04 / 09 / 2008
Meet the photographer: Horst Faas
I was the lousiest sports photographer
Interviewed by Claire Baudéan
Horst Faas is widely respected for his career spanning over 50 years as both a photographer and AP’s Editor-in-Chief for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
He has covered many conflicts and is perhaps best known for his work during the war in Vietnam. Yet his sense of humour and self-deprecation remain lively and intact to the delight of the audience this morning as he related anecdotes including about his failure as a sports photographer. For example, sent on assignment by AP to the 1974 Munich Olympics, he was asked to take pictures of Spitz, but with his single-shot Leica Novoflex he had difficulty catching the great swimmer while above the water and only managed one decent shot of the man. Yet he was successful in supporting the organisation of the Moscow games, for which he sent over 40 rolls of toilet paper from London to friends who thought him crazy till they experienced the sand paper provided there and quickly changed their minds.
For the latest book, “50 Ans de Photojournalisme”, written and compiled with Hélène Gédouin, Faas drew on newspaper clippings sent home to his mother over the years. Sorting out the attic after she passed away, he was surprised to find, among the Pulitzers, five suitcases full of the stuff he’d sent home over the years. This was important as he did not keep many of his own pictures from the Vietnam war. His preoccupation at the time was not with documenting history, but with ensuring that the latest pictures would make it to press as quickly as possible.
Faas spoke of the “common sense” that was used in deciding what should and should not be photographed or shown during the war in Vietnam. For example, “there is no need to show the gory details”. People are told by politicians that wars are “worth the sacrifice”. Since wars are waged with taxpayers’ money they should see what the sacrifice looks like – the bodies of dead soldiers being brought home, for example. In reference to current conflicts in Iraq and Georgia, he said, “It would be impossible to work like we did in Vietnam”. Today politicians and the military feel that they own the war, and therefore want to control how it is seen by the public – they “are sensitive to public reaction to events not to the actual events”.
Horst ended by talking about local photographers, and how important their role has become. For the earthquake in Sichuan, China for example, Horst arrived at his office the first morning imagining he would have to commission international photographers. But on his desk were already dozens of excellent pictures taken by local photographers.
Sergio Escamilla and Grégoire Devictor