Face Of The Day

Mark Murrmann appreciates the work of Chris Hondros, the renowned photojournalist who was killed alongside Tim Hetherington in Libya in 2011:

Though he published thousands of photos, one of Chris Hondros’ best known images remains seared in my mind: a young Iraqi girl crying, covered in the blood of her parents who were just killed by the US soldiers towering over her. I first saw it in the New York Times—a shocking story with a mesmerizing image. I was just finding my way in the world of photography at the time, thinking maybe I wanted to be a war photographer. Hondros’ photos stood out for his ability to capture moments of clarity in tense, difficult situations. …

Testament, a new offering from powerHouse Books, stands as a retrospective of Hondros’ work, and also reveals him as a skilled writer and speaker who often talked publicly about his profession and the impact of photography, especially war photography, on society. Excerpts of his writings, speeches, and interviews are interspersed with the photos, giving a better idea of the man, and where he was coming from as a photographer. It’s this extra stuff that makes Testament much better than just another collection of great photos from horrific situations. Proceeds from sales of the book, incidentally, go to the Chris Hondros Fund, established to support the work of conflict photographers and spread awareness of issues that arise from reporting in war zones.

Buy the book here. A photo essay of many of Testament‘s images here.

(Photo: Joseph Duo, a Liberian militia commander loyal to the government, exults after firing a rocket-propelled grenade at rebel forces at a key strategic bridge in Monrovia, Liberia on July 20, 2003. It’s the cover-photo for Testament - photographs by Chris Hondros/Getty Images, text by Chris Hondros, published by powerHouse Books.)