say that about some photos that were perhaps gruesome, but how he spoke about meeting the people and trying to gain their trust spoke out in his photos. I kept expecting to see someone that I knew in those photos… they were so accurate. I am really excited to see what this is on Friday.
I have watched his documentary numerous times. He moved me to become a photographer. In no way am I the photographer he is, nor will I ever be, but he makes me want to use my God given gift to serve others. I just saw his images released today. Unbelieveable! It is amazing what the news will not show. It took one man, one man to show us what is really going on in the world! Interestingly enough, TB outbreaks have become newsworthy here in Southern California. Thank you Me Ra for posting this. I had no idea this was available today! God bless.
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