Michele Crameri: Photojournalist Accused of Faking Sicario Photos

Having a way with words or a great job as a photojournalist is an excellent position to be in. Many pro and amateur photographers would love to travel the world and document significant happenings.

However, what if the photographs and images we rely on for news were fake recreations, marketed as the real thing? In the case of award-winning Swiss and Italian photographer Michele Crameri, this is precisely what happened.

Why Did Michele Crameri Travel to Honduras?

His goal?

He was attempting to document gangs in the city of San Pedro Sula and did just that. His completed project was titled, “Sicario, work like any other.” Since 2017, “Sicario…” has won 15 awards. In several of the images, gun-wielding gang members are shown in tumultuous and threatening situations, as if someone might be shot.

One caption reads:

Gustavo, known as ‘El Taro,’ and Carlos, known as ‘El Negro’, are Sicari. They are threatening to kill the family of a dealer known as ‘RATO’ if he doesn’t pay for the drugs he’s been given. San Pedro Sula, La Satellite, Honduras, 2016.

However, according to Fstoppers recent 2019 report and other publications, many people believe that Michele Crameri staged his award-winning photographs by combining directed photographs with compelling captions. While Crameri’s body of work led him to be highly recognized with his photo project, there was a whistleblower who would call his bluff!

Although Crameri has not spoken to the allegations, Orlin Castro has had no problem. Castro is a journalist local to Honduras, who accompanied Crameri on his shoots. According to himself and two other photographers with intimate knowledge of the project (Tomas Ayuso and Francesca Volpi, who have also worked with Crameri), Crameri suggested the people photographed show him, amongst other things, how they would execute someone.

Castro alleges that he was told those specific images were only for Crameri’s files. The combination of those possibly staged photos of criminally violent acts with fabricated accompanying captions has some calling the photographer’s bluff!

These questions about the authenticity of Cramer’s images came to a head in March of 2019, after his project became iconic and award-winning. What bothers many is that the photos now seem more ‘mockumentary’ than ‘documentary’ style. Although those depicted in the images may navigate extraordinary violence in their day to day lives, there is now a debate as to whether staged photographs count as photojournalism.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments! Did Crameri seek to scam viewers and collect fake awards, or are his photographs of crime scenes, murders, and more, legitimate and valid. At first sight, the pictures might have seemed impressive and shocking. Upon review, given the allegations, it is easy to see how they might have been staged.

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