As the town of Vienne wakes up on a spring Saturday, market traders put out their wares. And there’s one face you are guaranteed to see amongst the early visitors.

Philippe Girardon was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1997 for outstanding culinary skill.

When I catch up with him, he’s buying squash. “You can use the skin of this one. It’s very tasty, like a noisette,” he says while handing over a fistful of euros to a man in a thick coat I wish I could borrow. “I will cook chicken with this, and make stock. The chicken comes from a local guy. Very nice chicken.”

He walks around a corner, saying hello to people as he goes and sometimes stopping for a chat. The sun is getting high enough to feel as we reach a cheese truck.

“This man is from 20 minutes up the road from here. They have around 80 animals. Very nice cheese.”

At Vienne market with Chef Philippe GirardonJez Fielder

He tells me more about the indigenous ingredients of the area.

There is a small goat’s cheese with subtle aromas of hazelnut, mushrooms and butter called The Rigotte of Condrieu. “Rigot” refers to the small streams that run down the slopes of the Pilat massif where it is produced.

The ‘Burlat cherry’ is named after Léonard Burlat, an amateur arborist who, in 1915, noticed a wild cherry tree in a hedge, near the factory where he worked in Lyon, and then grafted it onto a cherry tree in his orchard in Loire-sur-Rhône. A decade later he presented the fruits of his labour to the Société pomologique de France, which confirmed his triumph.

Girardon points out a heart-shaped neufchatel cheese. “Some people bring flowers back for their wives, I bring this. But I don’t make mistakes.”

Fromages d’AmourJez Fielder

Girardon calls this market his ‘inspriation’. 

This is romantic. The vision of a brilliant, celebrated chef amongst his people, knowing his suppliers, creating dishes in his mind as he passes another selection of squashes, a ocean of endives, ashen goat’s cheeses from Isère. 

He bumps into the mayor and they have an extended conversation while I pop into a corner cafe for a hot drink in the company of seniors warming up for a crunch petanque match later in the day.

I will be back with Philippe for lunch.

Gastronomy and location

The Rhone Valley sits between France’s eastern gateway to the south, Lyon, and the Mediterranean. The region boasts some of the world’s best and most talked-about wines and is a go-to destination for foodies.

And despite the northern end of this huge swathe of land still being comparatively undiscovered, it is in fact been steeped in history and gastronomy for 2,000 years.

Before the Romans settled on the banks of the Rhone in what is now Vienne, the city was a major settlement for a Celtic tribe called the Allobroges. In 121 BCE, the Romans arrived, and stayed for around 400 years. Indeed the impressive temple in the city centre dates from the 1st century CE. 

Roman foundations across the river from Vienne in Saint-Romain-en-GalJez Fielder

Directly across the river from Vienne is Saint Roman en Gal, which houses an extraordinary museum dedicated to the Roman period of the Rhone Valley’s development as a cultural centre, trade port and civilisation. 

Treasures of ancient times at the MuseumPATRICK AGENEAU

Intricate floor mosaics and large frescoes that display the daily lives and passtimes of Ancient Gaul are on show in the roomy halls of this diverting museum, but the real joy is walking down a ramp to the excavations outside. 

A seven-hectare space speads out in front of you as the uncovered town takes shape. You tread the original stone road, hop over manholes that lead to the pioneering sewage system, and marvel as the sight of a two-millenia-old villa is pieced together. 

But it could so easily never have been found.

In 1967, the local authorities were on the verge of building a school here. Historians knew very well that this area had been occupied during antiquity, but they had only envisaged a collection of dwellings scattered about the river banks.

But to their enormous surprise and delight, when archaeologists began the excavation project, they discovered the vestiges of an entire city. 

As you wander back towards the museum, a large facsimile of a Roman wine press reminds you of one of the key focuses in these times, and back inside you find the scale model of a boat carrying amphorae. 

Wine was carried for trade up the Rhone 2,000 years agoPATRICK AGENEAU

There is a clear correlation between enjoying life and enjoying gastronomy all these years ago. And settlements on the vibrant banks of this river were great centres of conviviality. Wine glasses and dishes are depicted alongside joyful people in the illustrations and scuptures of the time, and our good friend Bacchus, the god of wine, is always lurking menacingly somewhere. 

