Reportage Censored
Documentary photographer David Maurice Smith views one of his images that got censored. Part of his Living in the Shadows project
Every year at the end of May, Sydney's Circular Quay turns into a light show as part of the Vivid Lights, Music, and Ideas Festival. Every year, it draws large numbers of visitors, many carrying cameras, some even tripods! For this reason, the Reportage Photo Festival must have been thrilled to be involved this year. They had a screen near the Harbour and some of the best work from photojournalists around Australia and the World.
However, the promise of the festival was marred on the eve of the opening night. Destination NSW, a tourism body, intervened and censored several images, throwing the slide show into disarray. The impact was profound, with many photographers choosing to withdraw their work on a matter of principle. The following quote encapsulates the situation, and as you view the gallery of censored images, the dots start to connect.
'We just don't want violence, dead people or anything that could distress people. In that public domain area, it's about entertainment and engagement.''
Ms Chipchase
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Daily Life (Slide show of some of the censored photos)
Stephen Dupont opens the Reportage Projections
As one might expect from hard boiled photojournalists they would not take it laying down. There was a special screening of the full "Real Reportage" projections inside Customs House, almost all three hours of it due to the curfew at 11pm where only 40 or so of the original hundred or more made it to the end.
The Censored Exhibition
At the end of the Reportage Photo Festival, the team behind the festival still felt they needed to do more about the censored photographs. During the festival, Hyde Park played host to a ‘Photovile’-style photo exhibition in shipping containers that would prove to be the ideal place to hold an exhibition of censored photographs. It was held from Monday, June 24, to Wednesday, July 3.
As part of the Exhibition, a public talk was held featuring Mike Bowers, the Director of Photography at The Global Mail, Oculi photographer David Maurice Smith, Reportage Festival Director Stephen Dupont, MP Amanda Fazio, and Anna MarAddario. The discussion revolved around the theme of censorship in photography, offering diverse perspectives and insights.
The clip below is David's short, elegant speech, which sums it all up quite well.
