JPG Magazine: Stories: Interview: Interview with Photojournalist Anthony Karen

Interview with Photojournalist Anthony Karen

Interview with discarted

By Shawn Nee

30 June 2008

Whether it's humility, patience, diligence or daring, New York-based photographer Anthony Karen has a personality that's ideally suited to a photojournalist because somehow he infiltrates enclaves and subcultures that are notoriously closed off, among them the Ku Klux Klan, shantytowns in Haiti and one of the few surviving leaders of Cambodia's murderous Khmer Rouge regime.

After listening to a recent NPR interview with Karen, we were curious to know more about his start, his style and his process.

Q: Why do you take photos?

I used to take photographs because I wanted to; now I also take them because I need to. I have to express myself in some creative way to feel alive; photojournalism allows me to do so many things. It fills my soul to experience the gift of being allowed into someone's most private moments and the trust they give me to try and capture what's going on the best that I can. It's the beauty of creation, going home and seeing what I've captured on film. It's not always a great image, but it's a moment of time that I'll always have access to. I can make that experience last forever. And I like to make people "feel", but hopefully it's not a feeling to blog [about] me and say my images suck. Photography is so subjective. So what can ya do!

Q: What would you like to achieve by showing people your work?

I would hope the same things as anyone who does something creatively; I mostly do it for me, but it's also important to me to make people feel. Whether it's anger, happiness or simply a view into something they'd never get to see otherwise. I hope to gain definition in my life; I hope to continue to learn and grow within my craft and as a person. I want new opportunities in which I'd be able to do more of what I love and additional exposure. Always to grow.... I'd love for someone to take a chance on me and to [be able to] shoot for more humanitarian causes internationally. That is my biggest goal at the moment.

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