Multi-award-winning photojournalist, Cathal McNaughton, is
collaborating with Haemochromatosis UK on a project to raise awareness of the genetic condition.
Volunteers from across Northern Ireland were photographed by McNaughton during the Autumn of 2024.
The participants’ photographs and stories are being curated in a book and exhibition that showcases life with haemochromatosis, aiming to dispel misunderstandings of who is affected by the condition, and how it presents itself person-to-person.
Awarded the
prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2018 alongside his colleagues at Reuters, for his documentation of the Rohingya refugee crisis, McNaughton has captured scenes of conflict across the globe.
From his early work during The Troubles, to his visit to Ukraine last year, McNaughton’s eclectic work provides a lens through which the world can witness lived realities in a truthful and affecting mode.
How do you feel going into this project with Haemochromatosis UK?
‘I am excited, it’s not that far away from what I usually do. What I like to do is give people a voice who don’t have a voice, and to get their story and message out there. Not a lot of people are aware of this condition, there’s a lot of people suffering in silence because of it, and I see this as part of what I do, and what I’m interested in.’‘Neil [McClements, HUK CEO] got in touch with me, asked me if I’d be interested and I did a bit of research and said of course, yes, I’d love to be a part of this project.
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What are you hoping to get out of the project?‘
I want to get the important message across in an artistic way. Visually appealing but not without losing the important message.’
What led you to a career in photojournalism?
‘I grew up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and so I was surrounded by that from an early age. I was interested to see it closer at hand. A family friend was the picture editor on one of the main newspapers here and through his guidance I was able to begin an apprenticeship at his newspaper.’
Did you expect to be capturing scenes of conflict?
‘It was what piqued my initial interest because that’s all I knew to start with. Unfortunately, it became something I was specialised in photographing. Most of the photographers I wanted to emulate were all conflict photographers – photographers of the Vietnam War, Bosnia - that was always the route I was going to take - it was almost like a preordained route.’
Talk about big breaks in your career, winning the Pulitzer Prize?
‘One thing I’d say is I don’t like to say ‘winning’ the Pulitzer, I like to say being awarded the Pulitzer; it doesn't sit comfortably the idea of winning a prize for photographing a genocide. I’m very grateful and proud of the work that we did, highlighting the genocide of the Rohingya people.
I took a break afterwards partly for being kicked out of India due to highlighting the conflict in Kashmir, and partly to look after my mother who was diagnosed with dementia and my father had issues coping with it. I took an enforced sabbatical to do those things, take care of those closer to me rather than thinking about myself.’
What brought you back to photojournalism?
‘My father and mother have passed away; it was time to get back to what I had been doing since I was 16. It’s muscle reflex, it’s part of me and my DNA, it’s just how I think and operate.’
What do you think the role of photojournalism is now, in the age of fake news, social media, AI?
‘Photojournalism and journalism have never been more under threat or more important than it is now. AI is here and that’s not going to change but there are many photographers, journalists, photojournalists out there delivering the truth at great personal cost and danger every day and it is up to us to put in the effort to find out who these people are and not to believe everything you read. Verify what you’re consuming is real.
’'It's always been the case that there is propaganda but it’s more obvious now and because it's obvious there isn’t really an excuse now. We know fake news is out there, we just have to try a little harder to find the real stuff and it is there.'
What has been the biggest lesson learned in your career?
‘It's as important to know when not to take a picture as it is to know when to take a picture. Sometimes it's as important to listen and observe.’
Cathal lives in the Glens of Antrim, kept busy by his son and daughter, and dog, Murphy.
