For a student who failed junior high world history — twice — I now find myself fascinated to be in places of historical significance. Particularly if the historical moment went down in my own lifetime, which seems to be more frequent as I get older.
In 1968 all that was important to me was graduating from high school and avoiding a Vietnam vacation so popular among my peers.
Meanwhile, seven time zones to the east people were finding surprise visitors with furry caps driving tanks through their lawns.
The Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia on Aug. 20 & 21, 1968. Czech aeronautical engineer-turned-photographer Josef Koudelka made some of the most iconic images of the invasion during those first two weeks. He smuggled his film to the young photo agency, Magnum, in Paris.
Only by coincidence, I arrived in Prague on the 41st anniversary of the Soviet invasion. The commies have left, and from what I understand, the locals are cool with that.
While working as a so-called “visual journalist,” the actual taking of pictures is a relatively small part of the job.
So I thoroughly enjoy photography when I’m on vacation; I can respond to things I think might look interesting as photographs without the distraction of looming deadlines, hectoring editors, or the “still-or-video?” conundrum.
Waiting to pull out of the Keleti train station in Budapest, I watched as people walked in and out of a narrow shaft of sunlight spilling onto an otherwise dark platform.
A sort of reverse silhouette.
As I begin three weeks away from my duties at The Wichita Eagle at midnight tonight, I’m signing off with this from the New York Times.
However pessimistic the situation appears, I believe a new, albeit different, generation of visual storytellers will still make a living doing what we do.
In the meantime, I’m off to Budapest, Vienna & Prague with my son, Luke. In a week I’ll post some “How-I-spent-my-summer-vacation” photos.
Photo phun… Just messin’ around.