to projects depicting human rights defend-
ers in Burma and the leaders of the Egyptian
revolution.
The life of a photojournalist is not without
danger. Platon recounted how he persuaded
Time magazine to send him to Myanmar (for-
merly Burma) to photograph Aung San Suu
Kyi days after her release from house prison.
Immediately after taking her picture, he was
pursued by a growing convoy of vehicles
containing opposition secret police offi-
cers known for their brutality. He managed
to escape by a taxi, which took him to the
airport and a flight to safety. The taxi driver
supported Aung San Suu Kyi.
As a series of slides appeared on a screen that
served as a backdrop for Platon on the stage,
he related the story of each photo. Some were
in black and white, others in color. According
to Platon, "Black and white describes tex-
ture," while the color spectrum is important
to capture feeling. It helps create the "whole
language that makes you feel what you feel
when you look at a picture." The film choice
— he states he may be the last photographer
using film — is dictated by the subject.
Platon says you can tell a lot about a person by a handshake.
Sarasota News Leader January 31, 2014 Page 87
