From Johannesburg. Today, was the first time I have felt nervous prior to an interview. That is because, today we met with Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, Greg Marinovich.

I have been reading constantly for this trip and The Bang Bang Club, co-written by Greg and another photojournalist, Joao Silva, is one of the books I have been reading. It is an account of the brutal and outrageously violent climate of the South African townships from 1990 to 1994. A group of young conflict photographers (later dubbed the Bang Bang Club) captured the worst of the violence with their cameras; and, Greg was one of them.

Before watching the videos with Greg, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of some of the political groups involved in the violent period from 1990 to 1994. Mentioned in the videos are: ANC, PAC, AZAPO, and IFP.

Just 5 minutes with Greg and I was much more relaxed. He was so laid back, he invited us into his home, and introduced us to his space (and his hyper dog named Zooey).

One question that I waited until after taping had finished to ask Greg was: “Do you ever have to make a decision between capturing human suffering with your camera and stepping-in to help someone?” This question is particularly important to me because, being an anthropologist, I often feel like I would rather help people (if needed), rather than simply write about them. Greg was very clear on this point. He said that he was never really in the position to choose. The situation was generally too violent to allow for him to intervene. Though, he did mention that he was quick to take people to the hospital when he had the opportunity.

The discussion was captivating and may be my favorite one yet! Afterward, he showed us piles of pictures and took the time to compliment me on my research and interview questions. He even called me a Hollywood starlet! I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I would take well-researched journalist and world-traveller over Hollywood starlet any day!

One last, very cool thing about meeting with Greg was getting to share the experience with our new team member, South African photographer Marc Morris. Marc is an aspiring photojournalist and it was amazing to witness him meeting a personal hero.

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