Interview with Christopher Morris

Zach & Courtney interview Christopher Morris, a documentary photographer who has covered war, politics, and fashion since 1981.In this interview, Morris talks about being mistaken for a CIA agent, living with the consequences of witnessing atrocities firsthand, working to make sure his vast archive lives on, and more.Christopher Morris got his start with the Black Star agency covering conflicts in the Philippines, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Yemen, Iraq, and more. Largely leaving war photography behind in the early 2000s, Morris covered the Bush and Obama administrations for Time Magazine. He left Black Star in 2001 and was one of the founding members of VII Photo Agency.In recent years, Morris has photographed for fashion magazines & brands, worked as the personal photographer for Princess Charlene of Monaco, and continued to take breaking news & editorial assignments around the world.Index0:00 - Interview with Christopher Morris3:50 - TIME said stop photographing Republicans in black & white7:25 - Going through 40 years of photo archives16:47 - Chris was hired by the Princess of Monaco18:40 - Keeping your copyright 22:30 - Stephen Shore as an influence25:58 - 1981 on the New York Subway28:22 - What he learned from Susan Meiselas30:50 - Don’t stay in hotels as a documentary photographer33:09 - Taking photos behind the handler’s back in Saudi Arabia37:56 - Are photojournalists capitalizing on suffering?44:16 - Winning awards for war photography47:49 - The toll it takes on the family of a war photographer58:05 - Taking portraits & maintaining journalistic integrity1:03:14 - The influence of W. Eugene Smith’s Country Doctor1:23:22 - How does a conflict photographer get to the front lines?1:37:27 - Getting the best seat in the house without a pass1:42:04 - How Morris got to the front lines in Iraq1:47:14 - When photographing the government means you’re one of them 1:57:30 - PTSD: No one asked if he needed help2:02:18 - Israel has killed over 200 journalists in Gaza2:04:50 - Planning a visit to see the archives in personBuy, Sell or Trade with MPB:https://shorturl.at/Szqs2Find ZachWebsite: https://zachdobson.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphotoThreads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphotoFind CourtneyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/happylifelessons/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessonsAbout the PodcastPhotography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting. Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.Fair Use StatementThis document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.