1
Magnum 66th AGM group photo, 2013, IdeasTap HQ. Photography by Jonathan Bell.
What does it take to become a great
photographer? When youre starting out in
the industry, you cant help but look at the
people you admire and wonder how they got
to where they are. What motivated them to
start in the first place? What sacrifices have
they made along the way? And what decisions
are behind the images theyve produced?
Eleven emerging image-makers won an
IdeasTap competition to put these questions
and more to some of Magnums biggest
names. The occasion was the legendary
cooperatives 66th Annual General Meeting,
which took place at IdeasTaps London offices
in June 2013. IdeasTap is a charity and
creative network, with more than 100,000
members. Since 2010, we have worked with
Magnum Photos to provide opportunities,
funding and mentoring for new photographic
talent most notably through the prestigious
IdeasTap Photographic Award.
This special one-off publication features
exclusive interviews with a group of Magnum
2
photographers that includes newer nominees
like Moises Saman and Bieke Depoorter,
as well as veterans of the agency, such as
Thomas Hoepker and David Hurn, who
joined in the 60s. Consequently their
perspectives on the medium vary but
several ideas recur.
Fancy equipment will only get you so far. All
a camera can ever be is a box with a hole in
the front, which lets light through, as David
Hurn puts it. According to the Magnum
voices represented here, being a great
photographer is only ever partially about
taking pictures. Their advice: to travel, look,
engage; find your own take on the world and
express that visually. Because ultimately, like
Thomas Dworzak says, Photography is about
life and experience.
Rachel Segal Hamilton
IdeasTap Commissioning Editor
August 2013
Item Page

Interview with Moises Saman 4

Interview with David Hurn 6

Interview with Peter van Agtmael 8

Whats your advice for young photographers? 10

Interview with Larry Towell 12

Interview with Thomas Dworzak 14

Interview with Alex Webb 16

IdeasTap Photographers: What makes a great image? 18

Interview with Thomas Hoepker 20

Interview with Bieke Depoorter 22

Interview with Richard Kalvar 24

Whats the toughest time youve faced as a photographer? 26

Interview with Alec Soth 28

Interview with Nikos Economopoulos 30

Interview with Jonas Bendiksen 32

Last word: Magnum on the state of photography today 34

Edited by Rachel Segal Hamilton.

Designed by Vicky Creevey.

With special thanks to Fiona Rogers, Chelsea Jacob and the Magnum Photos team.

Contributors: Rachel Barker, Chris Brunner, Lewis Bush, Souvid Datta, Thomas Hofer, Julia
Horbaschk, Tom Maguire, Sophie McGrath, Tina Remiz, Clmentine Schneidermann and
Ambra Vernuccio.

3
Moises Saman is an award-winning
photojournalist. He tells IdeasTap member
Souvid Datta about his relationship
with war and his projects in Egypt and
Afghanistan, and shares advice for emerging
photographers...
Youve covered many conflicts from
Afghanistan to Iraq, Libya, Syria,
Tunisia and Egypt. How did you get
into war photography?
My first trip was in the summer of 1999.
I was in my mid-20s, Id just finished an
internship at Newsday and went to Kosovo.
I didnt know anybody and wasnt affiliated
with any news organisation. I spent about a
month travelling through the country taking
pictures, not really knowing what I was doing.
I self-financed the trip and didnt sell any
pictures. You might call it an exercise to see
whether this path was for me. When things
started it wasnt about the conflict. I was
more interested in the lifestyle.
As I got older and more serious about
photography, I accepted the benefits and
obligations of being in these situations
stretched beyond personal indulgence.
Photography evolved into a medium of
commentary, through which I could spark
dialogue and understanding. Im not saying
photography can change the world, but you
can be a factor in the discourse.
4
What advice would you give a young
photographer going into a conflict?
Find a specific story within the larger context
of the conflict, something that you can make
your own. Ive seen young photographers
trying to cover Syria or Egypt now. It can be
horribly dangerous, and they might leave with
a decent set of photographs some action
shots, some demonstration of the anguish
there but the end product is rarely coherent,
and adds little to the wider understanding of
the situation. But if you find one slice of the
bigger story something tangible, where you
can illustrate emotions intimately the work
becomes more fresh and compelling.
Often your colour images are
subsequently presented as black and
white sets. What prompts this choice?
I always shoot in digital colour. Now Im
mostly working with an Olympus OM-D
E-M5 camera, and almost always with just
one 35mm f/2 lens. But some specific stories
I see more in black and white than colour. It
can depend on my mood, or the mood of the
work. Theres no formula.
Technically speaking, I find black and white
easier. The picture doesnt need to be perfect.
With colour, if the colours themselves arent
strong then the image doesnt work. Black
and white gives you more leverage; you have

Photography evolved
into a medium
of commentary,
through which I could
spark dialogue and
understanding.
more space to focus on the content, instead of
composition or lighting.
Has citizen journalism, and the fact
that anyone with a camera phone can
now become part of the news, affected
your approach to photography?
No, actually. Sometimes these fast-paced,
often sensational pictures, or YouTube videos
and social media phenomena, can be great
as a testimony, especially when somethings
happening in real-time and previously no one
would have been around to capture it. But I
still think theres a need to examine issues
more sensitively and thoroughly.
Clockwise from top: District chief Hagi
Zahir meets with local elders in Marja,
Libya, 2011. A Gaddafi supporter holds
a portrait of the Libyan leader during a
staged celebration in a suburb of Zaiwyah,
Libya, 2011. A nurse at the Sharif Islamic
Committee, a community centre operated
by the Muslim Brotherhood in the Shobra
district of Cairo, Egypt, 2011. All images
Moises Saman/Magnum Photos.
So, despite the fact that newspapers
are closing, and magazines are
making cuts, you definitely think that
photojournalism has a future?
Yes. The outlet may be different, the product
may be different more multimedia, more
interactive but the craft hasnt changed
since as far back as I can remember. A man
with a camera trying to approach an issue
or person: its a simple process. Portraying
issues through a distinctive photojournalistic
vision is essential to wider understanding,
and the work will always be relevant and in
demand.
5
David Hurn made his name as a reportage
photographer. He became a Magnum
member in 1967 and founded the prestigious
Documentary Photography BA at the
University of Wales, Newport. Here David
talks IdeasTap member Lewis Bush
through the process of putting together his
book Wales: Land of My Father...

My parents were from Wales but, for various

reasons, I was born outside Wales and in
the eyes of some people that makes you not
really Welsh.

