Reading Sample

For Mum PHOTOGRAPHS BY PLATON INTRODUCTION BY ELISABETH BIONDI ESSAY BY SEBASTIAN JUNGER NOTES BY PLATON STORY LINE Introduction by Elisabeth Biondi Shortly after Platon moved to the United States in 1998, John F. Kennedy Jr., then editor in chief of George magazine, asked him to photograph portraits of politicians for his publication. While George folded soon thereafter, Platon’s headline-making portraits of Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Vladimir Putin helped him flourish into one of today’s most recognized portrait photographers. In 1992, under the direction of Tina Brown, the New Yorker began publishing photographs for the first time in its history; Richard Avedon was asked to be the magazine’s first staff photographer. Gradually, as the magazine’s use of photography increased, Brown asked a few other select photographers to join their staff. Words are the strength of the New Yorker, but sometimes the magazine devotes a number of its valuable pages strictly to visual stories. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, for example, the magazine featured an eerie photo-essay of the devastation. In 2008, David Remnick, who succeeded Brown as the New Yorker’s editor in chief, contracted Platon as a staff photographer and his work had an immediate impact on the magazine. From the moment Platon arrived, he began suggesting ideas. A portfolio, which is what we call photography essays, had to consist of an exceptional series of photographs, but it also required a clear and strong story line substantiated by facts. At first his portfolio ideas focused on poverty in the United States, but as we kept discussing the pros and cons of the subject, our editorial attention turned to the war in Iraq. At the time, the nation was in the final stages of selecting its presidential candidates, and the economic downturn was the number- one concern for most voters. But increasingly Americans were objecting to the country’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. American soldiers were returning wounded and psychologically damaged. In the most tragic cases only their remains were sent back home to their loved ones. Brave photojournalists, embedded with military units, dispatched strong images that showed the devastating reality of war. In this context, the magazine and Platon decided it was important to focus on members of the military, who fought in service to their country and who carried the heaviest burdens of war. After many brainstorming sessions we decided to concentrate on service members before they embarked on their perilous assignments. The focus would be on their training and preparation. Then, we wanted to take a hard look at what happened after they had finished their tours of duty—how they managed when they came back, physically and emotionally, and who awaited them. The portfolio would document how their lives changed after they returned home. Platon was the ideal photographer for this portfolio. When I started working with Platon, I was puzzled by how his portraits consis- tently revealed so much in the expressions and poses of his subjects. As I got to know his process, I saw how integral Platon’s curiosity was to his work. He engaged his subjects in conversation. He truly cared about the people in front of his camera. In turn, his subjects opened up to him and cooperated in creating these moving and revealing photographs. Talent, skill, intelligence, and his personality are the keys to his success as a portrait photographer. I believe a photographer’s personality and presence are critical when photographing people. Platon is a master communicator; he is charming and seductive. As we embarked on the difficult mission of getting permission for the various shoots, it was Platon’s gregarious optimism that pushed the project forward. “No” was not an option. The project was too important. For example, when Platon boarded the USS San Antonio, the officer in charge was unaware of the clearance Platon had received and, as such, refused to allow him to take a single photograph. Unde- terred, Platon proceeded to charm the officer and, soon, the doors opened. Platon’s enthusiasm conquered all difficulties, even when dealing with the military. When Platon arrived at Fort Irwin the temperature was hihger than one hundred degrees. There, in a territory nearly as large as Rhode Island, the US Army had constructed a simulated battleground complete with enemy combatants and Iraqi civilians. Gunshots and explosions were a constant background noise. Platon slept on dirt streets at night. One morning he woke at 4 a.m. with a gun between his eyes, a soldier whispering fiercely into his ear. Platon was trapped in the middle of a simulated raid on an Iraqi village. The experience left him with a deep appreciation for what soldiers endure while deployed, the punishing envi- ronment they face, and the dangerous work it is their duty to carry out. As a result, it is almost impossible to distinguish his Fort Irwin training camp images from real battle scenes in Iraq. Before “Service,” most of Platon’s photographs were done in a studio. Outside the studio, Platon’s images became freer and more emotionally charged. Some of his most compassionate pictures were done on location. His photojournalistic images, which he took with his Leica, were most surprising to me. They were action-packed. They had immediacy, almost the opposite of his carefully crafted portraits. Platon’s ability to be fluent in a number of photographic languages, including still lifes, is one of the reasons “Service” is so compelling. His portraits for the New Yorker, and those in this portfolio, are arresting. Perhaps the most moving pictures are those taken at Arlington National Cemetery. The picture of Elsheba Khan cradling her son’s gravestone is emotionally charged and resonated deeply in Washington, DC. When the portfolio was completed, the New Yorker published a series of sixteen pages. “Service” won the New Yorker its first National Magazine Award in photography the following year. Bravo, Platon. A cadet prepares for the graduation parade. All cadets march in the graduation parade but only firsties (seniors) don hats adorned with plumes. United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. May 30, 2008. CADET JAKE MENTELE with his mother, SUZY MENTELE. Each West Point graduate is commis- sioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. West Point, May 30, 2008. CADET KESHA BROWN (page left) holds a tar bucket hat. The West Point class of 2008 was the twenty-ninth to graduate women. CADET KEVIN KNIERY (page right) the day before graduation. West Point, May 30, 2008. .

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