Chris Hondros

Chris on the Kerry Bus 24 Feb 2004 Ohio.

Today I received news that my good friend and colleague Chris Hondros of Getty Images was killed while on assignment in Lybia.

I had the fortune of working alongside Chris for quite some time during the 2004 Presidential Campaign of US Senator John Kerry.
Chris was one of those photographers that pushed me to be better at my craft, to strive to make more interesting images and not get caught up with myself. He was very down to earth, very matter of fact, but yet never did I hear an unkind word.

Out there in the social media world there is an image of Sen Kerry and several photographers, including me, looking at Hondros' work from Monrovia. What you can not see in that photo is the awe I was in. Hearing his story of chasing the man with the RPG up on the bridge, slipping on the thousands of brass shell casings, being warned by another young soldier to move from behind the shoulder held RPG, running to his hotel as mortars fell around them. I have a great respect for photographers like him, but will continue to do so at afar, a decision I am comfortable with.

After the campaign I did not get to see him very often, although we spoke several times, including one night while he was in the 'Green Zone' and it was as if he and I had seen each other the day prior.

It was at Senator Kennedy's funeral mass when I last saw Hondros; by some sort of luck it was my agency's turn in the pool rotation and I was tapped as the photographer. Chip Somodevilla of Getty turned to me and said, 'OK Seige, all the pressure is on you but Hondros and I know that you can handle it.'

I will miss my friend, and it hurts.