Every September, the Vinalia Festival on the site is dedicated to the reconstruction of Roman grape harvests and antique cooking. Visitors can take part in the various stages of the wine production, taste typical dishes of the time and, of course, drink. 

Wine from this area is perhaps less commonly well known than its Southern Rhone neighbours. But it deserves to be on the same footing at least. The nectar of the Gods has been made in the Rhone Valley since before the Romans even arrived, the slopes towering over the winding river giving the perfect topography for grape growing.

The Steep slopes of Cote Rotie in the Northern Rhone Valley©E.GUIGAL SAS / Stéphane Chalaye Photographie

One name you will hear is Côte-Rôtie, which means ‘roasted slope’. These crumbling granite cliffs mark the land of Syrah. It’s the only red grape you find for serious production in the Northern Rhone. The white varieties of Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne have their own charm and also find their perfect expression amongst the terraced perches, where the best solar exposure is to be found. 

Cote Rotie is notoriously difficult to harvest, and you can see why©C.Grilhe

The name Guigal is synonymous with Côte-Rôtie and you can hardly miss the enormous sign as you drive towards Ampuis. They have a tasting room at the Caveau du Château in Ampuis itself, which also incorporates a wine museum. 

Since the winemaking and marketing efforts of Marcel Guigal in the 1980s, this appellation has become less of a niche area in the wine industry and found its place at the world wine table. Guigal began to bottle by vineyard, a practice used in Burgundy.

He also bumped up the oak ageing to three and a half years. The resulting wines are characterised by finesse and can be enormously expensive, with even an entry level bottle weighing in at around €40. 

The Amphitheatre at VienneACTUA DRONE

But there are a number of much cheaper alternatives that qualify for the Cotes de Rhone status, which are incredibly drinkable for a fraction of the price of a Côte-Rôtie or Condrieu. The latter is an entirely white appellation made exclusively from Viognier. It is extremely floral with a nose in some cases akin to cake. 

If you’re visiting the area, there are plenty of opportunities to stop off and taste some wines in order to understand the terroir. One of the friendliest is Domaine Corps de Loup, who have a small but siginificant range of wines including Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu offerings.

Wine, as we know, goes best with food, and if they’re both local then you’ve hit the jackpot. The Roman settlers realised this land gave them everything they needed, and this is still true today.

At Domaine Clairefontaine, Chef Philippe Girardon has his own empire. A Michelin-Starred restaurant, a bistro and a range of accommodation. 

“Do you like truffle?” he asks. And what ensues is a special truffle menu to remember for ever. 

The bright room is lit today by the bright sunshine streaming in through tall windows, but this luminosity is enhanced by furniture, frames and fittings that have a contemporary design yet posses the stability of an established history. The light fittings where the light source is obscured are thought-provoking, like the cuisine of this meticulous yet eye-catching chef. 

Scallop carpaccio with Granny Smith sorbetJez Fielder

There’s a purity at work here. A concentration on bringing out the flavour of each dish’s star ingredient. The scallop carpaccio is elevated with Calamansi lemon, truffle oil and a beautifully acidic Granny Smith apple sorbet. Girardon’s Blue Lobster quenelle was a stunning feat of amplification, paying homage to the Homard in the most complete manner. 

This one comes with a 2020 Condrieu Clos Poncins. A big old waxy finish full of candied orange and honey ensures this wine doesn’t get lost on the sea bed. 

Blue Lobster Quenelle ‘A La Lyonnaise’Jez Fielder

But what would a Michelin-starred lunch be without a dash of innovation? 

With the use of a 3D printed mould, created from a large truffle, Girardon and his team put on some magic for dessert. Entitled simply ‘A Truffle Mousse’, the truffle beats the eye and you break the chocolate shell with a yelp of admiration. 

Truffle SurpriseJez Fielder

Walking out of the main dining room I see three families who have also just had lunch. They are relaxing and watching a Six Nations rugby game. In Roman times, right on this spot, it might have been a wrestling match. 

His service over, Philippe chats with the adults and the kids, then stands at the back of this anteroom, arms folded, watching the TV. I suspect he has one eye on the families, on the satisfaction he has created. His food and wine choices have inspired conviviality and proved that fine dining can be for everyone.

As the town of Vienne wakes up on a spring Saturday, market traders put out their wares. And there’s one face you are guaranteed to see amongst the early visitors.

Philippe Girardon was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1997 for outstanding culinary skill.

