● Birthplace: Hashtrood – Tabriz
● Died: 29 October 2020 in Tehran
Biography
In 1976 and at the upper secondary school, he started working with the camera AGFA in a fully experimental manner, and for the sake of a keen interest in photography, he learned many of the tips and techniques of photography. In 1979, he went to military service. A year before and during the Islamic Revolution’s victory, it was a curious and very striving to record events in the form of photographs. Initially, on the streets of the people’s marches and street clashes, the presence of the tanks and the Behesht-e Zahra and the Nazi police station, he was shot by the people in photography from the Nazi-Abad police station, and he had never gotten to Germany. In 1981, he began photography by working at the Keyhan Institute and retired in 2004 from the same newspaper. Master Ahmad Nasirpour, during the eight-year war in operations such as: through the holy, Karbala four, freeing Khorramshahr, the west of Khyber Unit, Valfajr First, Valfajr three, and five… Was present. He says about those days and appearances on the fronts: memories that I have good to remember in the operation of Karbala 4, when the Iraqis used the chemical bombs, I and the newspaper driver were in Minoo Island. We did not leave the region in spite of contaminated chemicals. I started photography, even for photography from my subject I picked the chemical mask on my face so that we could photograph better. After taking the photos, I felt like a seizure. When I asked the cause, they asked: “Where were you in the region?” And then explained in Minoo Island where the chemical bombing was immediately ordered by the doctor to form a medical record. After the quarantine, we took the hospital clothes and told me to burn my clothes and driver to the hospital. The newspaper machine was washed because of being contaminated with anti-chemical materials. Because of the feeling of duty with the same dress in the hospital to send the film to Ahvaz and I was sent to Tehran with the bus of the photographic films that the next day a photograph of a soldier was being put on anti-chemical mates on the first page of the letter.
I was not very much in a solitary exhibition and until now, I have not held this form. I decided to fiftieth the exhibition of my photos in the occasion of my own collection of years. But unfortunately, many of the photos I’ve taken are in the Kayhan newspaper archive and my servant as photographer did not have access to those photos, but I participated in several group exhibitions and have also been present in several photography competitions. I finally received a plaque of appreciation for retirement from the Social security organization and this means that I have no other useful performance, and that’s why I have appreciated. This is a tablet of my downtime and as a retired example, I got a plaque of appreciation that no longer wishes to succeed in the work, and only wish me happiness, wellness, prosperity and vitality by the Social security organization. For five years since 1996, I was a photo service secretary of the Kayhan Institute and after these years, I made a photo of the children and the teen as a secretary with the Kayhan magazine. Now, by attending the board of Directors in the Guild of Iranian press photographers, I have been working since the beginning and since I love photography, I have launched a small and compact example of child and family photography in the intellectual development of children and adolescents. I was so concerned that I would be more for to photographing children and sometimes to give my heart to nature.
Activities
1981 – 2004 – Photojournalist Kayhan newspaper
1989 – First person contest of poverty and poor photography
1990 – A second person contest for child and adolescent photography
1991 – First person photo contest of Azadegan Pictures
1996 – 2001 – Secretary of the Kayhan Institute photo service
2008 – Receiving a plaque of appreciation from the Iranian Press Photographers Association as the revolutionary photographer at the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution-Tehran
– Receiving plaque of appreciation for the occasion of the war front in late Sixties
– Receiving plaque of appreciation from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic guidance due to the presence of eight-year war fronts
Interview
As you know the theme is a photography dialogue of war. Perhaps the first thing that is raised in connection with the works of war photographers is the difference of their look at an event. At first you would like to talk about the differences in the look of war photographers in the creation of works in the field. For example, the difference photographers look like Kaveh Golestan and Saeed Janbozorgi to war. Can the audience recognize this difference in the works of these photographers?
War photography consists of two factors: one experience and one of the situations in which you are located. In both of these factors, the look can be effective. I saw great work very daring and powerful. Because it was in that space and the subjects were very close. He had a high power in photography. His photos saw the pictures of special and good. Of course, he knew photography very well, knew how it should work, and so his photos were good shots. He was a special task. For example, in a photo that is a child with a band on the eye, looks at the face. Finally, values are presented with two different look. Both were very influential or the look of Alfred Yaghobzadeh born in a photo of the Basij that has been in the bosom, it was very influential.
What was this impact?
