Remembering Tim Hetherington (1970 – April 20, 2011)

Photography News

Remembering Tim Hetherington

Very sad news in the photography world today. Tim Hetherington, the war photographer and Oscar nominee who was a director and producer of the film “Restrepo,” was killed in Libya Wednesday, and three photographers working beside him were critically wounded.

It is reported that they were struck by a rocket-propelled grenade while working in the war-torn Libyan city of Misrata. Chris Hondros, a photographer working for Getty Images, sustained a severe brain injury in the incident and remains in extremely critical condition. Guy Martin, a British citizen working for the Panos photo agency, had shrapnel wounds and underwent vascular surgery which improved his prospects. Michael Christopher Brown, suffered shrapnel injuries to a shoulder, and is in stable condition.

In 2007,  Tim Hetherington won the coveted World Press Photo of the Year Award for his coverage of American soldiers in the Korengal Valley—one of three World Press prizes he received. In 2010, he co-directed and produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo which was recognized for its decidedly apolitical approach to the war. I watched this film a few months ago and it is very powerful indeed, one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.

“This is a devastating loss to many of us personally,” said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, which was examining options to recover his remains. “But it is also a devastating loss to the human rights community. His work has raised the visibility of many of the world’s forgotten conflicts. May the legacy of his exceptional photographs serve to inspire future generations.”