I had always been interested in words that

are used a lot, but which dont have a clear
meaning. People continually talk about art,
but I have no idea what theyre talking about
most of the time because they all mean
something different. I feel similarly about
the word culture, so in 1970, when I came
to live in Wales, I decided to try and discover
my culture by photographing what I found
interesting and seeing if that came together as
a sort of jigsaw puzzle.
Ive always liked to work to a structure,
because it gives me a guideline. So I made
a simple plan and said, religion, language,
education, sport, industry these are
probably the five key subjects then lets
break each of those down. For example, for
religion you have Catholics, Muslims etc.
Suddenly you find you have a spiders web of
maybe 100 potential subjects. Youve got a
plan, and then you just have to go to each of
those subjects or locations and photograph.
In some ways this gives you more freedom
than if you say vaguely, I want to be a street
photographer.
Shooting isnt a problem: you just go, you
look at something, you find it interesting
and you take a picture of it simple as that.
And if you happen to have some sort of eye,
youll usually end up with geometry in the
picture. Its totally instinctive. All a camera
can ever be is a box with a hole in the front,

6
 You just go, you look
at something, you find
it interesting and you
take a picture of it
simple as that.

Clockwise from top: Ladies night in the local pub in Usk, Wales, UK, 1974. A mine
rescue team at work in Dinas, Wales, UK, 1989. Childrens toys in the boundary
fence of a refuse transfer site, Penparc, Wales, UK, 1990. All images David Hurn/
Magnum Photos.

which lets light through. You really have just
two controls: where you put that box where
you stand, in other words and when you
decide to press the button. And thats what
photography is about. If you stand in the right
place and press the button at the right time,
the box isnt so important.
pieces of paper on the wall and on these I
start to write what I think I ought to be doing.
Then I pin the pictures on each of those, and
as I look at them I see I have too many close
up pictures or whatever, so I begin to edit.
I might in some circumstances go back and
photograph the same event.

When it comes to editing, what you obviously
do first is pick your best pictures. This isnt
necessarily developing your argument, but
that becomes part of the overall jigsaw puzzle.
I have a room at home with all cork walls. Say
I decide I want 100 pictures. I pin 100 blank
In the end I came to the conclusion that
I couldnt pinpoint what was meant by
culture but everyone who saw the book
said it was very Welsh.

7
Peter van Agtmael has covered wars
in Iraq, Afghanistan and their impact
in the USA. After being voted in as a
full member at this years Magnum
AGM, Peter talks to IdeasTap member
Clmentine Schneidermann about
photography schools, small cameras and
the trend towards conceptual documentary
photography...
Since you didnt study photography,
whats your position on photo schools?
There are some good schools but Im a
bit suspicious because it seems that the
personality of the professors can be too
influential. I havent studied photography, but
I thought about it. In America it requires a lot
of money and the money I would have spent
on studies, I was able to spend on taking
pictures. That was helpful in some ways, less
helpful in others. My photo school was being
at Magnum around all these guys. Even if
they judge you harshly, its in a useful way.
They force you to justify your decisions.
How does your photographic approach
influence your choice of camera?
I use small digital cameras: a Sony RX1,
which is full frame, and an Olympus OM-D,
which is good for speed and flexibility. I hate
big cameras. Theyre too loud, too intrusive,
too noticeable. I feel more spontaneous with
8
small ones I can always carry with me. You
want to be invisible as much as possible.
Whats your working method? Do you
have any assistants?
For me photography is an excuse to do
things Im interested in. And Im interested
in traveling all around America, meeting
all sorts of people from every race, every
background, every socioeconomic class. I
like travelling on my own or sometimes with
my girlfriend or with friends. I prefer doing
things like the editing or the printing on
my own but sometimes I use assistants for
the lighting during commissions because I
know how I want the light to look, but I dont
know how to do it. As Im finishing a book [of
photographs] from seven years in Iraq and
Afghanistan, I showed it to a dozen people
to get their opinions. And more recently Ive
been working with filmmakers, because I
want to do short documentaries.
Theres a move among some
photographers, such as Deutsche
Brse winners Broomberg & Chanarin
and nominees Cristina De Middel and
Mishka Henner, towards conceptual
documentary work that questions the
truthfulness of photography. How do
you feel about this?
I think its interesting but I prefer traditional
Clockwise from top: Raymond plays with Star
Wars lightsabers with his sons Brady and Riley,
Wisconsin, USA, 2007. Soldiers take part in
a combat lifesaving training course in South
Carolina, USA, 2011. A man and boy take cover
under a tree from a sudden rainstorm on the war
ravaged Gulu-Kitgum Road, Uganda, 2008. All
images Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos.

I hate big cameras.

Theyre too loud, too
intrusive, too noticeable.
I feel more spontaneous
with small ones I can
always carry with me.

documentary photography because you can

keep exploring it, whereas I usually only find
the more conceptual work interesting in the
short term. [Deutsche Brse nominee] Chris
Killips work I can keep looking at again and
again, but do I want to look at Cristina De
Middels Afronauts again and again? No.
These conceptual photographers are trying to
kill the traditions, but theyve been informed
by them; the institutions theyre criticising
arent going away. Its good that they push
its limits, but documentary photography is
always going to exist. Even if it can sometimes
be clichd, theres always a core of it that is
going to be great.

9
Magnum photographers share tips
for people starting out in the image
industry...

Jonas Bendiksen:
Be a person before youre a photographer.
Your interactions with people are better if
you are yourself, a human being, more than a
photographer, and if people see you like this,
usually the pictures become better.

Alex Webb:
Theres a big difference between taking
pictures to make money and taking
photographs because you believe in them.
There are plenty of photographers whove
done great work in their lives and havent
been professional photographers; I think
of Ralph Eugene Meatyard, who was an
eye doctor. Theres nothing wrong with
uncertainty about which directions to go in
but you have to believe in what youre doing
because youll have to make sacrifices, and
the rewards are generally so fleeting. Larry Towell gives feedback to IdeasTap members at por

Alec Soth:
Forget about being a photographer. Be a
creative person. I find the workshops I do in
my studio as creative as making pictures; in
some ways raising money is a creative act.
You have to be creative with how you lead
your life and not just the things you make.
David Hurn:
If you want to be a photographer, you need
to be a walker so keep fit. Im nearly 80 now.
The bane of my life is aching bones, so I have
to consciously keep fit, because if I dont do
that I cant do my job. If you want to compete
in this world a working day is 10 or 12 hours,
so make sure you have comfortable shoes!
Larry Towell:
Get away from home once in a while. Work
flat out for short periods, three weeks even
two weeks, a week. I tend to work for three-
week cycles. Only think photography. The
rest of the time you edit, you sequence you
spend more time editing and looking than
shooting.
Moises Saman:
People make the mistake of only seeking
inspiration in their exact field of interest.
Prospective war photographers, for example,
shouldnt only look at the work of previous
war photographers. Theres so much else to
be inspired by. I find people from a totally
different background the art world, or
painting bring something more organic to
their approach. And its important to find one
story that only you can do, and perhaps to use
that to explain a bigger issue.

