Some days, I love my job, and this was most definitely one of those days. We were in a room of heroes, not just heroes of mine, but actual heroes, people who fill their lives, risk their lives, for passion and for the betterment of humanity. The gathering was called “The Pulitzer Prize Photographers,” held in celebration of the centennial of the establishment of the Pulitzer Prize and organized by the Eddie Adams Workshop, the Parsons School of Design, and supported, in part, by B&H Photo. It brought together Pulitzer-Prize-winning photographers from six decades, displayed their history lesson of potent journalism, and gave time and space for their stories to be told. At times, emotion filled the auditorium, tears were shed, but by the end of the night, there was joy—Nick Ut hamming it up in the photo booth, Adrees Latif and Ruth Fremson pressing limes for margaritas at the after-party. I shook hands with Robert Jackson, who captured the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, and thanked Daniel Berehulak—he risked his life to document the Ebola plague in West Africa, and in doing so, helped bring to an earlier end that horrible epidemic. Nancy Borowick, who chronicled her parent’s illnesses and deaths, seemed endearingly unaware of her might, and John White brought a smile to many faces, reminding us that as photographers we are “visual servants.” This episode of our podcast will do its best to bring you to this event, to share moments of insight from the speakers and provide a sense of the evening’s activities. Even if photojournalism is not your primary interest, enjoy, be moved, and be inspired by the experience and wisdom put forth at this gathering of greats.
Legends of Photojournalism – The Pulitzer Prize Celebration | B&H Photography Podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