When I catch up with him, he’s buying squash. “You can use the skin of this one. It’s very tasty, like a noisette,” he says while handing over a fistful of euros to a man in a thick coat I wish I could borrow. “I will cook chicken with this, and make stock. The chicken comes from a local guy. Very nice chicken.”

He walks around a corner, saying hello to people as he goes and sometimes stopping for a chat. The sun is getting high enough to feel as we reach a cheese truck.

“This man is from 20 minutes up the road from here. They have around 80 animals. Very nice cheese.”

At Vienne market with Chef Philippe GirardonJez Fielder

He tells me more about the indigenous ingredients of the area.

There is a small goat’s cheese with subtle aromas of hazelnut, mushrooms and butter called The Rigotte of Condrieu. “Rigot” refers to the small streams that run down the slopes of the Pilat massif where it is produced.

The ‘Burlat cherry’ is named after Léonard Burlat, an amateur arborist who, in 1915, noticed a wild cherry tree in a hedge, near the factory where he worked in Lyon, and then grafted it onto a cherry tree in his orchard in Loire-sur-Rhône. A decade later he presented the fruits of his labour to the Société pomologique de France, which confirmed his triumph.

Girardon points out a heart-shaped neufchatel cheese. “Some people bring flowers back for their wives, I bring this. But I don’t make mistakes.”

Fromages d’AmourJez Fielder

Girardon calls this market his ‘inspriation’. 

This is romantic. The vision of a brilliant, celebrated chef amongst his people, knowing his suppliers, creating dishes in his mind as he passes another selection of squashes, a ocean of endives, ashen goat’s cheeses from Isère. 

He bumps into the mayor and they have an extended conversation while I pop into a corner cafe for a hot drink in the company of seniors warming up for a crunch petanque match later in the day.

I will be back with Philippe for lunch.

Gastronomy and location

The Rhone Valley sits between France’s eastern gateway to the south, Lyon, and the Mediterranean. The region boasts some of the world’s best and most talked-about wines and is a go-to destination for foodies.

And despite the northern end of this huge swathe of land still being comparatively undiscovered, it is in fact been steeped in history and gastronomy for 2,000 years.

Before the Romans settled on the banks of the Rhone in what is now Vienne, the city was a major settlement for a Celtic tribe called the Allobroges. In 121 BCE, the Romans arrived, and stayed for around 400 years. Indeed the impressive temple in the city centre dates from the 1st century CE. 

Roman foundations across the river from Vienne in Saint-Romain-en-GalJez Fielder

Directly across the river from Vienne is Saint Roman en Gal, which houses an extraordinary museum dedicated to the Roman period of the Rhone Valley’s development as a cultural centre, trade port and civilisation. 

Treasures of ancient times at the MuseumPATRICK AGENEAU

Intricate floor mosaics and large frescoes that display the daily lives and passtimes of Ancient Gaul are on show in the roomy halls of this diverting museum, but the real joy is walking down a ramp to the excavations outside. 

A seven-hectare space speads out in front of you as the uncovered town takes shape. You tread the original stone road, hop over manholes that lead to the pioneering sewage system, and marvel as the sight of a two-millenia-old villa is pieced together. 

But it could so easily never have been found.

In 1967, the local authorities were on the verge of building a school here. Historians knew very well that this area had been occupied during antiquity, but they had only envisaged a collection of dwellings scattered about the river banks.

But to their enormous surprise and delight, when archaeologists began the excavation project, they discovered the vestiges of an entire city. 

As you wander back towards the museum, a large facsimile of a Roman wine press reminds you of one of the key focuses in these times, and back inside you find the scale model of a boat carrying amphorae. 

Wine was carried for trade up the Rhone 2,000 years agoPATRICK AGENEAU

There is a clear correlation between enjoying life and enjoying gastronomy all these years ago. And settlements on the vibrant banks of this river were great centres of conviviality. Wine glasses and dishes are depicted alongside joyful people in the illustrations and scuptures of the time, and our good friend Bacchus, the god of wine, is always lurking menacingly somewhere. 

Every September, the Vinalia Festival on the site is dedicated to the reconstruction of Roman grape harvests and antique cooking. Visitors can take part in the various stages of the wine production, taste typical dishes of the time and, of course, drink. 