10

rtfolio reviews during the Magnum AGM, London, UK, 2013.
Image Ambra Vernuccio.
Peter van Agtmael:
Be careful to not to listen too much to
anyone. Trust yourself more than others. Ive
seen people really messed up in their heads
because of teachers who think they know
exactly what theyre talking about and are
imposing their view, which is not necessary
positive for growth. Look at as many types of
work as possible. Look at the whole history of
photography. People think that photography
is a romantic job but if you want to succeed
you have to be completely obsessed with it.
Richard Kalvar:
Travel a lot; try to go to places where
interesting things might happen. In the
late 60s, after I worked as assistant for the
photographer Jerome Ducrot, I saved up a
little money and came to Europe to hitchhike
with the camera he gave me as a present,
and a couple of lenses. I wasnt there to
photograph [travelling round Europe] was
one of the things that people did back then. I
started taking a few pictures. I wouldnt say
it was a project, but by the time I went back,
after 10 months, I was a photographer. Thats
the thing that changed my life the most, that
trip.
Thomas Dworzak:
Learn something else. Photography isnt
that complicated; you can learn to take
pictures by yourself. Photography is about
life and experience. Put yourself in a position
where you take a lot of pictures. Dont study
photography. Dont think about it too much.
Try to experience something and express that
experience through photography.
Thomas Hoepker:
Think before you press the shutter. Its
frustrating that today, even more than in
the time of analogue photography, you often
come back with a lot of junk. Nowadays,
its too easy to get a picture click-clack;
the camera works for you, but you need to
use your brain, look closely and react fast.
Dont go out and expect that things will be
wonderful photography is hard work!
Nikos Economopoulos:
Be honest with yourself and be original.
Dont try to convince others that youre
something youre not. The experts in
photography, like my peers at Magnum, can
see quickly if your work is original or not.
Without originality you wont get far in this
industry. Go in the direction that you feel,
not where the market tells you to go. If you
follow this advice, and have a natural eye for a
good composition, you will stand a chance of
making it as a photographer.
11
Canadian photographer Larry Towell
joined Magnum in 1988 and became a full
Member in 1993. Over the course of his
career he has documented the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict and Mennonite communities
in Mexico. Here Larry talks to IdeasTap
member Rachel Barker about The World
From My Front Porch, a highly personal
project about his family...
I never officially photographed my family
I never paid them or made a point of
photographing them but I did it in the same
way anybody does.
The camera was on the refrigerator and Id
take it down if I saw something I wanted to
photograph. After a number of years, though,
the pictures started coming together. Its not
a self-indulgent project: the book is about
land, about identity. To deal with identity
you should deal with your own identity.
People are who they are because of where
theyre from, because of the land they live
on, because of the history of a place. And
what happens to people when they lose that
land, or if somebody tries to rob them of
that history? The book is also about the civil
wars in Central America, which were peasant
rebellions. Its also about the Palestinians,
who lost everything. Identity. Land. Nation.
So its about more things than just my family.
I still shoot black and white film, but also
12
carry a digital camera, which I use mostly
for forensic photography for details and
objects. Films certainly dying out in terms of
marketing and finding it; you can hardly buy
it and its expensive, but Im still comfortable
with it. Ill probably gradually shift as well,
but I dont accept the deadlines that digital
photographers have forced upon them.
When the book first came out, I did a
show at the George Eastman House at the
International Museum of Photography and
Film in New York called The World From My
Front Porch, which also included the other
bodies of work that Id done on identity. So
there were artefacts from Palestine: shrapnel,
slingshots, artefacts from the Mennonites,
artefacts from home, the history of my music,
photographs from my grandmothers album,
everything, hundreds of things.
I had everything photographed for the book,
so I had images of these artefacts. For the
exhibition, I worked with a curator by the
name of Rick Hock. There was a warehouse
there; I brought all these prints and a bunch
of stuff, and we just started moving with it.
Id go back and forth over a couple of months,
and then we went into the gallery and just
started hanging things, playing with it, trying
to make things harmonise based on how one
thing feels when close to the other thing.
In terms of the book, [its the] same idea
People are who they are
because of where theyre
from, because of the land
they live on, because of
the history of a place.

Clockwise from top: Two-year-

old Isaac Towell is carried into
the Sydenham River by his older
sister Naomi in Lambton County,
Ontario, Canada, 1996. Moses
Towell eats a wild pear while
his mother Ann sits behind the
wheel of a 1951 pickup truck,
Lambton County, Ontario,
Canada, 1996. Palestinian
children hold toy guns in the air,
Gaza, 1993. All images Larry
Towell/Magnum Photos.

