In one of my previous posts I joked about not being Jacques-Henri Lartigue ,famous French photographer who lead a life of great leisure . He grew up at the same time that photography was growing up. As far as I know, money never was a problem for him .Looking at his wonderful portfolio he appears to have spent his life like very rich people do, travelling , enjoying the sites, sitting in the first rows of major sporting events and shows and so forth. In my post I was complaining about having to go out and make a living to be able to afford taking pictures after having stayed up most of the night to prepare some prints for a client.
How stupid to say such a thing ! Compared to many of my human brothers and sisters, I am, and many of us photographers are, all Jacques Henri Lartigues of sorts , going about our lives in the relative wealth ,peace and security that we enjoy in our respective countries, indulging in photography as a leisure because we have the time and money to do so.
Just back in the UK, after three weeks travels in my native France, via Holland and Belgium, where I enjoyed life very much like Jacques-Henri did, just on a much smaller budget and took photos, just like he would have, of a world out mostly to enjoy itself, I couldn’t bring myself to post one of my little Lartigue’ moments…
Thankfully ,there are photographers who do something very different with photography, who are not content to be the Jacques-Henri Lartigues of their own little safe worlds and John Wredford is one of them. He describes himself as “a photographer on the loose about the Middle East” .
In a time where many of us need to break away from superficial views about the Middle East in general and Syria in particular, his blog is vital …
Please visit, follow and share….
chevaugeon photographer 
Wow, Thank you for this.
John it is me who thanks you. Stay safe
Thanks for reminding me how good my life is. I get very complacent about my advantages. And your phrase “a world out mostly to enjoy itself,” perfectly describes a good many of us these days, while there are so many more that would like to have just a few minutes of that enjoyment.
I don’t mean to look down or criticise anyone – not even myself;just a reminder to serve as an invitation to visit John’s vital blog. But I long for a world rich in its differences and poor in deadly conflicts. And I am always moved by intelligent ,sensitive and talented people like John who work at opening up the world, creating bridges, challenging prejudices..One of photography’s greatest and most respectable tasks, to be a record,subjective certainly but a record nonetheless,with something almost sacred to it because made by the light that bathed the people, the places, the events…