This photograph attracted many things to the front. It was revealed that a little child has gone to the front with the situation and tried to defend his homeland, attracting other young people. I and Mr. Mohammad Farnood were together with the Bostan. One of the Farnood photos in this operation was that when Iraq bombed, he embraced his child during the mother’s bombing. I was there but I did not see that scene, but he saw it. He was very valuable. I ran people on the bridge and… But I hadn’t seen this scene. The photo is instantaneous. He saw and recorded this moment. This moment is never repeated so it can be done. In Halabja, the Children (photographers) entered the town after the chemical bombardment immediately. Photos taken are incredibly impressive. For example, one of the photos I had taken from the Azadegan was first. When Azadegan came, I sepulcher to photograph imam. I think four or five hours on Congress stood one of the pillars of Imam Sepulcher to enter them. I was tired. I came to the bottom. To have the moment, you have to grab the lap. I was a principle. Follow the one I had to help again go up. I came to one to say I tiger let me it up that one said, come on Dusham! And I drew up. In that condition, there was a woman, now I don’t know if his wife was a woman or her sister, right at the moment when her hands went up to embrace her and he was bent down too, I took the photo and recorded it. I had only one flash at that point. I had used directing. I pressed the button and the photo was shot with the help of ambient light and the same flash.
We had photos of art in our warriors? How many percent of the photos are available?
Yes. This photograph is an art photo. Kaveh Golestan photo went to her. The boy who innocent the camera with a band on the eye is an artistic photo. It is not the space of war, but the concept and product of war. Beside him, I took a picture when they brought the chemical in Ahvaz airport to take care of Tehran hospitals. There was a child who had been cut away from his hand. I took pictures of him. War photography is not the only thing that you photograph the war. All influence the consequences and perhaps sometimes more influential. But it’s not supposed to be anything artificial entered into this task. You have to reinforce the art of the scene that you see. The photographer has the time to make its own box carefully and photograph more accurately. For example, Mr. Farnood’s photo of the Basij in the parade is a photograph that differs from other photos, as it shows the concept and influence of war on people.
This means that the photographer with its own angle and framing strengthens the concept that lies in his subject.
Exactly! That means he’s thinking about photography.
You said that the late Kaveh Golestan also went to the forefront
Not that did not go before. You see photography is a compliment. The Battle of the Mission is to deliver a message for a newspaper that has no time and you want to declare what happened. Of course, we do not want to compare Kaveh Golestan with Don McCullin the famous photographer of the Irish-born war, a portrait that took place meaningful. This photograph had a letter to say. You don’t need to be sure to go on the first line and shoot the conflict. You see a photo that Robert Capa took out incredibly controversial! There is a debate over this photograph, which is renovated by the photographer. When Kappa is placed in that space, it sees the matter. Those soldiers think the Spanish would be shot out of the top and it’s throwing down. Now they have come to analyze that photograph, and they have come to the conclusion that he has restored this photograph. That means this has happened.
In other war in the world, is this the subject and scene of the shot?
No, not everyone! Is the moment. But the photographer’s look is very important. I will give you an example. He had two pictures that I loved. He was really a masterpiece of photography. He might have gone to the proximity of conflicts. You’re recording a moment, without thinking about it. Without being able to framing your own calculation and have the correct composition. Nchoi has a picture of the Russians ‘ attack on Chechnya. In this photo, a seven or eight-year-old kid, who had shaved her hair, was just the middle of his head and had shot from behind this kid. He was totally devastation on this child. The child’s head was just like a planet that was seen in the mqablsh of war. It’s a thoughtful and artistic photograph.
This means that the combination between art and journalism is true?
Yes exactly! The combination of art is with photo journalism or news photography.
Now I want you to express the feature of a good combat photo. Or is the ideal war photograph to be artistic, or is it only a hunting moment, to deliver the message, or just express the front line events?
I have experienced this in some kind of myself. I might be in age for a young war photographer. I was very courage and I went to the forefront for photography. But the front line is not the space you want to shoot. Maybe you can get a good photo or two. I went to a trip to West Gilan. I chose the issue myself. I think the photos of this trip are printed in one of the community series of revolutionary photographers and holy defense. In Gilan, West I faced a number of children who had been bombed without a shelter (his or her school), sitting in an open courtyard, and the teacher had taught them, the street school. The newspaper itself focused very much on this issue. I lived with them sometime. They were in the tent, and they had made a space beside the tent. I have even worked amthanatshan. Very time we went out of the space and leisure that came up after winning and capturing a region, we took the shot and transferred the space to the audience.
I think the war photos are just a report. Are there any photos that have a message?
Yes. Take, for example, a photo of a Napalm bombing in Vietnam, where a naked kid walks on a frightened road. This photo was very effective in the fate of the war. These kinds of photos are very influential in the fate of war. Someone who is a photographer does not order, thinks for himself. If I am not mistaken, it was Don McCallin or McVeigh who photographed the soldier who was killed in Vietnam. A soldier who fought against America. This photographer comes and empties his pockets. Before that, however, he had thrown out some of his belongings. In other words, he comes to rebuild the scene. He takes a picture of his wife and child with a soldier in his pocket and takes a photo. When the American people saw this picture, the American people had always seen the propaganda that the United States was trying not to create a war in the world; A few photos changed the fate of the wars. America declared in Kuwait’s first war that we had no casualties! They even said we had no injuries. A photographer comes into the helicopter, takes pictures of the corpses inside the helicopter, and catches people’s attention at once, something strange that they haven’t seen in Kuwait. Many photographers showed the invisible.
