Tampa Photography Blog

Mike Kamber is a photojournalist in the truest sense of the word.

He photographs what he sees with no agenda and doesn't stop until he's done his job.

Kamber created a video to show unpublished images from the war in Iraq and to expose the censorship he endured while embedded with the United States Military.

He said it was a difficult to find a balance between showing the reality of what he witnessed with what he was allowed to document. Car bomb photos were not allowed then wounded soldier photos. Well, maybe wounded soldiers but don’t show their face or identifying marks. And don’t show any of the faces of the other men in the soldier’s unit. Oh and don’t use photographs that show badges on the soldiers’ uniforms that could identify the unit.

You can see how that would get frustrating as a photographer. You’ve been sent there to do a job and you’re getting paid to do it well. Where’s the balance?

I try to be unbiased as possible even though I am a photojournalist and I feel for Kamber. I remember the struggle I had when covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Obviously, Iraq is completely different and a much more dangerous situation but I do get how upsetting that would be. It’s hard to get orders from your editor (“Go shoot evacuees at the Superdome. I want to see inside.”) and then get to the edge of the Superdome and hear from the National Guard (“There’s no way we’re letting you in—no photos.”). It’s heartbreaking.

From the perspective of the military, I think they believe it’s disrespectful to photograph wounded soldiers. I understand that too. They are there to do a job as well—to fight and protect their own unit. The last thing they need is someone documenting one of the worst moments of their time in Iraq.

I guess my response to them would be that when the war is really over, they might want a true, accurate account of what they happened in Iraq. If I was risking my life to fight for my country, I’d want people to get it right when it gets published in history books.

*Photo by Michael Kamber*