Interview with Roberto Schmidt

Only few minutes after his arrival at Visa pour l’Image Roberto Schmidt, with a wide smile, allowed me to ask him questions. Schmidt has worked for AFP since 1995, covering some of the most striking events that have happened around the world. He presents, for Visa pour l’Image 2010, a little summing up of his career.

Why have you decided to be a photojournalist?

This job is a great way to learn about the world, to meet people, to discover places and life.

How have you chosen the photos for the exhibition?

The choice is a bit weird, because, you know, we could have only 40 photos to represent a whole career. What is more, it's not entirely my choice. I have made a selection with my agency, AFP, and after that a second one with Jean-François Leroy who helped me to choose which ones should be shown.

Which one of your trips was the most impressive for you?

In fact, there are two answers:

Three years ago, I'd been to Africa; it was, for me, a discovery of the continent, completely amazing. It was so complex, so sad, well, really impressive; I get captivated by people and culture. I have had to cover strong events. I worked for AFP in eastern Africa, close to Indian Ocean. It was a vast territory with really interesting stories.

The second one is Haiti. At that moment, I was based in Miami, so it was a part of my territory of coverage, and I was able to go there. It was an opportunity for me, so sad, but really important. It was a great part of history, and I was a witness of such a sad story, but really interesting for my personal history.

What are you doing now?

Well, I'm not working on something in particular at the moment. I work for AFP in the same region, so it means a lot of reports to do at the same time. As an example, I've just come back from central Somalia. But I'd really like to go back to Africa. There is a lot of stuff to do there, a lot to cover and discover in this region.

You've made your first reports in Colombia, did you return there for AFP?

I spent four years in Colombia for AFP, but it was really hard to choose the photos for the exhibition.

How are you able to be so rapidly at the places from where you make your reports? I'm thinking about events like the 11^th of September or Haiti...

Well, I don't know. It's a lot of luck, persistence and also desire. You have to act to go, and be willing to be there. It's a tricky combination of facts. You have to mention you are here. Every situation is, in fact, different, but if you act in a good way, you get what you want.

A lot of your photos are from Africa. Why?

That's my choice. Three years ago AFP give me the choice to go to Africa and I accepted that opportunity. It was the very first time I went to Africa and it was so great.

How long do you stay in a country to make your report?

It depends on a lot of things... like the story I am covering, or the money I have. Sometimes, I stay for four days, sometimes for weeks or months. When you arrive, you don't know how long you'll stay. Working for an agency is different from working for a magazine, you have deadlines, budget (not so good in a period of crisis)... and these facts usually determine how long you stay.

What is the aim of this exhibition?

I really hope, with this first exhibition to stimulate questions in people, students. I hope they will ask questions, feel inspired, and be curious about the world. I hope that these pictures would give people more questions than answers. By the way, I'm really happy to be in Perpignan for Visa, to meet people, to say to others photographers "oh, I love what you made!" That's really cool.

Lucie L.G

Picture graciously taken by Mr. Walter Astrada