Death, Sex & Money A War Photographer on the Limits of Bearing Witness
Oct 7, 2025
Peter van Agtmael, a documentary and war photographer, discusses the emotional toll and ethical complexities of his work, particularly in war zones. He shares how childhood stories inspired him to photograph conflict and reflects on the misconceptions he had about the power of images to enact change. Peter also reveals the impact of losing colleagues on his perspective and speaks candidly about the challenges of documenting both veterans and controversial groups like the KKK. He sheds light on how becoming a parent has reshaped his approach to risk and storytelling.
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Pictures Are Symbols, Not Causes
- Iconic images don't create change by themselves; they become symbols when conditions for change already exist.
- Peter realized his war photos couldn't mobilize society the way Vietnam images once did.
Embedding In Mosul Revealed Disconnects
- Peter embedded with a U.S. infantry unit in Mosul in 2006 and lived alongside soldiers on patrols for two months.
- He felt camaraderie but also growing cognitive dissonance between military strategy and the violent reality on the ground.
Photos Become Memories Over Time
- For photographers the image and memory swap roles over time: at first the memory is primary and the photo a symbol.
- Later the memory reshapes around the photograph until the picture becomes the memory itself.
