Exploring the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster as a photographer
Ghosts of Europe
In 2017, I was part of a small documentary crew that traveled to what remains of Chernobyl and its neighboring city of Pripyat to document what was left of the decaying ruins 31 years after the world’s worst nuclear disaster. At this time, it was believed that the city was in its final years before it will no longer be safe to visit. My role was lead photographer and I was responsible for taking photos of the locations we visited.
I ensured that each of my photos told the story of where we were and described what we experienced at each location. Silence, isolation, grief, awe. It was overwhelming. The aim of the photos was to showcase the manner in which the city was abandoned. People got up and left with the expectation they would return a few days later. No one came home and everything is just how it was left.
Eerie.
Besides replicating what we felt and experienced, my photos aimed to educate, document, and encourage my audience to genuinely think and consider the dangers of not listening and remembering the past.
