CAPTURING THE FRONTLINE

Photojournalist Sean Hobbs (Grad Cert Journalism, '07) knows what it's like in war zones. He's seen first-hand the human toll of conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, but high in the air on a US Marine helicopter bound for the frontline in Assadabad, Sean got his first taste of war in Afghanistan.

Since 2003, Sean has been working as a freelance photojournalist in Ethiopia, Uganda, Iraq and Afghanistan. On a trip to Afghanistan in 2005, Sean embedded with US Marines to gain a first-hand perspective of combat. He was compelled to find out what drives men and women at war and how they survive in the frontline. "I felt ready to move beyond my comfort zone, which is exactly what happened. With no prior experience or training, I arrived on the battlefront feeling totally unprepared and more than a little afraid," said Sean.

"Photojournalism's hard because you can't operate from a distance. You have to enter what the military refer to as the 'kill zone'. Earlier this year I watched as tethered, hooded men were loaded at gunpoint by US troops onto a plane in Baghdad. I thought, 'You poor bastards, you just ceased to exist. You are no longer human.' It is challenging because you voluntarily expose yourself to risk and some brutal realities. You see the depths of hatred and pain, but you also witness selflessness, bravery and incredible acts of compassion."

Being embedded with the US Marines had a surprising effect on Sean. "I've always considered war as the abject failure of the human spirit, and I didn't expect to encounter a depth of feeling for the Marines. However, I soon realised that the average soldier is still a teenager. I think when you spend time with people, by default you connect with their essential humanity, and you become willing to empathise."

Sean's experience and ability to capture emotive images in situations of conflict is why the Australian War Memorial commissioned him as an Official War Artist. "The tradition of Official War Artists dates back to the First World War. I was asked to record the involvement of Australian service men and women in the current theatres of conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf.

"My undergraduate degree in Fine Arts developed my sense of aesthetic, and Postgraduate journalism at UTS added a critical and investigative edge to my work. The Memorial left the brief completely open to my own interpretation. I spent time on HMAS Toowoomba, flying with the RAAF, and in the field with the Army."

Under pressure and amongst all the action is where Sean belongs. "I am an information provider. I present a window to situations for other members of the public. And that is important because we are each inextricably linked to the people we see in pictures. Our individual consumer and political decisions have very real effects elsewhere. Essentially I do things because I want my life to have meaning, I don't want to simply clock-on and clock-off. I want to make a difference."