*War Photographer.* A brilliant film from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

In 2006, I was exposed to a brilliant documentary entitled War Photographer. The film covered the work, life, and career of famed war photographer James Nachtwey. Having little to no knowledge about the masters of photography at that point, Nachtwey was completely foreign to me. But from the opening sequence of the documentary, I found myself having immense respect and appreciation for both the man and his work. Check out the trailer below.

The level of dedication Nachtwey has to his work, the people depicted in these war torn scenes, and the sensitivity in which he approached it all left a deep impression on me. It was then, I chose to be a photographer. I’ve always admired those with a zen like self-discipline to their craft or an endeavor they deem important. David Goggins comes to mind. Being laser focused in a pursuit or dedicating your life to some admirable goal is a quality I’ve always respected. Nachtwey’s documentary lit a fire under me that still burns to this day.

Recently I wanted to revisit the documentary; with my last viewing being in the early 2010’s. It would be nice to see it again with a more educated eye gained from years of experience as a photographer and just growth as a human being. But alas, it’s no where to be found on streaming websites. And that’s the challenge with streaming. While it offers us vast convenience and an incredible amount of new and old entertainment to consume, a lot of older and obscure films run the risk of being lost to time. Our culture has gotten away from physical media for a variety of reasons, but recently I’ve started to see the value physical media still holds.

After viewing the brilliant Oppenheimer in theaters, I considered what it would be like viewing at home. As a photographer, it’s often about image quality. We don’t want to obscure our precious images with low quality optics such as bad lenses or even UV filters. The quality of the image matters. With streaming, due to bandwidth limitations, you undoubtedly lose a lot from the original high quality footage. The shadows aren’t as deep, the colors aren’t as vivid, and the image isn’t as pristine as the original. So a film like Oppenheimer won’t look as good while streaming as it would on the 4K Blu-Ray that will release alongside it. The Blu-Ray can hold more data and isn’t limited by an internet connection. Most people won’t care, but for the enthusiast, or the image maker, it matters.

While I couldn’t find War Photographer on streaming, I could still purchase the DVD on Amazon, which I did. Buying a DVD in 2023 seems rather odd. Almost like buying a cassette tape in 2010. Admittedly, I haven’t bought an actual DVD since prior to 2010. I was one of those people who saw where the industry was going and jumped on the streaming bandwagon. How short-sighted and naive I was.

This DVD will become the first in a growing collection of films, documentaries, and tv shows I wish to have as a sort of personal archive. I want to experience these works in their highest quality and also have access to view them when they’re not available on streaming services. The industry pushes us to streaming and touts the benefits of convenience and abundance of options, but what about works that aren’t available? What about old movies or tv shows? Or even modern films known for their visual or audio fidelity? What’s being done to ensure older media stays accessible to a new generation of viewers?

Disney recently announced that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be its last physical media release. I expect much of the industry to follow suit with declining physical media sales yet manufacturing costs remain largely the same. Why sell physical media when no ones buying it? I get it. But it’s still sad and somewhat worrisome. Hopefully the industry is able to course correct and offer some sort of premium streaming option that delivers content in the best possible quality for those who meet the bandwidth requirements and/or willing to pay for the service. Or maybe an enterprising company will make an effort to archive a lot of older media to make available via streaming. I’m just brainstorming as I know the process will be complicated and mired in litigation over copyright, residuals, etc.

But in an age where we have access to near “sci-fi film” level technology, there’s no reason for us to lose so many wonderful films, tv shows, and documentaries due to laziness and bureaucracy.