#flashHeader{visibility:visible !important;}Goran Tomasevic, a staff photographer for Reuters, photographed the fighting in Aleppo, Syria, from Aug. 1 to 17. While he was there, his dramatic images ran on the front pages of newspapers throughout the world. Mr. Tomasevic, 43, has been covering armed conflicts since 1991. On Tuesday, James Estrin interviewed him via e-mail. The exchange has been edited.
When you arrived what were your plans? What did you expect?
Honestly, I didn't have any expectations. I didn't know how the urban environment would look, but I wasn't surprised by the things I saw. I knew there was going to be some destruction because of the scale of bombardment. I also knew there would be guys running around with Kalashnikovs and RPGs. I was ju st focused on the things happening around me.
In your photographs, it is clear that you were often with the rebels on the front lines. Who were they? Can you describe the fighting that you saw?
The rebels came from different parts of Syria. Most of them came from the villages and towns north of Aleppo. Most were not soldiers, just civilians with guns. They were highly motivated and had modest weaponry, including Russian-made guns such as Kalashnikovs, Dragunov rifles, PKMs and a small amount of RPGs. During the last week I was with them, they showed up with some anti-aircraft guns.
How was this different from previous experiences you've had in other countries, and how was it similar?
It reminds me of when I covered the Balkans in the 1990s, with the snipers and urban-style conflict.
How did it compare to Libya?
It was definitely different to Libya. In Libya, when shells and mortars were fired they would hit the sand but in Syria they hit t he tarmac, concrete and buildings. This made it a lot more dangerous, as the shrapnel flew around a lot more.
Is there a particular moment, or a few moments, that stand out in your memory?
There are a few moments that stand out, like seeing the dead child's body under the rubble after the bombing of his house (Slide 9). Another was when a rebel was hit by shrapnel. We were just talking on the street when we heard shooting and started running into the building. Two rebels entered the building after me. We heard a large explosion, and that is when the rebel was hit by shrapnel. This photo (Slide 7) is the moment just after the rebel had been hit and entered the house, so there isn't much blood. But in the next series of pictures, you can see blood all over the room. It was such a small room with not much light. It was really difficult technically to take these pictures.
What was your day like when you were in Aleppo? How did you decide what to shoot? And when not to shoot?
I would just wander around, and see who I knew and who I didn't know. I'd see who would provide me with an opportunity to go to the front line.
How did you gauge the danger at any given moment?
Thankfully, there weren't any moments where I had to stop covering something. I was constantly assessing the dangers, but I knew that the rebels also didn't want to be killed. Every time I went somewhere, I always made a back-up plan of how I can run back to safety. I marked the buildings and knew exactly how I came in. I also watched the government positions and understood that things can go wrong. I always made a plan in my head of what I'm going to do.
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