Chris and Tim
After the events of yesterday, I don’t know what to say. I am crushed.
Mikko did an excellent roundup of all the articles that have been written on the two, it can be found here.
My good friend David Graham wrote obits for Newsweek/The Daily Beast, which is here. Jamie’s words are especially poignant - as David told me during one of several conversations we had yesterday, “I just wanted to quote everything he said.”
I knew three of the photographers involved in yesterday’s tragedy, and a fifth who was also in Misrata and apparently accompanied the four to the hospital. I’m deeply thankful that Mike and Katie are ok. I didn’t know Guy, but he’s in my thoughts today as he reportedly remains in critical condition.
I assigned Tim Hethrington to a shoot in 2009. Throughout the project, which was in Afghanistan, he was the consummate professional. After the shoot, we met at OSI’s Moving Walls exhibit. Where we spoke briefly about the assignment and his work. I can’t say I knew him well, only that I respected him and his work deeply.
The loss of Chris Hondros hit me much harder. I first met Chris when I was a student at Ohio University. I remember being awed when he showed his full take from Tal Afar - I was so humbled seeing his method and hearing about his process. I had heard a lot about Chris, not just from seeing his work, but also because of his association with several of my North Carolina friends.
After his presentation, I found myself in someone’s car with Chris and another master’s student from Delaware who was in town for the evening. I avidly listened to everything Chris had to say. I still remember he recommended learning French, as it is a language prevalent in the international press corps. He also recommended learning Arabic, due to the increasing prominence of the Middle East in world news.
I would see Chris at several other events from time to time over the next few years. The Eddie Adams Workshop, perhaps someplace else. Eventually, I ended up working at Getty Images, although I didn’t necessarily see him more often - he was rarely in the office. In fact, I would see him with perhaps more regularity at the legendary New Year’s Eve party he would throw every year with Todd Heisler in Dumbo. I never arrived before 3am on New Year’s Day, and the party never failed to still be in full swing.
I last saw Chris on the evening of January 5th of this year. After telling him I was leaving my job at Getty, again, at 3am on the morning of the 1st, Chris graciously offered his counsel. We met a few days later at the Slaughtered Lamb and he bought me a couple beers while offering whatever advice he could for my impending move to San Francisco. Before I left New York, he emailed his contacts on the West Coast and introduced me.
I heard from Chris again when he emailed me on February 27, a response to a thank you note I had written him after meeting with one of his contacts several weeks earlier. I had waited to email him because he was in Egypt and I wanted to make sure he was safely home before contacting him. His response was short and positive. It ended with, “And yes, I’m sure I’ll see you this year—” I so wish that could be true.
Godspeed, Chris. I miss you.
