more, to ask for more, and to find
charismatic, well-spoken individuals who
are indigenous and from the communities.
You were present at the death of Sudan,
the world’s last male Northern white
rhino. What impact did that have on you?
That was very upsetting, being there for that
moment – but I also have to say that it’s not
over yet. There’s still hope that we can save
the last rhinos and all the other species. It
was a great motivator and a great wake-up
call. I was surprised by the impact. That one
image of Joseph Wachira saying goodbye
to Sudan went around the world.
I happened to do a street photography
shoot in China right after that happened,
and I’d printed a whole bunch of images to
introduce myself to people on the street.
One of my images was Sudan and Joseph,
and everybody recognised that picture.
People would tear up sometimes. That
image had power. You’d have to be a robot
not to be touched. It went across cultures,
across religions, across boundaries,
countries, communities.
It also speaks to the courage of the
community at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
At first, they said, “Maybe you shouldn’t
photograph this, Ami. It’s a devastating
moment. Everybody’s crying. We don’t really
want to show this.” And I said, “Why don’t
we just photograph it and make that decision
after?” As photographers, it’s important
at times to push and to earn that trust
to get into those moments.How do you weigh up those kinds of
ethical questions about when it’s
OK to take photos?
I spend so much time on every story that
I know the people involved. Over the last
two decades, people have actually called
me if something dramatic or difficult is
happening, because they know I’m going to
do it with sensitivity. There are always ethicalimplications, but that’s what happens
when you spend time in a community.
After I stopped going to Kashmir, I got
letters for years after, asking me to come
back and tell their story. When something
horrific happened, they’d ask me to come
over, which is remarkable.Some people think of photography and
journalism as intrusive. What I’ve learned
is that people often really want to tell
their stories. Many people feel ignored.
Hundred per cent. That’s why I really choose
stories where there are not lots of journalists
there already. Now all the journalists want
to go to these stories I’ve told. They should
find other stories. They’re all around us.
Photography can be exploitative, but it can
also be empowering, if you take the time.For your photo assignment on China’s
pandas and your book Panda Love, you
had to wear a panda costume. Is it
hard to rock a panda suit?
It is hard to rock a panda suit, especially
when you look like a bank robber,http://www.digitalcameraworld.com OCTOBER 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^135
Ami^ Vitale