I make my books with scotch tape and

photocopies. From there, when its time to
publish, you get a designer and you refine it.
You show it to people to get feedback and you
struggle with it. You struggle with language,
editing, sequence; you struggle with making
this element work with that one. Sometimes
you put things together that dont naturally
belong so you have to force them together.
You have to build a bridge. I try not to edit
with structure; I edit on emotion.
13
Thomas Dworzak began travelling the
world and taking photos while still in high
school. Since then, he has covered events
in Chechnya, Macedonia, Nigeria, Haiti,
Pakistan, Israel, Iran, Afghanistan and
Iraq, to name a few. Here Thomas talks to
IdeasTap member Thomas Hofer about his
book on US army doctors in Iraq...
How did your book M*A*S*H IRAQ
come together?
M*A*S*H IRAQ became a personal project,
but it grew out of my professional work. I
had a contract with TIME Magazine. Because
I spent a lot of time with the medevacs
[medical evacuation team] I started to watch
M*A*S*H the American TV show about
army doctors in the Korean War and I
got into it. M*A*S*H was interesting: it was
shown during the Vietnam War and there was
the whole discussion about Vietnam. Iraq was
a similar situation and the same discussion
was still alive so M*A*S*H fitted very well
with it.
I pulled it all together afterwards, putting my
photographs with stills from M*A*S*H, but to
start with it was a normal assignment. Thats
whats good about Magnum you have a
place where you can bring in something else on
top of the purely professional, commercial work.
14
What was the response from the
soldiers that you photographed?
I wasnt in touch with the military after the
book came out. [But beforehand] on the
purely photographic part of it the non-
M*A*S*H pictures surprisingly they were
very positive. I thought theyd be worried
about it. I was maybe out to look for the
cruel side of war and was actually a bit
embarrassed to get so much praise from that
side.
That said, I have a fairly pro-military point
of view. I really felt I was with the soldiers. I
have huge respect for what they do, especially
the medevac guys. Im not somebody whose
message is, Oh my God, war is horrible.
This is way too simple for me.
One image depicts a group of soldiers
watching their friend die. How do you
personally relate to such a situation?
I didnt know the guy. This was the bizarre
thing with medevac: you fly around in an
ambulance and pick up casualties. The people
that come in arent the people Ive been with.
I thought that it was dignified. But also its
in a hospital, so the way people react to it
is ritualised. And its still the military: they
have [systems in place] to deal with it. Its
not this emotional chaos like you get in the
civilian world. I dont want to be aggressive
Im not somebody whose
message is, Oh my God, war
is horrible. This is way too
simple for me.
in that situation, youve just got to be quiet
and respectful. For me, thats always the most
important thing. Its not like that I absolutely
have to get the picture. I mean, I have to get
it, but I should try to get it the most dignified
way possible.
How does this tie into your role as a
photojournalist?
My job is not to be touchy. I should be
respectful to people, whatever happens, but
Clockwise from top: Soldiers and medics from the 1159th
Medical Company at a Medevac base near Tikrit/Samara,
Iraq, 2005. Soldiers and Medics from the 1159th Medical
Company watch their comrade die, near Tikrit/Samara,
Iraq, 2005. Screen shots from US TV serial M*A*S*H, about
an army hospital and medevac unit in the Korean War. All
images Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos.
then I should be provocative. Most of the
time people dont care. Im glad if it upsets
somebody, if they get confused. Everybody
has this taboo view of war. It can be great
fun too and I think its important to know
that. There are a lot of people, including
myself, that have had a very good time in
different wars. And its an intensity you miss
afterwards. Im not in favour of war, God
forbid. It would be better if there was no war,
definitely. But once its there, youve got to
look at it.
15
Noted for his bold colour images, Alex
Webb joined Magnum Photos as an
associate in 1976 and has since worked
in the Caribbean, Mexico, Turkey and the
US. Alex talks to IdeasTap member Lewis
Bush about why he avoids doing too much
research before starting a project and the
difference between shooting at home and
abroad...
Youre known for your work in Haiti
but youve also photographed in the
US. Could you talk us through the
making of From the Sunshine State,
your book about Florida?
When I was working extensively in Haiti I
often found myself stuck in Miami because
riots had taken over Port au Prince. I started
looking around at this strange state called
Florida and got interested in photographing
it. My first instinct was to photograph the
new immigrant groups Haitians and
Guatemalans but I realised that what I
really needed to do was photograph the
totality of Florida. Florida is a world of many
different pockets that seem to have little to do
with one another.
The final book, put together in 1992, was
built in much the same way I generally build
books. By playing with a few pictures the
beginning starts to emerge and then the
end, and somehow different pieces fall into
16
place between them. Several publishers were
interested but never took it; it was actually
four years before it got published. In that time
I made a couple more trips and a few more
pictures crept in. Sometimes theres a reason
you cant find a publisher thats taking the
philosophical view.
As an American, did you feel closer to
Florida than somewhere like Haiti?
In certain ways Im closer to Florida because
there are all these familiar things, like chain
restaurants. But theres a part of me that
feels emotionally closer to Haiti or to Mexico,
because I approached Florida and at least
at that time in my life approached parts
of the United States with ambivalence. In
Florida Im a little ironic, a little amused; Im
questioning the nature of my country.
Youve stated elsewhere that you dont
like to begin a project with too many
preconceived ideas. How does this
inform your research?
When I work on a project for myself, I may
read a guidebook to get the general lay of the
land; I may read a novel set in the place, to
give me a sense of what some writer felt. And
then I go and start working. I come back, look
at the work and then start reading, because
I want my visual knowledge of the place to
develop at the same pace as my intellectual
Clockwise from top: Members of the public in Daytona
Beach, Florida, USA, 1988, from The Sunshine State. A
memorial for victims of army violence, Port au Prince, Haiti,
1987. Mexicans arrested while trying to cross the border to
United States, San Ysidro, California, USA, 1979. All images
Alex Webb/Magnum Photos.Magnum Photos.
knowledge. I feel with certain projects that
if I read too much I start trying to force
things. I look at things and say, Ah well
thats symbolic of that and so its interesting
to photograph, whereas if Im just there
photographing I see things that might
contradict those symbols.
Youve worked in partnership with
your wife, Rebecca Norris Webb.
Would you recommend young
photographers seek out collaborators?
By playing with a few
pictures the beginning
starts to emerge and then
the end, and somehow
different pieces fall into
place between them.
If it works naturally. Ive found it incredibly
rewarding and exciting and fabulous to
work with Rebecca. But one thing I will say
is we almost never photograph in the street
together. The times we shoot together we
have to be careful to go to opposite ends of
whatever situation it is. Two photographers
together in the street transform a situation.
people dont respond the same way.
17
As part of the Magnum Photos AGM, a group of IdeasTap
members got feedback on their work from Magnum
photographers David Alan Harvey, Jonas Bendiksen,
Larry Towell and Eli Reed. They tell us what they think
makes a great picture...

Anna Maguire, 24:

Timing, the lighting and something that
stays with you, be that the image itself, or a
mood or state of mind.

Joupin Ghamsari, 24:

An image that grabs your attention and feeds
into your curiosity, challenging the viewer
by encapsulating the raw emotion and story
through the subject or scene.

Tom Bradley, 27:

I see images that dont have good lighting or
composition, and are still sometimes great
images. Theres no answer. Personally my
favourite images are ones where there are
many things happening details that perhaps
you miss on first inspection but reveal
themselves on second or third viewing.

Joanne Coates, 24:

A great image is not just a photographic de-
piction; it has an ability to create true empa-
thy, its an in-depth connection that creates
an ingrained memory onto my retina.
Jonas Bendiksen gives feedback to IdeasTap mem

Marita Pappa, 25:

An image I can always return to, and have
the same feeling as when I first saw it.

