March 17, 2011

Inspiration: Lynsey Addario

Afghan Women Photograph by Lynsey Addario. “I saw two women on the side of the mountain, in burkas and without a man. In Afghanistan you seldom see an unaccompanied woman. Noor Nisa, about 18, was pregnant; her water had just broken. Her husband, whose first wife had died during childbirth, was determined to get Noor Nisa to the hospital in Faizabad, a four-hour drive from their village in Badakhshan Province. His borrowed car broke down, so he went to find another vehicle. I ended up taking Noor Nisa, her mother, and her husband to the hospital, where she delivered a baby girl. My interpreter, who is a doctor, and I were on a mission to photograph maternal health and mortality issues, only to find the entire story waiting for us along a dusty Afghan road.” - Lynsey Addario
Photo by Lynsey Addario, National Geographic

As of Tuesday morning, Lynsey Addario and three other journalists have been missing in Libya.  They were covering the recent protests and revolution in Libya.  Lynsey Addario has been covering the Middle East and the issues there for the last decade.  Her stories on Women in Afghanistan, Women on the Frontlines, and Talibanistan have recently won her the MacArthur Fellowship Grant.  She has been one of my favorite photographers and a major inspiration for me and my interest in photography.  I am continually inspired by her work and the stories she continually produces.  Journalists and photojournalists around the world embed themselves into dangerous areas and situations to inform the world.  Their line of work is dangerous and things like this can happen quickly.  We should remember that these journalists risk their lives in these hostile areas to get us the news we freely take in.  I pray for their safety and hopeful return. 

You can see Lynsey Addario's work here
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)