A profession, a passion, an era…
On October 13, 2011, at the Théâtre de l’Odéon, the world of photojournalism came together to pay a final tribute to Göksin Sipahioglu.
Almost everyone he had helped was there, surprised that time had passed so quickly. For Göksin Sipahioglu is a symbol, the very incarnation of a profession: photojournalist. And his death marked the end of an era. Göksin brought so many of us back together one last time because we all knew how much we owed him. He was one of those rare men who help others achieve their dreams. Thousands of photographers contributed to the Sipa epic. It wasn’t a tribe; it was a generation.
It suddenly seemed urgent to tell this story of a shared passion. I immediately thought of a book. And now, miraculously, that book has arrived. It wouldn’t have been possible without Sylvie Dauvillier, Beatrice Meralikan, Sipa Presse, and everyone at Éditions Martinière, especially Hervé.
The book aims to bring to life this bygone golden era, to explain how a band of amateurs from all walks of life were able to make of Paris, for a time, the capital of photojournalism.
Of the 12,000 photographers who contributed to Sipa, I selected 80, all with different and surprising backgrounds, who in one way or another wrote a page in the story of the agency. I asked them to speak in the first person about an image that marked their career. The photographs I selected weren’t the most significant or award-winning, but the documents that were able to capture the emotion and atmosphere of that moment.
This book is intended for young photographers who never had the chance to experience this time when everything was possible, because everything was open to us. This book is intended for young people entering the world of photography, laden with diplomas but who can’t find a place to exercise their talents.
Michel Setboun
40 ans de Photojournalisme, Génération Sipa
Editions de la Martinière.
Présentation at Visa pour l’image on Septembre 8th 2012
