Magnum Blog / The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 6: You've got 5 minutes

The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 6: You've got 5 minutes

Nuon Chea, Brother Nr 2 under the Khmer Rouge regime, had his first hearing at the pre trial chambers of the ECCC to examine his appeal for his provisional detention. The press officers of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, just to keep things orderly, and on request of the judges who felt that a mob of camera wielding journalists was intimidating for the elderly accused, decided to allow only 5 photographers, working for a pool, and two cameramen to take pictures inside the courtroom during 5 minutes, just before and during the entrance of the judges.

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Cambodia. Kambol (Phnom Penh). 4/02/2008: Mr. NUON Chea, 81yrs, former Brother Nr 2 during the Khmer Rouge Regime, in front of his judges at his first appearance at the pre-trial chambers of the ECCC (Extraordinary Chambers at the Courts of Cambodia). © John Vink/Magnum Photos I was lucky, together with my khmer colleagues Tang Chhin Sothy, Chor Sokunthea, Mak Remissa and Heng Sinith, representing AFP, Reuters, EPA, AP, to be allowed in (was it because my permanent accreditation to the Chambers bears the number 001?). We know each other, have had each others elbows in our ribs on numerous occasions, bumped our lenses often and get along pretty well. Partly because we do help each other once in a while and partly because they know that Magnum is no real competition for them. Having their picture on the screen of the redactions one minute before the other agencies is vital whereas Magnum chugs along several hours later anyhow... So what can one do to stand out? What difference can you make (in 5 minutes and with a 35mm only)? Well not much really... Especially because you're in a pool, so you HAVE to deliver or you will not be selected next time. The photographers outside are waiting to pick their choice in what's going to be available on the ECCC computer and they'd be more than willing to take your place. Basically I start by making sure there is at least ONE usable picture. No risk taking... Autofocus, straight flash, no fancy composition, the accused smack in the middle of the frame, 5 or six shots. That's it... Switch to the M8, ambient light (the last firmware update finally delivers acceptable white balance results), 320 ISO (too much noise higher up), 2.8, 30th/ second and MOVE, change position, go to the back of the pack, slide to the right, push back into the pack again, move back and go to the left where the judges are, go straight back towards the accused, frame, focus and... finished. It's over. The 5 minutes are gone. We're politely asked by the security guards to leave the room... Hoping we didn't screw up and that there is something a little different to show. There are about 60 frames on my cards, 40 of which are really useless. Links: » The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 1: UNICEF in Cambodia » The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 2: Can Cultural Identity go private? » The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 3: Arrest of Ieng Sary » The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 4: Gathering Pace » The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 5: Development is on the doorstep... » John Vink's website » John Vink's Magnum portfolio » John Vink's Magnum In Motion story "Terre Rouge" » John Vink's feature: Cambodia Khmer Rouge Trial

Bob Black

John:

this will be quick, as Im writing up a long comment to post under Chris' story on M.Romney....and all the attack the pics received....

anyway, i love the sequence of images 2-6.....

and the last ic, #6(!!!) reminds me of Pinkhassov :)))))):

more words later...have to get back to writing ;)

cheers

Bob Black

John:

sorry, I forgot to add (briefly) that besides the extraordinary sequence of pic #4, 5 and 6 (really, this is an extraordinary pic, given the quotidian appearance of it, really, im not bugging out when i said it reminds of Pinkhassov's pic too ), is the odd appearance of brother nr2:

he appears like a wax figure, a buddha, or all those odditiies in Madame Trousseau's museum.....

that is still, to me, the remarkable quality of the series about the Khmer Rouge Trial coverage....they are so strange, odd, "plain", all that horror that was perpetrayed by these silent wax figures....and the trial coverage pics so clearly and heart-breakingly juxtaposed against all ur pics of the Cambodians, the pics from the places where the death squads operated, the ponds and rivers and weeds, the environmental shots...it's hard to process...

and i think it takes a lot of guts not to over sensationalize (photographically) these trials...in fact, to me, theyve always been as much a commentary on the trial and the coverage (all the photographers and videographers) as much as those being held to bare....

the only thing i miss in these 6 pics in one of your Vink fans in the foreground ;)))))....

keep us up to speed....

cheers John

running
bob

Sean Bodin

Love pictures as it is, like dogma photo!

Elliot

John,

Thanks for the detail! Fascinating to hear how you approached those 5mins.. right down to the iso and shutter speed! Great to know the story behind the photo...

All the best,

Elliot

peter

I'd expected a much more close-up shot. Related to the question what to do with mass murderers when they're old.

John Vink

Peter, usually when I'm too far away I use my legs to get closer instead of a zoom. Obviously my working method has limitations when there are a red rope held by fake-gold plated stands and security guards between the subject and me.

Although in this case I really felt I was close enough... Is it fear of contamination? But I feel uncomfortable getting physically too close to someone who is accused of crimes against humanity. Even under custody of the law there is a weird sense of power still perspiring from the man.

kyle

i thought that it was ok but it was kind of boring and you could have made it better