Wine from this area is perhaps less commonly well known than its Southern Rhone neighbours. But it deserves to be on the same footing at least. The nectar of the Gods has been made in the Rhone Valley since before the Romans even arrived, the slopes towering over the winding river giving the perfect topography for grape growing.

The Steep slopes of Cote Rotie in the Northern Rhone Valley©E.GUIGAL SAS / Stéphane Chalaye Photographie

One name you will hear is Côte-Rôtie, which means ‘roasted slope’. These crumbling granite cliffs mark the land of Syrah. It’s the only red grape you find for serious production in the Northern Rhone. The white varieties of Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne have their own charm and also find their perfect expression amongst the terraced perches, where the best solar exposure is to be found. 

Cote Rotie is notoriously difficult to harvest, and you can see why©C.Grilhe

The name Guigal is synonymous with Côte-Rôtie and you can hardly miss the enormous sign as you drive towards Ampuis. They have a tasting room at the Caveau du Château in Ampuis itself, which also incorporates a wine museum. 

Since the winemaking and marketing efforts of Marcel Guigal in the 1980s, this appellation has become less of a niche area in the wine industry and found its place at the world wine table. Guigal began to bottle by vineyard, a practice used in Burgundy.

He also bumped up the oak ageing to three and a half years. The resulting wines are characterised by finesse and can be enormously expensive, with even an entry level bottle weighing in at around €40. 

The Amphitheatre at VienneACTUA DRONE

But there are a number of much cheaper alternatives that qualify for the Cotes de Rhone status, which are incredibly drinkable for a fraction of the price of a Côte-Rôtie or Condrieu. The latter is an entirely white appellation made exclusively from Viognier. It is extremely floral with a nose in some cases akin to cake. 

If you’re visiting the area, there are plenty of opportunities to stop off and taste some wines in order to understand the terroir. One of the friendliest is Domaine Corps de Loup, who have a small but siginificant range of wines including Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu offerings.

Wine, as we know, goes best with food, and if they’re both local then you’ve hit the jackpot. The Roman settlers realised this land gave them everything they needed, and this is still true today.

At Domaine Clairefontaine, Chef Philippe Girardon has his own empire. A Michelin-Starred restaurant, a bistro and a range of accommodation. 

“Do you like truffle?” he asks. And what ensues is a special truffle menu to remember for ever. 

The bright room is lit today by the bright sunshine streaming in through tall windows, but this luminosity is enhanced by furniture, frames and fittings that have a contemporary design yet posses the stability of an established history. The light fittings where the light source is obscured are thought-provoking, like the cuisine of this meticulous yet eye-catching chef. 

Scallop carpaccio with Granny Smith sorbetJez Fielder

There’s a purity at work here. A concentration on bringing out the flavour of each dish’s star ingredient. The scallop carpaccio is elevated with Calamansi lemon, truffle oil and a beautifully acidic Granny Smith apple sorbet. Girardon’s Blue Lobster quenelle was a stunning feat of amplification, paying homage to the Homard in the most complete manner. 

This one comes with a 2020 Condrieu Clos Poncins. A big old waxy finish full of candied orange and honey ensures this wine doesn’t get lost on the sea bed. 

Blue Lobster Quenelle ‘A La Lyonnaise’Jez Fielder

But what would a Michelin-starred lunch be without a dash of innovation? 

With the use of a 3D printed mould, created from a large truffle, Girardon and his team put on some magic for dessert. Entitled simply ‘A Truffle Mousse’, the truffle beats the eye and you break the chocolate shell with a yelp of admiration. 

Truffle SurpriseJez Fielder

Walking out of the main dining room I see three families who have also just had lunch. They are relaxing and watching a Six Nations rugby game. In Roman times, right on this spot, it might have been a wrestling match. 

His service over, Philippe chats with the adults and the kids, then stands at the back of this anteroom, arms folded, watching the TV. I suspect he has one eye on the families, on the satisfaction he has created. His food and wine choices have inspired conviviality and proved that fine dining can be for everyone.

The post From Rome to Drôme: Antiquity and gastronomy in the Northern Rhone first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

From 25 January to 8 April 2022, Vadim Ghirda took some of the most powerful and recognisable photographs of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Initially finding an interest in photography as a way to fit in at parties, Ghirda joined the AP in 1990 when he was just 18 years old. 

Since then he’s covered complex social and political conflicts in countries such as Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Macedonia and most recently, Ukraine. 

