Pulitzer Prize Post; Carolyn Cole

In this photo, the woman pictured is just finding out about a relative that was killed.

A government soldier is defending a bridge, fighting against the rebellious forces (LURD &MODEL)

In this photo, the soldier is crying for a lost comrade.

This is a picture of a nine year old boy who was wounded at a refugee camp.

Background on Cole:

Carolyn Cole is a photojournalist who works for the LA times. She has been recognized several times for the pulitzer prize, and won it in 2004 for these photos that were taken in Liberia. In 1983, she graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor of arts and she majored in photojournalism. She was the first person to ever win the three best photojournalism awards in one year.

Background on the three photos (pictured above):

These photos were taken in Liberia during a civil war.  During the war many people were displaced from their homes.  150,000 to 300,000 people were killed during this war. Many were unsafe and or injured. A lot of the photos Cole took show innocent civilians who are getting pulled into the violence. Their family members, including children, would be dragged into the situation. This war lasted from 1999-2003.

What about the pictures gives the viewer a better understanding?:

These pictures help show a better understanding of the conflict by showing the behind the scenes of the war and the expressions on peoples faces. These pictures are all candid- meaning they weren't posed. The expressions on their faces show the mood and what these people are thinking and feeling. These photos give the viewers something to relate to. It allows the viewer to see everything while it's happening instead of hearing or reading about it. This helps them see more of what the war was actually like.

Why these photos are effective photojournalism:

These photos are effective photojournalism because Cole is telling a story through her photographs. She is jumping into the action and basically risking her life, whereas other people would run away. Using these photos, Cole is capturing history up close and during the war. She evokes emotion and awareness through her photos. By doing this, the viewer gets a better feeling of what is going on. 

She is there at the right moments and she knows when to make the photo simplistic or change the focus of the picture. Carolyn Cole helps attract peoples attention to these issues. She using lighting and aperture to make the photos more dramatic so it catches the viewers eye. Just by looking at the pictures you can start to get a sense of the tone and what is happening to the person or people who were being photographed. This is also effective photojournalism because it tells you things that couldn't be said in words.