Nationality American Role Photographer Name Jeff Widener | Occupation Photographer | |
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Nominations Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography | ||
Exclusive interview american photographer jeff widener
Jeff Widener (born August 11, 1956 in Long Beach, California) is an American photographer, best known for his image of the Tank Man confronting a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 which made him a nominated finalist for the 1990 Pulitzer.
Contents
- Exclusive interview american photographer jeff widener
- How I Took the Tank Man Photo at Tiananmen Square June 4 2014 Charlie Rose
- Background
- Tank Man photo
- Awards
- Lectures and interviews
- References
Through the years, he has covered assignments in over 100 countries involving civil unrest and wars to social issues. He was the first photojournalist to file digital images from the South Pole. In 1987, he was hired as Associated Press Picture Editor for Southeast Asia where he covered major stories in the region from the Gulf War to the Olympics. Other feats included East Timor, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Burma, Syria, Jordan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Pakistan and many more.
Widener is now based in Hamburg, Germany.
How I Took the 'Tank Man' Photo at Tiananmen Square (June 4, 2014) | Charlie Rose
Background
Jeff grew up in Southern California where he attended Reseda High School, Los Angeles Pierce College and Moorpark College majoring in photojournalism. In 1974 he received the Kodak Scholastic National Photography Scholarship beating out 8,000 students from across the United States. The prize included a study tour of East Africa.
In 1978, Widener started as a newspaper photographer in California and later in Nevada and Indiana. At age 25, he accepted a position in Brussels, Belgium as a staff photographer with United Press International. His first foreign assignment was the Solidarity riots in Poland.
Tank Man photo
Widener was tasked to capture the scene of the Tiananmen crackdown on June 5, 1989. He had brought camera equipment and film to the hotel where he later took the photo, but was at the risk of being denied entry by security personnel. He was helped inside by Kirk Martsen, who also brought more film when Widener ran out, which Widener used to take the Tank Man photo, and delivered the photo film to the AP office at the Diplomatic Compound.
Prior to taking the picture, Widener was injured during the night event of June 3, 1989 after a stray rock hit him in the head during a mob scene on the Chang-An Boulevard. His Nikon F3 titanium camera absorbed the blow, saving his life.
The "Tank Picture", repeatedly circulated around the globe (except in China where it is banned), is now widely held to be one of the most recognized photos ever taken. America Online selected it as one of the top ten most famous images of all time.
Awards
In addition to being named a finalist for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photography, Widener has received multiple awards and citations from the Overseas Press Club, DART Award from Columbia University, Harry Chapin Media Award, Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, the Scoop Award in France, Chia Sardina Award in Italy, National Headliner Award, New York Press Club, Pictures Of The Year International, Best of Photojournalism, Atlanta Photojournalism, Belgian Press Photographers Association and the World Press in the Netherlands.
Lectures and interviews
Through the years, Jeff Widener has delivered lectures at Ohio University, Utah State, University of Hawai‘i Distinctive Lecture Series, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Havard University, Hong Kong University, City University, and Savanah College. He has been interviewed by the BBC International, