At War

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It's hard to understand why some of the best young photographers are compelled to risk everything to capture the power and pain of war. Freelance photojournalist Tomas van Houtryve, 31, offers a simple, if ironic, explanation for his own motivation: positive feedback.

"So far, I would say that my experiences have not taken a negative toll on me," he said. "On the contrary, I feel enriched by what I have learned, more compassionate of others and more confident due to the skills that I picked up along the way.

"It certainly can be very difficult and dangerous, especially for a freelance photographer without the backing of a large news organization. I remain convinced of the importance of documenting and exposing the realities of conflict despite the risks.

"That said, I also realize that it is not wise to push one's luck within a war zone. I imagine that as the years roll on, and my family commitments are likely to increase, I will have to weigh those risks even more carefully."

Van Houtryve's images of the conflict in Nepal in 2005 and 2006 have established him has one of the fastest rising new stars in international photojournalism.

In September, he was honored with a Prix Jeune Reporter (Young Reporter Prize) in Perpignan, France.

"This conference, Visa pour l'Image, is the biggest and most important gathering in the business worldwide. Pretty much every picture editor, agent and international photographer attends to schmooze," Adjunct Instructor Kevin Moloney ('87) said, noting that such an honor includes a major exhibition in the conferences galleries and a show during the evening slide presentations at the conference.

After graduating from CU in 1999, van Houtryve was hired by The Associated Press to cover Latin America. He left AP in 2003 "to independently pursue stories that go beyond headline news coverage," according to his Web site (www.tomasvanhoutryve.com). VanHoutryve, who speaks Spanish, French and English, lives in Paris.