18

mbers at portfolio reviews during the Magnum AGM, London, UK, 2013.
Image Ambra Vernuccio.
Fern Leigh Albert, 26:
There have been a few times in my life when
Ive revisited galleries and loved a photograph
that Id previously hated or an image has
grown on me. I think it depends on personal
taste, time, place and feeling.
Sam Ivin, 21:
I think this varies depending on the genre
of photography, but generally I believe
its a photo that communicates a message
effectively, is aesthetically pleasing and
engages the viewer.
Daniel Campagne, 27:
Theres no right answer to this question as
every picture is a story of its own. Probably
the best pictures are the ones that move
something inside both the photographer and
the spectator, pictures that have actually
something to tell rather than just being nicely
composed.
Chloe Murray, 27:
A great image is one that shows emotion.
To be able to see what kind of expression
is being portrayed, whether its happy, sad
or mysterious. If emotion is illustrated, the
image is likely to be a success.
19
With half a century of photography
and filmmaking under his belt, German
photographer Thomas Hoepker is one
of Magnums most experienced members.
He talks to IdeasTap member Tina Remiz
about the differences between working with
still and moving image, and why he doesnt
like to be labelled an artist...
Your career spans more than five
decades whats been the highlight?
Before joining Magnum in 1989, I was a
contract photographer for the German
magazine Stern, which means I had a regular
salary and paid vacations things a young
photographer can only dream about these
days. It was an interesting and well-paid job
at a time when magazines spent money on
producing good reportage. We had all the
necessary facilities and, in many cases, could
work on a story for as long as we wanted. The
biggest gift they gave us was time.
What are your thoughts on colour
versus black and white photography?
The two coexist and both have their place in
my practice.
Black and white reduces everything to
composition and the subject of a picture,
while colour adds another element, which
can be destructive. It often stands in your
20
way because colour makes things look pretty,
so it can be easier to capture something very
ugly war, poverty or disease in black and
white.
Basically, Im a hand for hire. Somebody
calls me up and says theyll give me money to
take pictures, and Ill do what they want me
to do. If they say its going to be in colour or
in black and white OK, either is fine by me.
How has the equipment you use
evolved over the years?
I started with a 9x12 glass plate camera I got
from my grandfather at the age of 16, worked
with Leicas and other 35mm SLRs, and now
Im walking around with a digital camera.
All of them are tools they can be very good
or not so sophisticated but to take good
pictures most of all you need to have a trained
eye.
Youve taken photographs all over the
world: whats the difference between
working abroad and in your home
country, Germany?
Sometimes you find a story on your doorstep,
other times you need to fly half way around
the globe to get it. Its wonderful to go to a
new place, but working in your hometown
gives you the advantage of knowing the place
and makes building contacts easier.
You should bring your opinion
to every piece of reportage. If you
love or hate the situation, or find it
ridiculous, it should come through
in the resulting pictures. Dont try to
be objective its boring!
You should bring your opinion to every piece
of reportage. If you love or hate the situation,
or find it ridiculous, it should come through
in the resulting pictures. Dont try to be
objective its boring!
One of your best-known images from
9/11 provides a very different view of
the event. Whats the story behind it?
Its strange because at the time I didnt think
this moment was important. I automatically
reacted to the situation, but only pressed the
shutter three times because I was looking
Clockwise from top: Boxing
heavyweight champion
Muhammed Ali, Chicago, USA,
1966. Young people relax during
their lunch break along the East
River while smoke rises from
Lower Manhattan after the 11
September attack on the World
Trade Center, New York, 2001.
All images Thomas Hoepker/
Magnum Photos.
for the horror and didnt think this was the
picture.
Magnum had a meeting in New York the
day before. I saw what other photographers
had done and thought my picture was too
harmless, too pretty. So I kept it in my drawer
for few years, until a museum curator saw the
photograph and encouraged me to publish it.
I learned my lesson you should never be too
pre-determined. As a reporter, you want to be
really close to the event, but sometimes, if you
detour from the core of it, you can be lucky to
find something special.
21
One of Magnums youngest nominees,
26-year-old Belgian photographer Bieke
Depoorter talks to IdeasTap member Chris
Brunner about her Magnum Expression
Award-winning project Ou Menya, for which
she travelled through Russia, staying with
families she met along the way...

The only thing I knew was that I wanted to go

to Russia and travel by trans-Siberian train.
I went to take photographs, but also to just
experience it. I didnt speak the language and
I wanted to go to villages that probably didnt
have hotels. I met one girl in Moscow, who
spoke English, and asked her to write out a
note for me in Russian, asking for a place to
stay. So I went off traveling with this piece of
paper, meeting people and staying with them
along the way. Approaching people on the
street is hard but I do it because afterwards
its great staying with the family. Its not that
Im particularly self-confident.
I often photograph people at night, just before
they go to sleep. Im interested in the border
between the real world and the fantasy world.
When people prepare to go to bed, theyre in
another mindset. I take photographs during
the day as well but at night people arent so
conscious of me being there. When Im taking
photographs Im not thinking that people will
see them.

I spent three months there, divided up into
three trips of one month each. First, I didnt
have much money, so I had to come back
to work in order to go back again. But more
importantly, I dont want to travel for a long
time because what I do is really intensive. I
dont want to start feeling that its normal for
people to take me in. Also its tiring; I start to
miss my friends and family. And travelling for
a long time, doing this, you get saturated; you
dont see things anymore.
Editing takes me a long time, because I have
my experiences with people in my mind. Im
scared when I look through my photographs
that Ill be disappointed, that my memory
wont be the same. The photographs that are
the same as my memory are probably the
good ones.
In the past I was more of a street
photographer, but then I felt bad about
stealing something from someone I didnt

22
 I often
photograph people
at night, just before
they go to sleep.
Im interested in
the border between
the real world and
the fantasy world.

Clockwise from top:

A little child watches
birds fly around the
room, Cairo, Egypt,
2012. Other images
from Bieke Depoorters
project Ou Menya, for
which she stayed with
people she met along
the Trans-Siberian
railway route through
Russia, 2009. All images
Bieke Depoorter/
Magnum Photos.

know. The way I work now, asking for a place
to stay and then staying there and really
getting to know the people, is more respectful.
If they dont want me to take photographs,
I dont. Sometimes its difficult, because
afterwards I go away knowing their stories.
Even then, I sometimes go away with the
feeling that for them too it was an important
moment. I share as well; sometimes I tell
them stories about my life that even my
friends dont know. Its a conversation we
have; its not just me as a photographer going
in to take photographs of their life.
The longer youre in the photography world
and I realise Im quite young the more
you know about photography and the more
you think about it. I hope in the future I dont
lose the fact that being a person and being a
photographer go together.

23
American photographer Richard Kalvar
balances personal work in France, Italy
England, Japan and the United States with
editorial and commercial assignments.
He talks to IdeasTap member Ambra
Vernuccio about long-term projects and
why street photography isnt the most
accurate description of what he does...
Early in your career you assisted the
fashion photographer Jerome Ducrot.
Did he influence your style?
I was lucky to work with him because even
though he was a fashion and advertising
photographer, he was also a guy who had a
certain photographic culture. He was open
to other things. I wasnt even aware that I
was learning, but I was. I got into the habit
of taking lots of pictures, probably because I
was watching him taking lots of pictures. And
I still do. When I was working on a recent
Davos commission [in Switzerland] I took
6,000 to 10,000 pictures.
How and when did your breakthrough
as a photographer happen?
I wouldnt say it was a breakthrough I In the end the book never happened, but I
wasnt suddenly discovered by a magazine. It
was more that I thought, Im a pretty good
photographer! Maybe in 1967 when I came
back from my trip to Europe, after working
with Jerome Ducrot. Its not that I made it,
24
but I was taking pictures that I really liked.
Youve been documenting Rome since
the 1970s. How did that project begin?
My project in Italy is an unfinished long-term
project, which began in August 1978 when
I went to Rome for the first time. The Pope
died and I got a job with Newsweek. I took a
taxi from the airport to Piazza di Spagna. The
sunset and the people were among the most
beautiful things Ive ever seen.
Around that time, Jeanloup Sieff, a French
publisher, was talking about doing a series
of books with photographers whod get a
small amount of money to go out and shoot
something that theyd always dreamt of
shooting and I thought, Ill do Rome!
I did the stuff I had to do for the Pope, and
then I stayed and took pictures. Even though
I was impressed by the beautiful colours, I
was basically a black and white photographer
so I decided to do black and white. I was
mostly walking around and looking at
relations between people.
kept going back anyway.
I took a taxi from the
airport to Piazza di
Spagna. The sunset and
the people were among the
most beautiful things Ive
ever seen.

