James Nachtwey is the first of the younger Photographers featured in this Photography Course spotlight. These younger photographers have lived during a time of great evolution for the medium of photography. They co-exist with software that allows you to easily tell lies with your photographs. James Nachtwey is a wonderful example of a Photo Journalist that chooses to expose the truth, no mater how terrifying it may be, rather than create lies. The purpose of James Nachtwey’s photos is to testify of horrible events around the world that should never happen again. He’s put himself in the line of danger many times in order to report the evil things that happen in the world and their effects. Whether you are communicating the tragedies of wars or trying to capture the splash of a muddy truck, a good photographer is able to overcome their fears in order to create work that communicates a moment in time.

Perhaps the example of James Nachtwey will inspire more aspiring Photo Journalists to advance the cause of humanity by exposing the worst elements of it. James Nachtwey has taken his success and reinvested it in his work. Much of his work has been sponsored by Newsweek, who has greatly benefited from the Photographs of James Nachtwey. Included in this article is a photograph done while covering the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

This article is part of the Famous Photographers Series.