Judy: We look back now on 2020
two through the lenses of
photojournalists.
It was a year marked by the year
in Ukraine, devastating natural
disasters, American gun violence
and deep political divisions.
Four photographers spoke with us
about the events they witnessed
and how they captured them and a
warning, some of the images in
the story are graphic.
It is all part of our arts and
culture series called canvas.
Reporter: This year I covered
the Korean war.
-- The Ukraine war.
>> I'm based in Miami, Florida.
I am from Venezuela.
The stories I worked this year
was the school shooting in
uvalde and the hurricane season.
>> I make Getty images staff
photographer based in
Washington, D.C. And this year I
covered the overturning of roe
V. Wade.
>> I'm a photographer for the
associated press currently
covering the war in Ukraine and
I am in Kyiv right now.
I think we are very surprised
about how quickly everything
escalated.
At the beginning of the war, it
was impressive seeing the
civilians fleeing.
Every day we witnessed thousands
of civilians going through a
bridge that was destroyed just
during the advance of Russian
forces.
One day I embedded in a drone
union -- unit.
The building was barely
standing.
I saw horrific things and I
tried to show them as
respectfully as I can but also
not to hide the reality of what
is happening.
But of course, it takes a toll
on you and after several months,
it gets to you and especially
when I get home and rest a
little bit, it takes a while to
regenerate.
>> I have been a photojournalist
in D.C. Since I graduated from
college in 2018.
No week is the same.
The leak came inmate so they put
barriers around the court and
fencing.
The day the decision was
announced, it felt different.
Some were starting to cry and
others to shout or they were
just stunned.
Getting those pictures I found
was really important.
Someone once told me that D.C.
Is a city of inches.
One inch away you could get
another picture.
I feel like I am being a witness
to the first draft of history
being written.
That is the whole reason I got
into photography and covering
politics.
I think it was an important year
as any year is to be present and
keep our eyes open and cover
every side of the story which I
think we have all done.
>> I was covering the border.
One of my editors called me and
told me, there is something
weird happening in a town called
uvalde.
I was super lucky because I was
almost the first one at the
scene.
So I took a few photos of the
kids getting on the bus.
I started to hear people talking
and crying and I thought
something had happened but I did
not know until a few hours later
that they were eager to have
pictures of the whole situation.
I have a 10-year-old daughter so
I can relate to the tragedy and
the parents.
You have to connect with the
people.
That is what I don't -- that is
why I don't like long lenses,
there is too much distance.
You don't even have to talk.
Just I contact.
I let them know how bad I feel.
With the hurricanes, everything
is changing at the hurricane
approaches.
I was in fort Meyer beach less
than 12 hours before the
hurricane hit and the next time
I saw that, my beach was almost
erased.
How powerful is the nature to
create this great destruction.
>> It is about looking for
images that will help people
relate to the people of Ukraine.
A major part of the story has
been in evacuation's and whether
or not people will leave these
homes.
I saw an elderly woman and I
loved the reflections of the
town in the window, probably all
she has known and she is
leaving.
And some of the children that
made quick friends on the bus,
it was impressive to see how
defiant the people are in
Ukraine under the conditions
they are living.
I have seen daily funerals for
soldiers that died in conflict
and every time people will stop
what they are doing, either put
their hands across their heart
or in some cases kneeled on the
ground as the casket is passing
and it is a very moving and
emotional scene.
I think it is important for
American photojournalists,
myself in particular, to cover
the countries where the U.S. Is
involved and the American
government is highly involved in
this work so we need to
understand what is happening
there.
I've already heard that people
are getting exhausted from the
war and it becomes back page
news.
And it should not be pure the
point of these images is to
remind people that this is still
going on and people are still
suffering from this and their
stories deserve to be heard.