Which camera do you work with?

I always took my personal pictures with

Leicas, and then when I started doing my
professional work, I moved onto digital. Now,
I mostly shoot with a 35mm digital reflex
Canon.

You are part of In-Public, a street

photography collective. What do you
think when people define you as a
street photographer?
Clockwise from top: Two men converse in Piazza della
Street photography is a misleading term. Rotonda, Rome, Italy, 1982. Girls do gymnastics in the park
in Warsop Vale, one of Englands largest mining towns, UK,
I dont think its totally accurate. I take
1974. Street scene on 4th Street in New York City, USA,
unposed pictures of people. So, if Im in the 1970. All images Richard Kalvar/Magnum Photos.
street, its in the street; if Im here, Im here; if
Im at a wedding, its at a wedding. It doesnt
have to be on the street, although mostly it
is walking around the streets. But the basic
approach is no more street than anything
else. Its unposed.

25
Magnum photographers recall challenges theyve
overcome during their career...
Jonas Bendiksen:
The toughest thing is keeping up your
creative energy and inspiration over the long
haul its not a sprint, its a marathon. You
have your ups and downs, and that affects
your appetite for going out into the world and
creating work. Its important not to lose the
joy of doing photography and to always find
your way back to the source of that. It could
be by doing something completely different:
reading books, looking at something,
engaging with certain people anything. For
me its essential to maintain that balance
between photography and the rest of my life.
Richard Kalvar:
People sometimes get upset with me for
taking their pictures. Working in Naples was
a little scary. I was with someone who knew
Naples very well, but people kept telling me
to Be careful, because lots of people have the
police looking for them; others are supposed
to be under house arrest, while theyre
actually in the streets.
David Hurn:
I discovered my mother dead. Id gone
over to take her out, but when I got there
she was dead. I had the dilemma of whether
to photograph her or not. I did it, partly,
because she had a smile on her face. I thought
that if she had a smile on her face then she
probably didnt die in pain. I felt that visual
memory would probably sustain me in the
future. But its not a picture Ive ever shown
anyone else.
26
Thomas Dworzak:
Being a nominee in Magnum. I didnt like
it. Its traumatising. I was 28 or something
and suddenly you show up with all these big,
famous people and everything is intimidating.
Nikos Economopoulos:
Once when I was in Albania in the 90s, a drunk
guy came up to my car and put a gun to my head.
Throughout my photographic career, Ive found
it difficult to reason with people when theyre
drunk or have taken drugs. As a documentary
photographer, youll always find yourself in
difficult situations, be it in a conflict zone or
something less expected, like this incident in
Albania. When faced with these situations you
have to stay calm and remember your motivation
for working on the story or project.
Alex Webb:
There have been a number of dangerous
situations. There was one, during the election
in Haiti; it was the only time Ive been shot
at specifically because I was a photographer.
Ive been in situations where there was
shooting or bombing or violence but it hasnt
necessarily been directed at me. This one was,
and that was very intense.
Peter Van Agtmael:
War zones are usually the hardest because
there are so many things you need to be
careful about who you go with, for instance.
Its not only a question of getting the picture,
its also a question of getting to the place where
you can get the picture and then getting out.
 Afghan soldiers carry a wounded comrade into an American medevac helicopter after a Taliban ambush near the village of
Tsunek, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, 2010 Moises Saman/Magnum Photos.

Moises Saman: Bieke Depoorter:

Two years ago, two close friends were killed
in the same event, and thats probably one
of the hardest things Ive dealt with. Its
part of war, but its a very, very sad feeling
especially if you know them well.
The most difficult thing is getting lonely
travelling. As soon as Im on the plane, going
to take photographs, Im thinking Oh my
God, why I am doing it, again? But as soon
as I start experiencing wonderful moments
with people I meet in my travels, I forget
about this. When I cant capture the moment
that I want to thats also something youre
scared of. I can come back from one months
working with only one photograph that I
like..

27
Known for doing on the road photography
as he travels across the US, Alec Soth also
runs his own publishing company, Little
Brown Mushroom. Alec talks to IdeasTap
member Julia Horbaschk about his latest
project, The LBM Dispatch...

For my birthday in December 2011 I asked

the writer Brad Zeller if he would give me the
gift of going on a news story.

So we pretended to be a reporter and

photographer from a mythical newspaper.
We picked a random story [about a cat who
had gone missing] and went off on the road.
Ohio was first, then Upstate, Michigan,
Three Valleys and most recently Colorado.
We published my photographs and Brads
writing from each place as a newspaper called
the LBM Dispatch, which we sell through my
website and through different bookstores. I
anticipate doing at least three more of these cameras. All the LBM Dispatch work is
in Texas, Georgia and other counties, before it made with a digital Hasselblad H4D. More
hopefully results in an exhibition. important than the camera, though, is the
powerful on-camera flash I use. I really blast
When I made a name for myself as a light into peoples faces and that affects the
photographer I worked with 5x4 and I relationship. The look of it evokes early press
became very much identified with that. photography by people like Weegee.
Over time I started to become frustrated
with that connection; a filmmakers primary The Dispatch was made in the same DIY
identification isnt with the camera they use. spirit you see in music. Ohio was entirely self-
I wanted to get away from that so now I think funded. We published on very cheap paper
of the camera as a tool I use. Ive done lots and our expenses were covered by the sale
of different projects with lots of different of the newspaper, which is great. However,

28
 More important than the
camera is the powerful on-
camera flash I use. I really blast
light into peoples faces.

Clockwise from top: Dog in Bogota, Colombia, 2003. Petrol station photo-
graphed for the project Sleeping by the Mississippi, Fountain City, Wisconsin,
USA, 2002. Man walks through Dover Burial Park, Dover, Ohio, USA, 2012. All
images Alec Soth/Magnum Photos.

going forward it became problematic. I Photography used to be a specialised thing. Of

generate these images that can be sold as
prints or what have you. But in Brads case,
as a writer its harder to generate income so
weve done different things. With Michigan I
partnered with the Cranbrook Academy of Art
and they helped fund this trip. Three Valleys
was funded in part by San Francisco Museum
of Modern Art. With Colorado it was more
straightforward: I found three collectors in
conjunction with the Denver Art Museum
who will be exhibiting the work. But I really
had to go out there and look for money.
course its become more and more democratic
but just in the last few years with cell phones
it has exploded on this whole other level. Its
been challenging and exciting. Photographers
are using other technology and other people
are using photography so its become difficult
to define yourself as a photographer. I see
young photographers who get out of school
and think they want to be a photographer and
I think, OK, you and 9,000 others. But I
suppose thats true of writing and everything
else.

