Photographer Michael Hicks and his experience in Haiti

I first met Michael Hicks while he was living in Philadelphia.  He received a degree in Photography and Anthropology at Drexel University and is currently based out of Brooklyn, New York.  Reminiscent of true photo journalism Hicks states, "Portraying the truth and being a part of history are what matters."  His lens recently took him to Haiti to do just that.  Please visit http://www.mhicksphoto.com/haiti.htm to see more images.  It's worth the visit to read about his experience and see all of his images for a full picture of the situation in Haiti.  He's gracefully agreed to share some more of his experience there with us.  Interview after the cut.

Michael Hicks

1. What were your first hand impressions of Haiti and the effects of the earthquake before you left for Haiti?  How did this experience change your assumptions?

Haiti has always been a nation rooted in strife.  From French colonialism and slave trade, to military occupations and corrupt leadership its stability has never been certain.  Prior to going these thoughts were always in my mind.  The reality is that Haiti was devastated even before the earthquake.  The earthquake took away what little the people had and literally left them with nothing but their will to survive.  It’s hard to imagine the extent of the destruction without witnessing it first hand.  I knew it was bad but seeing it proved all my assumptions.  I arrived three weeks after the first quake and aid had just started to come into Port-au-Prince at a steady rate.  The problem is that there is no real governmental plan on how to cope with the situation.  Architecturally speaking Port-au-Prince is structurally unsafe.  Many more buildings continue to collapse causing more casualties.  Unsanitary conditions on the streets are causing disease to spread.  There is a much-needed UN and US Military presence in the country, mainly to control food distribution.  The Haitian police are not much help in fact they generally cause more harm.

2.  The people of Haiti have historically been quite resilient during times of strife and turmoil.  From your experience, how has the spirit of Haitian people been affected?

I have never encountered a more high-spirited group of people in my life.  The inner strength of the Haitian people is unparalleled.  These are individuals who have lost everything including their families.  Through all this they maintain a focus on survival that is beyond admirable.  Many industrious Haitians have started small businesses within the tent cities such as barbershops and battery charging stations for electronics.  In addition there is a functioning street economy with people selling bagged water and food.  Environmentally and culturally Haiti was meant to be one of the most beautiful places on earth but somewhere down the road was destroyed by outside forces and eventually internal corruption.    

3.  What was a typical day like during your visit?

I was traveling in Haiti with another photojournalist colleague along with our fixer/translator.  A typical day consisted of waking at 5:30am gathering what we needed for the day and leaving by 6:00am.  Many of the food distributions started around 6:00am so we would try to photograph at least one per day.  The rest of the day was used to shoot areas we had planned out each day prior.  These places included medical wards, tent cities, mass graves, and neighborhoods severely hit by the quake.  Everyday in Haiti is unpredictable all assumptions are thrown out the window.  The key is to stay focused on the task at hand and make the most intelligent decisions you can.  After a day of shooting we would return to nearby Petionville, where we camped out at an orphanage.  Violence especially at night has increased and it is important not to be out after dark.  Gangs and escaped inmates affiliated with gangs have used the earthquake as a means to take back territory by force.  Every night I awoke to gunshots in the distance followed by arguments.  Around one or two in the morning wild dogs would begin to howl very loudly for at least an hour.  It was a surreal experience I probably slept an average of four hours per night.  The next morning we would wake up and repeat the process.   

4.  What is the reaction to aid, journalists, etc.?

The reaction on the ground to aid is that there is not enough.  Due to logistical problems much of the aid was held up for weeks on end.  This evidently caused many treatable medical situations to spiral out of control resulting in many more deaths.  Doctors were forced to do complicated surgeries with limited resources.  However the medical wards seem to be progressively getting more supplies.  Through the support of NGO’s and qualified volunteers they have made an impact.  Though it is far from optimal, there is a functioning medical relief system in place.

Food at this juncture is being handed out at multiple locations each day.  There is growing unrest among Haitians that the government is not doing enough in terms of providing food.  Food distribution lines are extremely long and not always guaranteed that each person will receive food.  Old women and children are forced to stand in lines all day under the blistering sun.  I encountered a situation where a young girl had to be escorted out of a distribution area by US military due to fears that she would be beaten and robbed for her rice bags.

I cannot speak for all journalists but my overall reception was positive.  Many Haitians are fed up with journalists especially in downtown PAP.  This can only be expected after such a media zoo.  You’re photographing very sensitive events in people’s lives, and in order to become part of that event you need to be accepted.  Overall they just want to be treated as people and not subjects.  On one occasion we had an encounter with gang leaders inside a tent city.  We basically walked into a bad situation and had to talk our way out.  My colleague did most of the talking and after sweating out a half hour of uncertainty they let us leave.  The second in command gave us a tour of the area and expressed the urgency of medical supplies.  We were very lucky events played out the way they did.  After speaking to many Haitians I would say the majority are receptive to having their stories heard.  My responsibility as a photojournalist is to depict their plight in the most truthful way I can.

5. The images you captured are very powerful.  Is there any additional information or a story you wish to tell about a specific picture?

After walking into a terminally ill medical ward near the General Hospital I encountered a mother with two twin babies.  Ironically the maternity ward had been placed into the middle of all this death.  One of the twins after taking a photo smiled at me.  I thought to myself what courage and felt a representation of Haitian strength right from birth.  It was a moment I’ll never forget.

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