Fight Club was a great movie, Meatloaf had tits, Jared Leto got knocked the fuck out for being a pretty boy dickhead and it had that bit where Brad Pitt talks about how his generation had ‘no great war [and] no great depression’ to define them. As was mentioned here, it’s hard to find stuff that makes you feel like you’re really living or contributing to history, anything noteworthy (as in, things kids will read about in books five hundred years in the future) seems to be happening a really long way away in a countries with different climates and alphabets to ours.
Wanting to get involved in that stuff is a pretty decent impulse, it shows character, an enquiring mind and a sense of duty - whatever your political inclination - and it’s generally accepted that to go see that stuff for yourself you have to join some kind of team; the military, a news agency or the peace corps or whatever. Those are all great things to be doing with your life and should be encouraged for the most part, but what if you just go it alone to check it out and take photos? That is some pretty big-balled shit to do, and that’s what 22 year old ex-photography student Henry Langston has started doing on the regular. Imagine that! We’re not knocking photos of hot people getting drunk at parties (that shit is our bread and butter), but it’s likely the guys who invented cameras invented them for the kind of photos Henry takes, even if they’re not as sexy.
Henry! How did you end up doing these things?
I got bored with being mediocre at university (on a photography course), so one day I booked tickets to a gnarly place [Serbia and Kosovo] to find some interesting stories. I ended up being there the time Radovan Karadzic got arrested. It was a massive stroke off luck and the photos ended up being published on the BBC website.
Do you go alone?
I always go alone, that way I get to go where I want to go and do the things I want to do. So far it’s worked out, but in the future I see myself probably having to hire translators/guides as my projects get more and more challenging.
What’s the worst situation you’ve gotten yourself into?
When I was in Serbia I was invited along - by a Serb Radical Party MP who fought in the Bosnian war, no less - to a protest march with all these Neo Nazis who supported Karadzic. This guy came up to me told me to put my camera away and stuck a handgun in my face, that was pretty exciting. The day after that, I got shot with a rubber bullet and tear gassed by security forces, Serbia is brutal.
Also, when I was in Serbia I was snooping around the remains of the Police HQ that had been bombed by NATO planes when two big burly guys came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told them I just wanted to take some photos, they said sure go ahead just don’t go inside the building. I took a few snaps of the outside then curiosity got the better off me, and I had a quick peek inside, took some more photos and left. The two guys were waiting outside when I emerged, half smiling at me they said ‘so you went inside’. To which I sheepishly replied ‘yeah maybe, but that it seemed fine to me’. They said that they still hadn’t recovered all the explosive material from the 500lb bombs, I swallowed hard and got the fuck out of there. It was maybe the closest I’ve come to death without realizing it.
Have you ever had any trouble from security forces?
I’ve been pretty lucky in that respect, although at the G20 riots I really thought I was going to get arrested after me any my mate stole a keyboard from RBS when they started smashing it up. Apart from that, I’ve been roughed up a few times but nothing major.
Yeesh. Are there a lot of people doing what you’re doing?
Not that I’ve really come across so far. The way I find these stories and events is pretty reckless and risky, but I don’t have much to loose so I’m not that bothered. Other journalists might do it but they have security guards, press passes and guides. Pussies.
So you don’t need press passes etc to do what you do?
So far, no. I just say I’m a tourist or a student. Nobody hassles you then.
What would you most like to cover?
I’d most like to cover Afghanistan or Somalia. Basically, places that other people don’t want to go. My brother’s in the Army and goes to Afghan in 2011, so hopefully by then I could have the accreditation to join him.
What do you do to save for these trips?
Anything, I work shitty jobs and sell stuff mainly. I always work with a low budget so it’s not too hard, but my projects are getting bigger and more expensive in scope, so I might have to get a real job soon to cover the costs, which will suck. Why can’t Ryanair do a cheap flight to Congo?
What’s the food like in Kosovo?
I ate at this hotel mostly for the few days I was there and the menu was completely Westernised for some insane reason, and there are NO tourists.
Are they friendly out there?
The people are nice yeah, a bit suspicious of a floppy blonde haired boy from England with a camera, but otherwise really helpful. Although, the hotel staff were weird. After they served my food they all went over to my computer and watched porn, Redtube to be precise, some milf action, whilst I was sat behind them. They didn’t give a toss.
What was it like in Palestine?
Palestine was pretty sad. People seem to be living in poverty because of another nations paranoia and hatred but somehow the people are still upbeat and happy. They make the best of the situation but won’t ever stop fighting for freedom.
Where do you reckon the most dangerous place on earth is?
It’s either Southern Afghanistan, Somalia or Ciduad Jarez in Mexico; three places that I really want to visit!
Do girls dig you for doing this stuff?
Haha, yeah. Girls love it. They find it very brave or stupid, but they dig it anyway. It’s much better than telling them that you work in finance or you’re a farmer, for instance.
Have you seen a dead body?
Yeah, but ironically not in any of the places I’ve been too. I saw dead motorcyclist behind my university halls in Wolverhampton, he crashed and his bike exploded. It was messy. I’ve seen people get properly fucked up in riots and stuff, but as far as I can recall no one died.
Thanks Henry!
Here’s a selection of shots he’s taken on his travels so far, with short explanations of what’s going on.
This is from some rioting I documented in Belgrade, Serbia after they arrested Radovan Karadzic (nasty war criminal). His supporters flooded the streets and attacked police with anything they could get their hands on, guns, fireworks, bricks etc.
This is from my recent trip to Palestine, this was taken at a protest against the separation barrier that stands between the villagers and their land, the villagers had stones, the soldiers had m16′s, not very fair.
This was taken in Belgrade, Serbia. It used to be the Serb Radio and TV HQ. NATO bombed the building in 99′ and killed six innocent journalists.
The bald guy is Luka Karadzic, Radovan’s brother, leading a protest through the streets of Belgrade. I was introduced to him and he shook my hand, the hand of a possible murderer.
This was taken from the same protest, the man hanging around this woman’s neck is Ratko Mladic, the perpetrator of the Srebrenica Massacre where 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed.
This was taken at a protest in Jerusalem against illegal house evictions. Down the road from where this was taken a Palestinian family were kicked out of their house by soldiers who moved in Jewish settlers. The family now lives in a tent opposite their old house.
This was taken in Wadi Qadum a Palestinian Slum outside of Jerusalem, the wall separates the Palestinians from their mosque.
Hopefully Henry’ll be up for contributing a few photo series of his adventures on the regular.