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On the eve of the election, a number of Magnum photographers have been venturing into American to capture what they can of this historic moment in time. The project is called InSight America. But rather than publish this work as a book a year after the fact, Magnum is posting the work online and on the fly. I caught up with Alex Webb after his recent journey to Ohio:

Philip Jones Griffiths (b. 1936) is a Welsh-born photojournalist known for his coverage of the Vietnam war. Griffiths studied pharmacy but started as a freelance photographer in 1961, traveling to Algeria in 1962. He arrived in Vietnam in 1966, working for the Magnum agency. Magnum found his images difficult to sell to American magazines, as they concentrated on the suffering of the Vietnamese people and reflected Griffiths's view of the war as an episode in the continuing decolonisation of former European possessions. He was able to get a 'scoop' that the American outlets liked, photographs of Jackie Kennedy vacationing with a male friend in Cambodia. The proceeds of these photos enabled him to continue his coverage of Vietnam and to publish Vietnam Inc. in 1971. The book had a major influence on American perceptions of the war, and became a classic of photojournalism. In 2001 the book was reprinted with a foreword by Noam Chomsky.

In 2002, Alec Soth traveled with his wife to Bogotá, Colombia to adopt a baby girl. The baby's birth mother gave the new parents a book filled with letters, pictures and poems for their new daughter. 'I hope that the hardness of the world will not hurt your sensitivity,' she wrote. 'When I think about you I hope that your life is full of beautiful things.' During the two months that the Colombian courts processed their adoption paperwork, Soth set about making his own book for his daughter. Soth recently completed this book, Dog Days Bogotá. On November 9th, an exhibition of this work will debut at Weinstein Gallery in Soth's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Soth discusses Dog Days Bogotá with his intern, Carrie Thompson, a photography student at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota.

An interview with magnum photographer, Alec Soth

An intimate portrait of Tibetans and Buddhism by leading Magnum photograher, Steve McCurry.

PhotoPlus Event: Elliott Erwitt and Alec Soth\n\nElliott Erwitt and Alec Soth, two great photographers widely separated by their vision, style, and generations--but sharing a sense of irony, self-effacing wit, and a photo agency (Magnum)-took the stage at New York's Javits Center last night to talk to a packed audience about their work and careers.\n\nPrompted by the moderator Harald Johnson and a projection of some of his most iconic images, Erwitt spoke first, offering a brief, matter-of-fact accounting of his career and work, which he peppered with one-liners.\n\nErwitt is a keen observer of people and dogs, and the absurd things they do. He also has a sharp comic sense of visual timing and juxtaposition. All of that was on display in his slideshow. Describing one image of a dog in jumping straight upwards, Erwitt said, "People ask, Why is he jumping?' It's because I barked. I bark at dogs, they jump."

American photographer and journalist Eve Arnold delves into her relationship with Marilyn Monroe, whom she photographed possibly more than any other photographer. This documentary explores the general relationship between a photographer and her living subject, as well as the specific task Arnold accomplished in capturing a cinematic icon.

British photographer Martin Parr, whose work straddles documentary and fine art photography, argues that photojournalism "has to get modern" to regain the attention and support of mainstream magazines. In this month's "State of the Art Report: Photojournalism Survival" (PDN August), Parr asserts, "You have to disguise things as entertainment, but still leave a message and some poignancy." In a recent interview, we asked him to elaborate on his theory.

Photographer Gilles Peress talks about the role of photography in the struggle for human rights. Series: Conversations with History [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 7134]

In January 2008, staff from the National Media Museum travelled to the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, to film interviews with Agnès Sire (Director of the Fondation HCB), and Martine Franck (photographer and President of the Fondation HCB). These interviews give personal insights into Cartier-Bresson, the Fondation, and the history of the scrapbook and subsequent exhibition. For full information on the exhibition at the National Media Museum in Bradford, read more here: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk..

In January 2008, staff from the National Media Museum travelled to the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, to film interviews with Agnès Sire (Director of the Fondation HCB), and Martine Franck (photographer and President of the Fondation HCB). These interviews give personal insights into Cartier-Bresson, the Fondation, and the history of the scrapbook and subsequent exhibition. For full information on the exhibition at the National Media Museum in Bradford, read more here: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk...

In 1973 Henri Cartier-Bresson spoke as part of a series organized by Cornell Capa. HIs observations on photography are paired here with many of his most well known images. In this excerpt of the DVD available from icp.org, you get a sense of his succinct insightful observations on the photographic medium.

2006 documentary on Henri Cartier-Bresson part 1 of 10

interview with cartier bresson

part 2 of mccurry interview

An interview with Steve McCurry, a documentary photographer famous for his portraits of Asia. Since the 1980's he has been a frequent contributor to National Geographic Magazine. This interview is part of a larger work in progress called "Cultural Expressions: Conversations with Photographers".

David Alan Harvey working in Cuba Produced by Kevin F. Burtnett © National Geographic Society

Aperture Users Professional Network interview with Magnum's David Allan Harvey for the Aperture Priority podcast series.