Patrick Farrell, a photojournalist for “The Miami Herald,” recently won a Pulitzer Prize in the category breaking news photography. As the prize citation explains, this was for “his provocative, impeccably composed images of despair after Hurricane Ike and other lethal storms caused a humanitarian disaster in Haiti.”
“A People in Despair: Haiti’s year without mercy” is a multimedia piece produced by the “Miami Herald” and hosted on their site. It combines Farrell’s incredible black-and-white images with his personal, moving voice-over. It is just over two minutes in length. In this brief time, it is impossible not to be moved and motivated by this work of multimedia journalism.
I say that Farrell moving, perhaps making the viewer feel despair. And perhaps this is all that non-photographers might experience. But for my photographer readers, I add that Farrell (and “The Miami Herald”) also brings us motivation. I say this for two reasons:
• The first relates to Farrell’s mention that he “knew the importance of the coverage,” pointing to the fact that his work (as well as that of his “Miami Herald” college) likely helped motivate greater international response to the desperate situation in Haiti. In short, photojournalism matters. A lot. “A People in Despair” reminds us why, and so it can motivate editorial photographers to continue to push themselves to make a difference.
• The second reason I mention motivation relates to an important theme that I have mentioned many times: The power of evolving modes of multimedia to communicate both more effectively as well as too wider audiences. These developments can be taken advantage of all photographers, not just photojournalists. “A People in Despair” shows how all photographers – from portrait to commercial – can use a just a handful of great images to share stories and portfolios in truly unique and powerful manners.
Only a few years ago, even when photographers made images as powerful as important as Farrell’s, those images could only be shared with a relatively small number of people, in a relatively static format, even if when those images won Pulitzer Prizes or other major awards.
Those times have changed and are continue to change – drastically and rapidly – and this should be motivating to all photographers.
I thank Farrell for his powerful work – forcing himself to push the button when, as he explains, it was nearly impossible for him to do so. I also thank emerging technologies for bringing Farrell’s images to me, allowing me to see them along with his narration here in distant Buenos Aires, as well as allowing me to share them with you.
Watch “A People in Despair” and feel the despair, but also feel the motivation.