29
Greek photographer Nikos
Economopoulos is best known for his
images of Greece, Turkey and the Balkans.
Nikos talks to IdeasTap member Tom
Maguire about his motivations as a
photographer and why less is more when it
comes to equipment...
What initially drew you to working in
the Balkans and southern Europe?
My decision was based on two things: it
was cheap to get to and close. At that point
in my life, I didnt have the money to make
global trips. In fact, its only recently that Ive
started to photograph stories outside Europe.
Of course at the same time big changes were
happening in southern Europe that I was
curious to know more about. During my
time in southern Europe and the Balkans I
experienced a whole range of events, from the
conflict in Kosovo to the tensions between my
homeland, Greece, and Turkey.
Importantly, I never went to these places
to be a journalist. Taking photographs has
always been a personal thing for me. During
that time I had a lot of unanswered questions.
Taking photographs became a way to get
answers to them. For example, during the
Balkans conflict, I couldnt understand why
Serbian civilians presented themselves as
human shields along the river Danube to
protect their bridges. It was only from being
30
there and feeling the moment that I could
begin to understand their motivation.
Tell us a bit about your long-term
project on Albania.
Albania is an interesting country. When
I arrived there for the first time in 1989,
before the Democratic Party came to power,
Albanian citizens were completely isolated
from the rest of the world. The way they
moved, their body language and the way they
interacted with each other was different from
anything Id seen before. The way Albanian
youths flirted with each other was different to
how the Greek and Turkish flirt. Visually, this
was really interesting for me.
This fascination with the Albanian people and
their culture brought me back to the country
on numerous trips throughout the 90s. The
last story in Albania that I photographed was
the mass emigration of ethnic Albanians from
Kosovo to Albania in 1999 and 2000. I was
mostly based in Albania, not Kosovo during
this time, documenting the movement and
interaction of the refugees with the Albanian
people and their customs.
Would you consider making a book of
this work?
Although some of the images from the project
have been published in a number of different
I always say to my
students, One lens,
one camera, thats it.

Clockwise from top: A member of the UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army)

at a Mdecins sans Frontires refugee camp in Kuks, Albania, 1999. A
little girl shows off her dress in Central Anatolia, Turkey, 1988. A butterfly
lands on the back of a man attending a political meeting in Yozgat, Turkey,
1990. All images Nikos Economopoulos/Magnum Photos.

books, I have never produced a book solely a result, Im able to feel the moment Im
on Albania. Up until now it has made sense to photographing, rather than think about it.
see how the project evolves and develops over This has allowed me a great deal of freedom
time. Maybe now Im ready. We shall see. as a photographer.

What kit do you work with, and how
does this influence your relationship
with your photographic subjects?
For the last 20 years Ive used the same
35mm lens with the same body. Over time
the 35mm lens has become calibrated with
my eye. I see through the world through this
perspective; I know the grade and depth of
field without having to think too hard. As
I always say to my students, One lens, one
camera, thats it. Too often students and
aspiring photographers want to try out a
whole range of media, formats and lenses,
especially when theyre starting out. In my
opinion, its impossible to go deeper in visual
terms using multiple formats and lenses. Its
best to stick to one.

31
Now a full member, Jonas Bendiksens
working relationship with Magnum began
when he was a 19-year-old intern at the Lon-
don offices. Jonas talks to IdeasTap mem-
ber Sophie McGrath about documenting
everyday life in the slums of Kenya, India,
Venezuela and Indonesia for his project The
Places We Live, which he presented as a web-
site, an exhibition and a book...

I became a father in 2002 and started

wondering what the world would look like
when my son was my age.

Around the same time I discovered statistics

from the UN showing the worlds urban
population was about to overtake the rural,
and at the same time the number of people
living in slums was topping 1 billion. I realised
theres no way to understand this urbanising
world of the future without looking at these
slums. I started photographing them in 2005
but discovered quickly that just going there
and shooting in a normal documentary style
wasnt working.
I was struck by how even in the most extreme
places, people create normalcy. I realised
thats something that isnt shown much and
would be worth exploring. Thats when I
came up with the idea of a three-dimensional
project of the rooms of slum-dwellers
composed of four single images, four walls
and their stories. So I started with the concept
and then I shot from 2005 to 2007, following
this formula.
Im a very simple photographer. I used a
Canon 5D and normal lenses, though I had
to buy a super wide zoom, a 17-40mm or
something similar, because the rooms were
so small, so to fit the whole wall in I had to go
out really wide. I actually started shooting it
on medium format film because I thought I
needed a certain resolution, then once I ran
out of film I took the 5D out to shoot the last
wall. I compared the results and saw there
was much more detail in the digital file, so
I switched. The 5D was the first full-frame
digital camera, and its good for shooting
inside, and in low light. Ive been a digital
photographer since 2005 in some ways

32

its different from film, but the quality is
amazing.
The editing process was incredibly tough.
Thats when you really make decisions about
who you are as a photographer. I always
see that in young photographers so many
people are good at taking pictures, but the
challenge is the editing. You just have to be
hard on yourself its a question of huge
discipline and not letting yourself fall in
love with all these images before you get
down to the right numbers. Everyone has
their own mental games they play to do to
it. I have rituals, like functioning in certain
percentages; for example, a first cut always
has to get down to 20%. For post-production,
I use a Mac and edit in Expression Media
Clockwise from top: Crows circle a statue of Lenin in
front of the Supreme Soviet building, Transdniester,
Moldova, 2004. During a storm squall, a girl walks
a long an embankment that was broken by the 2009
cyclone Aila, Sathkira District, Bangladesh, 2010. The
hillside barrio of El Valle, Caracas, Venezuela, 2010. All
images Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum Photos.
I was struck by how
even in the most extreme
places, people create
normalcy.
its the best program, so small and so simple
and then I use Photoshop.
Im optimistic for the future of photography,
because we have a sense of freedom and
ownership of our work and an ability to
show that work in a way that was never there
before. Before, you worked for one magazine
and were beholden to the 12 images you
could put in, and that was it; now you have so
many more options in terms of getting work
out. Youve got to get it to work financially,
but people can now have a closer and better
authorship of their work. Theres never been
a time when people consumed and engaged
with photography as much as they do now.
33
As part of the AGM, Magnum photographers came
together for a symposium. Abbas, Peter Marlow,
Christopher Anderson, Thomas Dworzak and Jonas
Bendiksen shared their thoughts on Magnum, social
media, copyright, new technologies and the relationship
between still and moving images...

On Magnum...

Abbas:
Basically its a bunch of loonies, each one
with his own agenda, his own dreams,
his own priorities but the group actually
functions as a group.
Nominee is like boyfriend or girlfriend. An
associate is fianc/e. A member is marriage.

