'Each is like a thousand words'

 

“I think many times news organizations, whether it's for lack of resources or something else, cover the headlines and don't follow up, even though the story continues for the people living there - they can't leave. I think it's critical that they do these follow-up stories to realize that there is still suffering, and the need is dire.” – Carol Guzy

Born on this date in 1956, ZUMA press photographer Guzy has had a stellar career as a news reporter and  photographer, the latter earning her international acclaim.  Working for The Miami Herald and The Washington Post, she won a remarkable 4 Pulitzer Prizes —one of only 4 people and the only journalist to do so.          
                                                                                 

The first woman to win the “Newspaper Photographer of the Year” Award from the National Press Photographers Association, Guzy didn’t start out hoping to be a news photographer, planning instead to be a nurse.  

“The nursing program gave me more than a degree,” she said.  “It helped me gain an understanding of human suffering and an incredible sensitivity to it.   I know that without this background, my photography would have a totally different edge.”  With it, she’s brought us up close and personal to images of both anguish and joy.

“When I'm photographing, I think - like any rescue worker who deals with tragedy - you have to have some protective barrier around your heart so you can do your job,” she said. “You tend to have a delayed reaction to things. I feel things more deeply after I put the camera down.”