The first days of the Russian invasion found Ghirda in bombarded Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, crouching in the snow next to a dead soldier and a destroyed Russian rocket launcher.

Then he was on to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, to document the frantic crush of people trying to leave the country while they still could. 

He also photographed some of the horrors found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where Ukrainian officials say Russian soldiers committed war crimes before withdrawing.

We interviewed Ghirda to find out more about his work and why he believes photography is more important than ever. 

firefighter walks outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

How did you get into photography?

“I got into photography as a means to blend in when I was very young. Going to parties you don’t find your place, but if you have a camera you suddenly have something to do and it helps if your people skills are not very good.” 

“Also, my mother worked as a photo editor in the local news agency, so I kind of grew up amongst photographers.” 

Bogdana, 17, rubs noses with her boyfriend Ivan, 19, in Brovary, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

What is the focus of your photography?

“There’s a lot going through my head when I take pictures, beginning with the technical aspects which are obviously very important. But the focus of my photography is people.” 

“I’m a person that is happy when emotions are somehow captured or preserved in an image. In photography, I think there is a bit of magic, in the sense that you can achieve, to a certain level, what many people dream about, which is stopping time. And you can really capture an emotion of a fragment of life.” 

A Ukrainian firefighter drags a hose inside a large food products storage facility which was destroyed by an airstrike in the early morning hours in Brovary, north of Kyiv, UkVadim Ghirda/AP

What are the logistics involved with your work?

“There’s a lot of preparation involved. What’s very important is the work of the local journalists or fixers. Everyone that works with you is absolutely crucial. To take great pictures you have to get to the place and you have to have access. And getting that access very often has almost nothing to do with you.” 

“When photographing people, my main focus first of all is to intrude as little as possible. You generally get to spend very little time with a person so it can be difficult to gain their trust. For example, you go to visit a trench line position of the army, and you only get to spend maybe one to two hours there. There’s a fine line between starting to work as soon as possible and actually trying to introduce yourself, and make people feel comfortable with you. The minute they sense that you are empathetic with the situation and are actually interested in really telling their story and describing what they’re going through, they start to open up. Once that stage is out of the way, then you can focus on actually taking pictures.” 

A 99 year-old woman, traumatised by the Russian occupation, is comforted by her daughter-in-law in Andriivka, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

What goes through your head when you take photographs?

“Sometimes you feel completely insensitive staring at that person through a camera and taking pictures, while they’re basically falling apart. You witness people sometimes the minute they identity their last relative that they were hoping survived and they realise they didn’t. This is the toughest emotional challenge.”

“A lot of people are saying ‘Vadim, Oh how brave you are doing all this and all that,’ – it’s really not the case. The minute you raise the camera, at least for me, it sort of disconnects you from the feeling of danger or what you would worry about normally if you were just a bystander or if you were really involved in what people do there.”

“I’m worried that it’s going to sound like minimising the actual experience but in many ways, it’s like you’re basically just watching a movie, and you’re trying to frame it as best as possible. I mean there’s a risk in this because sometimes you’re so disconnected and focused on what’s happening in front of you or what you’re trying to get, that you may ignore very visible risks that are coming from behind you or things like that.”

child looks out of a bus window with drawings on it as civilians are evacuated from Irpin, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

Why do you think photography is important in times of war?

“The most important thing is the ability to inform the world in real-time about a situation that is happening. Speaking the truth and showing the truth matters, especially in times like now, where the amount of fake information across all these platforms is absolutely scary. Photography is an undeniable source of information. Visual journalism, from reliable sources and done by people who have a moral compass that is absolutely sound, is crucial.” 

“My aim with these pictures is to make as many of the people who will see them feel what that person felt or offer them a tool to really experience the tragedy that people are going through. The more people who resonate to what you do and understand what other people are going through, the better it will be. And to achieve that you really need to try and feel what that person feels. If you liberate yourself from prejudice or from ego, you do realise that you are the same as this old lady in Ukraine. You could be in that situation. And hopefully this will make us all better people.”

“So if one image that I shoot, changes the mind of one person, I think I was successful”. 

Watch the video above to see the full interview with Vadim Ghirda

From 25 January to 8 April 2022, Vadim Ghirda took some of the most powerful and recognisable photographs of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Initially finding an interest in photography as a way to fit in at parties, Ghirda joined the AP in 1990 when he was just 18 years old. 

