Private Story
Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award Submission
Like Anja, my goal as a photographer is to find beauty, tenderness, and subtlety amid conflict. And this, a hard task as is, can only be done through extensive knowledge of the region and the current socio-political situation where I work, and through the intimacy and trust, I am able to build with my subjects.
During reporting trips, I can spend hours talking to the same person, making them feel at ease with my camera and presence in the space. I am also constantly hyper-aware of maintaining a solid work ethic: always asking for the subject’s permission to be photographed, being as honest as possible with the intention behind my image-making, and returning the images to my subjects when possible.
In some cases, I have had to use personal savings to invest in my projects. Just recently I pitched a short-term project on earthquake refugees mental health using art therapy exercises and although the publications I pitched did not have space for this story at the moment, I decided to work on the project anyway. That same week I visited and lived at the refugee camps in Guánica, Ponce, and Peñuelas to work alongside her participants.
In an island where resources are scarce, in both the field of photography and mental health, I have sought to fill the gap through my projects Ojalá nos encontremos en el mar and La gente deprimida tiene sexo sucio y ganas de morir; in which I embarks depression, suicide, and sexuality in the post-catastrophy context of Puerto Rico. Through the images submitted here, I want to highlight the attention to detail to capture the silent moments in challenging environments that range from the deeply personal to the social.
My goals through photography, like those of Anja, is to highlight marginalized stories and open spaces for women and non-binary photographers in my country. Although I am very young in the field, I try to make myself as available as possible to lend a hand on applications and provide tips and feedback to emerging photographers of Puerto Rico. While on assignment covering a protest a few weeks ago I wrote on my twitter feed “I don’t know what is happening, but today I’ve seen countless women with cameras, audio recorders, video cameras, and reporter notebooks in hand. I can’t be happier,” this happiness is genuine and through the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, I want to encourage young photographers to have courage, perseverance, and a drive change for our field, island, and society.
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