The New York
Times has published
a fine photo essay pegged to the preliminary agreement between the United States and the Taliban for the withdrawal of the 12,000 U.S. troops that remain in Afghanistan.
Since the
Times set up its paywall and began repositioning its subscription model for digital access, its emphasis on photography seems to have increased and the quality of the published work definitely has improved.
I don't recall that I've ever encountered any war photographers, but I've known several war reporters. They're an unusual lot. I fully understand the urge to follow "a good story" based on my own early experience in journalism, but it takes a special type of person to voluntarily enter a combat zone to document a war.
Staying safe and simultaneously keeping your wits about you while you compose a good picture strikes me as considerably more difficult than writing about what you have seen: there's no opportunity for after-the-fact reflection and revision. Talk about "the decisive moment."