Peter Marlow:
You probably experience it yourself as
photographers: its OK looking at your own
pictures but if someones over your shoulder
looking at those pictures as well, somehow
you can better tell if theyre good or bad.
The opinions of ones colleagues stop you
becoming self-satisfied with what youre
doing and actually question it and push it
further.

Jonas Bendiksen:
Photography can be a lonely endeavour ...
being part of Magnum or a similar group is
a great way to have some sort of community
around your work, to bounce ideas off
and feel like youre involved in a collective
endeavour.
Abbas addresses the audience at the Magn

34
 On social media...
Abbas:
I dont Tweet. Im not on Facebook. I think
its a waste of time. The digital age eventually
will save photojournalism, but only when we
find a viable economic model. Why should
I waste my time tweeting when theyre not
paying me for it?
Thomas Dworzak:
Im more worried about the general lack
of privacy. I like Instagram but its very one
way. I have 36 followers because I dont
want people seeing my pictures. But, on the
other hand, I love looking at other peoples
pictures.
num AGM Symposium, London, UK, 2013. Image Ambra Vernuccio..
Christopher Anderson:
I find it generally annoying and a distraction.
There are some parts I enjoy. Right now
Instagram is fun. Its immediate, its disposable
and theres something light and refreshing about
that. [But] every day I think Im going to cancel
Twitter. My life is not better from Twitter.
Jonas Bendiksen:
Whats wonderful is that theres never been
a time when so many people were involved
in photography. That has to be a good thing,
because it means people are engaging with
the medium. Its great fun to do Instagram
and to have so many people following and
sharing, but its also shocking sometimes
when I read through the comments
the vitriol and hatred and aggression is
unbelievable.
On copyright...
Christopher Anderson:
If you want to download my pictures, please
go ahead. As a photographer trying to reach
an audience, [if there are lots of] bloggers
who are interested in my photographs, thats
great. Do I want Time Magazine online to be
using my pictures for free? No, of course not
that I want to control, as a copyright issue.
Abbas:
At this AGM we decided to sue institutions
who use our pictures but we decided
collectively that individual blogs or [people]
downloading the images for their own use is
legitimate.
35
On multimedia...

Jonas Bendiksen:
The modes of operating when youre out
photographing and when you are creating
video are often very different. In the early
days of experimenting with this, there was a
false idea that one could easily go out and do
both but if youre going to do a four-minute
video it demands real attention to do it well.

Susan Meiselas talks about the Postcards from America

project at the Magnum AGM Symposium, London, UK,
2013. Image Ambra Vernuccio.

Christopher Anderson:
I dont like the term multimedia... there
are stills and then theres documentary film.
Documentary film can use a combination
of stills, video and sound but lets stop
thinking like photographers putting sound Christopher Anderson presents his work at the Mag
to our pictures, and make films. Films are
interesting; watching slideshows set to music
is not. We thought about multimedia for a
long time as the thing that was going to save
photographers asses and it didnt.

36
 On digital technology...

Abbas:
Anybody can take pictures; photographys
a very easy thing. You can give a camera
to a baboon [and it will learn to take
photographs]. The problem isnt taking
photographs, or taking good photographs, the
problem is having a language; a vision as a
photographer.

Christopher Anderson:
In this age, craft and technique are useless
commodities. The only thing that has
value for you as a photographer now is
your uniqueness, your individuality and
authenticity. Those are the things you trade
on.

Thomas Dworzak:
I dont care if somebody takes a picture with
an iPhone or with a washing machine [as long
as it looks good].

gnum AGM Symposium, London, UK, 2013. Image Ambra Vernuccio.

Thomas Dworzak, Jonas Bendiksen, Magnum Cul-

tural & Print Room Director Sophie Wright, and
Peter Marlow discuss photography at the Magnum
AGM Symposium, London, UK, 2013. Image
Ambra Vernuccio.

37
Since 2010, IdeasTap and Magnum have worked together
to provide a range of career-boosting opportunities,
mentoring and funding for photographers
The IdeasTap Photographic Award, in
association with Magnum Photos
Our annual award offers UK-based
photographers the chance to win mentoring,
5,000 in prize money, 1,500 in project
funding and a sought-after internship at
Magnums London or New York offices.
Originally the award was open to 16-30-year-
olds, but in 2013 we introduced a new
category for applicants aged over 30. The
award process is designed to provide
development opportunities for 18 shortlisted
applicants, not just the overall winners.

The shortlisted image-makers receive

mentoring from a Magnum photographer,
Blurb book vouchers and 150 to have
their pictures printed. Over six weeks, they
are encouraged to enhance their projects
before their photographs are framed and
presented in an exhibition in the autumn. At
the exhibition, nine finalists are selected to
receive 1,500 to shoot their dream project,
create a multimedia Magnum in Motion
project and participate in a second mentoring
session. Finally, a winner is chosen from each
age group 16-22, 23-30 and 31+.
Clockwis
Magnum Showcase winners Aleksandra W
The Magnum Showcase their London team, showcased on IdeasTaps
Every month we run a competition offering website, as well as personal feedback on
IdeasTap members the chance to get their work from the Magnum judge. Previous
their work in front of Magnum Photos. judges include: Peter Marlow, Alec Soth,
Each showcase has a new theme such Bruce Gilden and Stuart Franklin.
as memory road trip or changing
landscapes and applicants enter up to 20
photos that tell a story relating to that theme.
The winner gets their work reviewed either by
a Magnum photographer or senior member of

38
 Magnum Professional Practice
We offer heavily subsidised places on
Magnums Professional Practice seminars,
where leading figures from the photographic
industry deliver presentations and share
advice. Eight speakers from a variety of
industries, including the advertising and
corporate, editorial, gallery, NGO, museum,
publishing and rights sectors give impartial
presentations on their area of expertise, with
plenty of time for questions and networking.
se from top: IdeasTap Photographic Award 2011 winner Roman Sakovic,
Wojcik (Theme: London) and Christopher Bethell (Theme: Street Scenes).
Exposure: The Oxfam Photography
Prize for Women
Exposure is a new once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for three female emerging
photographers to complete a commission
for Oxfams spring fundraising campaign. In
autumn 2013 Oxfam will commission three
of Magnum Photos female photographers to
document projects in Armenia, Chad and Sri
Lanka. Winners will follow the commission
brief and produce a set of 100 images that
highlight the difficulties faced by people living
in poverty and the impact of Oxfams work,
particularly showcasing the stories of women.
Each winner will have on-site mentoring
from one of the commissioned Magnum
photographers. The images will be used by
Oxfam in their fundraising communications
in Spring 2014 and beyond, with potential
for an exhibition alongside the work of the
Magnum commissions. The winners will also
receive 1,000 each on completion of the
assignment. To enter, go to IdeasTap.com/
Exposure.
For more information visit: IdeasTap.
com/Partners/MagnumPhotos
39
 For more photography articles, jobs and opportunities visit:
IdeasTap.com/Photography
40