I will be the first to admit that Hurricane Katrina never peaked much interest in me. Whether I didn’t understand what had actually happened, or whether I sought ignorance I cannot say. Last night, however, Thomas Neff, introduced me to this devastating disaster. Neff opened his presentation by defining his role as a photographer. He described himself as a photographic documentologist capturing history in the making. I found this first sentiment to be particularly interesting because I have never really thought about the specific roles a photographer could play. I suppose I mostly envisioned men and women in studios with large lights and flashes, but I digress. Once the hurricane hit sometime in late 2005, Neff went to New Orleans as soon as he could to begin his documentation. As time progressed, his project took an unexpected turn. Instead of documenting the disaster, the landscape or the numerous other negative aspects, he chose a specific outlet for his vision. He found that amid all the chaos and mass evacuations, many people had stayed behind hiding out in their homes. In the ruin and emptiness, a community of survivors had formed. But why hold on? With nothing left, what were they staying for? This aspect of the disaster really intrigued Neff and he sough to understand how and why this small community had evolved.  Everyone Thomas photographed had a unique and poignant story of why they had stayed. In fact, some of the stories were so exceptional and interesting that Neff expressed his need for a supporting narrative for his photographs. Neff felt his photography alone would not bring justice to their stories. In effect, he wrote a book to complement his photography. I thought it was brave for Neff to admit that photography cannot always express what needs to be said. Sometimes silence doesn’t convey the full meaning. In an art form that relies so much on what the picture conveys, it is interesting that a photographer would seek additional resources. In all, his presentation was very compelling and I found myself very emotional. His use of photography to document a specific history really struck me as brilliant.