Ben Brody is an independent photographer, educator, and picture editor working on long-form projects related to the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their aftermath.  He is the Director of Photography for The GroundTruth Project and Report for America, and a co-founder of Mass Books.

His first book, Attention Servicemember, was shortlisted for the 2019 Aperture - Paris Photo First Book Award and is now in its second edition.

Ben holds an MFA from Hartford Art School's International Low-Residency Photography program.  He resides in western Massachusetts.

On episode 189, Ben discusses, among other things:

• How he got into photography.

• How 9/11 influenced his decision to join the army.

• The mandate he was given by his superiors.

• Reappropriating the reappropriated.

• How the media’s portrayal of war becomes a ‘feedback loop’.

• Vernacular vs. ‘professional’ images of war, as exemplified by Abu Ghraib.

• Why he went to Afghanistan as a civilian photographer.

• Circumventing the restrictions of the embed program.

• His new book 300M and how it came about.

Referenced:

• Kurt Vonnergut, Slaughterhouse Five

• Ed Clark

• Joe Sacco

• Shabana Basij-Rasikh

Website | Instagram | Books

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club - the latest and greatest photobooks, expertly curated and delivered to you door with free shipping and no hassles.

INFORM THE MIND, INSPIRE THE SOUL

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