083 - Ed Kashi

Ed Kashi is a critically acclaimed, award-winning photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker, and educator who for 40 years has dedicated himself to documenting many of the social and geopolitical issues that define our times. A sensitive eye and an intimate relationship to his subjects are signatures of his work. A member of the VII Agency since 2010, Ed has been recognized for his complex imagery and its compelling rendering of the human condition. In addition to editorial assignments, filmmaking and personal projects, Ed is a mentor to students of photography and an active participant in forums and lectures on photojournalism, documentary photography and multimedia. His early adoption of hybrid visual storytelling has produced a number of influential short films. Additionally, his editorial assignments and personal projects have generated eight books, including Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta, THREE, and [Witness Number 8: Photojournalisms](Witness Number Eight: Photojournalisms). In 2002, Ed, in partnership with his wife, the writer and filmmaker Julie Winokur, founded Talking Eyes Media, a non-profit company which has subsequently produced numerous award-winning short films, exhibits, books, and multimedia pieces that explore significant social issues. They are currently engaged in a 5-year storytelling project with Rutgers University in Newark called Newest Americans, focused on immigration, for which they recently received a two year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In episode 083, Ed discusses, among other things: His early adoption of video in his storytelling Being all about the issues  Hitting a Wall in Peru Using different parts of yourself Being 100% there Dealing with the emotional fallout Experience and image fatigue Being away for 8 months a year Witness Number 8: Photojournalisms Being a mentor and never having had one himself The importance of creating a body of work Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter “...I’m asking people who are sick to let me into there lives. Like, what an asshole if I do that and then I’m not 100% there! Because on some level those people don’t need another person with a camera. So I better have a damned good reason to be getting into their lives and then I need to treat that with dignity and respect and the sort of preciousness of this opportunity that they’re giving me. And if I’m not at 100%, there’s something not good about that.” THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY THE CHARCOAL BOOK CLUB - THE LATEST AND GREATEST PHOTOBOOKS, EXPERTLY CURATED AND DELIVERED TO YOU DOOR WITH FREE SHIPPING AND NO HASSLES. **VERY SPECIAL LISTENER OFFER** USE CODE 'ASMALLVOICE' TO CLAIM A FREE BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE WHEN YOU JOIN!! INFORM THE MIND, INSPIRE THE SOUL