Since then he’s covered complex social and political conflicts in countries such as Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Macedonia and most recently, Ukraine. 

The first days of the Russian invasion found Ghirda in bombarded Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, crouching in the snow next to a dead soldier and a destroyed Russian rocket launcher.

Then he was on to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, to document the frantic crush of people trying to leave the country while they still could. 

He also photographed some of the horrors found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where Ukrainian officials say Russian soldiers committed war crimes before withdrawing.

We interviewed Ghirda to find out more about his work and why he believes photography is more important than ever. 

firefighter walks outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

How did you get into photography?

“I got into photography as a means to blend in when I was very young. Going to parties you don’t find your place, but if you have a camera you suddenly have something to do and it helps if your people skills are not very good.” 

“Also, my mother worked as a photo editor in the local news agency, so I kind of grew up amongst photographers.” 

Bogdana, 17, rubs noses with her boyfriend Ivan, 19, in Brovary, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

What is the focus of your photography?

“There’s a lot going through my head when I take pictures, beginning with the technical aspects which are obviously very important. But the focus of my photography is people.” 

“I’m a person that is happy when emotions are somehow captured or preserved in an image. In photography, I think there is a bit of magic, in the sense that you can achieve, to a certain level, what many people dream about, which is stopping time. And you can really capture an emotion of a fragment of life.” 

A Ukrainian firefighter drags a hose inside a large food products storage facility which was destroyed by an airstrike in the early morning hours in Brovary, north of Kyiv, UkVadim Ghirda/AP

What are the logistics involved with your work?

“There’s a lot of preparation involved. What’s very important is the work of the local journalists or fixers. Everyone that works with you is absolutely crucial. To take great pictures you have to get to the place and you have to have access. And getting that access very often has almost nothing to do with you.” 

“When photographing people, my main focus first of all is to intrude as little as possible. You generally get to spend very little time with a person so it can be difficult to gain their trust. For example, you go to visit a trench line position of the army, and you only get to spend maybe one to two hours there. There’s a fine line between starting to work as soon as possible and actually trying to introduce yourself, and make people feel comfortable with you. The minute they sense that you are empathetic with the situation and are actually interested in really telling their story and describing what they’re going through, they start to open up. Once that stage is out of the way, then you can focus on actually taking pictures.” 

A 99 year-old woman, traumatised by the Russian occupation, is comforted by her daughter-in-law in Andriivka, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

What goes through your head when you take photographs?

“Sometimes you feel completely insensitive staring at that person through a camera and taking pictures, while they’re basically falling apart. You witness people sometimes the minute they identity their last relative that they were hoping survived and they realise they didn’t. This is the toughest emotional challenge.”

“A lot of people are saying ‘Vadim, Oh how brave you are doing all this and all that,’ – it’s really not the case. The minute you raise the camera, at least for me, it sort of disconnects you from the feeling of danger or what you would worry about normally if you were just a bystander or if you were really involved in what people do there.”

“I’m worried that it’s going to sound like minimising the actual experience but in many ways, it’s like you’re basically just watching a movie, and you’re trying to frame it as best as possible. I mean there’s a risk in this because sometimes you’re so disconnected and focused on what’s happening in front of you or what you’re trying to get, that you may ignore very visible risks that are coming from behind you or things like that.”

child looks out of a bus window with drawings on it as civilians are evacuated from Irpin, UkraineVadim Ghirda/AP

Why do you think photography is important in times of war?

“The most important thing is the ability to inform the world in real-time about a situation that is happening. Speaking the truth and showing the truth matters, especially in times like now, where the amount of fake information across all these platforms is absolutely scary. Photography is an undeniable source of information. Visual journalism, from reliable sources and done by people who have a moral compass that is absolutely sound, is crucial.” 

“My aim with these pictures is to make as many of the people who will see them feel what that person felt or offer them a tool to really experience the tragedy that people are going through. The more people who resonate to what you do and understand what other people are going through, the better it will be. And to achieve that you really need to try and feel what that person feels. If you liberate yourself from prejudice or from ego, you do realise that you are the same as this old lady in Ukraine. You could be in that situation. And hopefully this will make us all better people.”

“So if one image that I shoot, changes the mind of one person, I think I was successful”. 

Watch the video above to see the full interview with Vadim Ghirda

The post ‘Showing the truth matters’: Confessions of a war photographer first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.