Censored.

I first saw these images in 1980. They have both inspired and appalled me.

Initially the nudity appalled me, but I came to realise that it did so because I judged the images from my own prejudiced, moral standpoint. I could not understand why anyone would want to depict a child in this way.

I later came to learn that my mother was brought up in an orphanage during the war. The tales she relates echo the emotions that I can see written all over the faces of these children. I know now, that these images are not simply a figment of the photographers imagination. I understand what the photographer was trying to say.

Consequently, these images have inspired me as a photographer. The social commentary they make has forced me to think very carefully about the impact war has on the most vulnerable in society. I do not think that this is a bad thing.

I would also like to thank all the other photographers out there who have contributed to my education. Today, I would like to thank sleepy duck in particular. His images have made me think about the way other children view the world they are growing up in today.

PS I have deliberately over exposed this image so that much of the detail in the "nudity" picture has been lost. In that way, I have censored myself. In so doing, I have also censored Cecil Beaton who was, unarguably, one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century. My apologies for that.