Does this mean that the images become so media-savvy, take on an anti-war face, and prevent future wars?
Exactly. That’s what a bunch of photographers look at. The nature of wars is also different, of course. As we see in our own war, for example, there are a few young children coming to defend the country. I have a picture of a kid who is 12 or 13 years old and his gun is about the size of his own. When it comes to shooting in those conditions, it means our people come of all ages and in every way they can defend. This is impressive. But the impressive news photo I went to Abadan in 1985. Iraq began chemical bombing. Operation Karbala 4 was done and then Karbala 5 was successful. Upon arrival, the area was bombed. I saw some soldiers wearing chemical masks and taking refuge. They gave me a mask too. It’s natural to have a camera in your hand. The analog camera that you have to constantly adjust is very difficult. I picked up my mask. The soldiers had gone to hide behind a tree. I told them didn’t he make a chemical enemy? So why not take Ampoltan (atropine)? I saw them lying down and starting to flush their ampoules. At that moment I took a photo of them, which became the front page photo. I became a chemical at that time. I want to say that these messages are effective in the photo. Now if only the photos want to be a scene of war, one can capture a moment that is not attractive. But the only conflict is war. This also requires experience and expertise.
Now the question is about the media of the photo. Are photos document or media?
In my opinion both. Media transmits its message when it is printed and broadcast. And when someone takes a photo and sometimes uses it in other places, it still plays the role of the media. But it is a document because something happens one by one and it is recorded and documented.
So is the documentary about news photos?
Most are news. I saw an art photo of Nechvi. In the war with the Chechens, the Russians declared a truce. The war was almost a guerrilla war. The very message he has is that of a Chechen smoker in his hand and a Russian soldier of all rank and military uniform who lighted his cigarette lighter. In this photo they also look intently at the face. Have become friends. How much this affects!
Does this mean that there are some art photos in addition to the news?
The photo is artistic and is still documentary. But the photo is news that makes sense.
Now we get to what the world is doing with its war photos. Where are the war pictures and how are they taken care of?
Let’s start with ourselves first. Now we have a community called the Society of Photographers of the Revolution and the Holy Defense. They are collecting war photos. It is true that not all the photos were collected because some of the photos are still with the photographers themselves. The community has created a trusted space for storing and archiving photos. In terms of the history of our country. All they have to do is keep a good picture with a professional system and keep it so that they will be able to see it in the years to come when they want to review history. The world has such a place for itself. Of course they look the other way. Unfortunately, our press does not have an archive system that can store photos well. The negatives are kept in undesirable conditions and many have not updated their archive systems. It was good that we created and maintained a photo bank not just about the war, but about all the news. When I was a photographer’s association, we presented the project to the Ministry of Guidance but were not welcomed. Now for whatever reason, because of the high cost, or for any other reason, the community couldn’t take pictures of newspapers. Because the newspaper says these photos are ours. We have ordered the photo shoot so we own it.
In addition to the photographers and their work from the community, what is the mission and responsibility of photographers now? And what about photographers’ rights to their work?
Unfortunately, at present they have no rights to their works. The laws that exist in this area are 70 years ago. It is an international law that if a photographer was in a publication after 30 years, then the photographer could own this photo. But they haven’t given him a definite definition yet. When people were photographing in private and in private they had their own photo and they had Negatiush. But many, like me and others like us, have our photos in the newspaper and the interesting thing is that when we come to take one of our photos, we have to write a letter and then pay for the photo. Parliament needs to provide an up-to-date legal definition of the author’s work on his artwork. Say I own the work that I created or the newspaper owns it and ordered it from me? The newspaper, of course, is right about that. Because we were paid and we went to shoot. The newspaper says you took these photos for me.
What are the challenges of war photography right now?
Now with the advanced technology, the cameras have become digital, the ways of transferring photos have become faster. When something happens in the world, maybe after a few seconds its news is transmitted to that world. It may not even take a minute. Unfortunately, there is no single sponsor base or organization that can support and coordinate these activities globally. You will believe that after 30 years of photography, I loved to go and photograph Gaza events, but they didn’t? These events took place indoors. Powerful news agencies could go and shoot. Of course, there were photos taken of the photographers who lived there. That is, Palestinian photographers. On the one hand, Jordan did not allow us to enter Palestine, and on the other we had our own restrictions on entry, and unfortunately the border was closed.
Source: Fars News Agency – Samaneh Ghasemi
