Capturing War, Developing Peace

MANILA, Philippines - “The role of artists is to contribute to awareness of what is going on around us,” says Romeo Gacad, an award-winning photographer and veteran photojournalist for the Agence France Presse (AFP). In a recent lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, in line with the exhibit Designing Peace, he spoke about his experiences as a photographer in the war zones of Iraq, Afghanistan and Southern Mindanao and elaborated on what went on behind the photos and his personal experience in these areas.

Gacad, a Visual Communication major at the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines, says that he has always been a visual person. His interest in photography started at a young age, when he borrowed his brother’s camera and took pictures of his pet cat, his parents, and other ordinary things. From there, it was just a matter of pursuing his interests.

In college, he worked as a photographer for the university’s newspaper and eventually worked as a freelance photojournalist before joining the Manila bureau of AFP in 1985.

As a photographer in AFP, Gacad covered three US wars: the 1991 Gulf War, the 2001 war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was an embedded photographer with the US Army 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq, witnessing the fall of Baghdad. Gacad also covered five Olympic Games – Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.

It was his work at the 1996 Olympics, the 2001 war in Afghanistan and the 2003 war in Iraq that earned him nominations for the prestigious Pulitzer Price. His photographs have appeared on the cover of Time and Newsweek magazines, as well as many other international publications.

To prepare for his assignments, Gacad tries to learn as much as he can about the history, culture, and politics of the place to gain a deeper understanding of the environment he will be working in. He says it is important to establish a comfortable relationship with the subject. In his most recent assignment, with the US Army 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq, he formed a bond with the soldiers he was with. Aside from capturing images of war, he was able to witness the lighter moments at the camp with the soldiers playing and de-stressing. They even invited him to join them and were surprised that he was good at their game – sipa.

Of course it is not all fun and games. He recalls going through survival training and seeing firsthand the effects of war. On his 41 days in Iraq, he says “the only things that are familiar are the moon, the stars, and the sky.”

To take good pictures, you need patience. Gacad remembers taking a photo of helicopters against the setting sun, an image that he had to hold his breath for in order to capture the perfect shot. “You have to be alert,” he adds, remembering the many times that he has looked through the lens of his camera, waiting for the right shot to present itself to him.

Gacad also points out that in a studio the photographer has control over the subject and the elements that go into the photograph. In journalism however, there is no control.

His experience in Iraq, as well as witnessing so many wars, makes him acutely aware of the dangers of the job. “You are exposed not only to mines and bullets, but also to chemicals and radiation.” 

He adds, “When you are covering war, you have to be physically and mentally strong. You can suffer so much from seeing scenes you can only see in hell, but you have to be strong and you have to tell the world this is what happens during the war.”

“Iraqi soldiers and American soldiers are the same to me,” says Gacad. “Both are human beings.” He stresses that he always does his work fairly and with objectivity, always keeping in mind the power that each photograph he takes has on telling the truth and influencing the minds of the public. “And when public opinion changes, the government will have to change.”

Gacad knows the importance of his work in portraying the truth. “The value of the picture is that it gives visual evidence,” he says. Through his work, he says, he is able to show the reality beyond any propaganda. “I take pictures, I don’t take sides,” he says.

Gacad knows the toll that war takes on those who witness the conflicts up close. “It’s a permanent scar,” he says. “You see things that you know won’t just disappear in the near future.” He says he deals with the trauma creatively and with the help of family. He has also gained insight from his experience of war – “If you’ve seen death, you know the meaning of life.”

As part of an ongoing exhibit, Designing Peace, at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Gacad’s photographs have become both reportage and art. On being part of the exhibit, Gacad says, “You are confronted by the images,” instead of glancing at them and just putting them down with the morning paper. Though he shoots mostly images of war, he says, “It’s not only war and bloodshed, but hope for world peace – like Rizal using his pen to liberate and Francis M. using music to promote love for the Motherland, I’m trying to contribute with my photography to the understanding of what is going on around us.”

Gacad’s latest assignment is as AFP chief photographer for Indonesia. Embarking on yet another mission, he says, “We don’t carry a gun, we carry a camera,” something that may well be even more powerful than weapons in achieving peace.

“Designing Peace” runs until May 30 at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design at the School of Design and Arts, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Pablo Ocampo Street. The museum is open Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 8 pm.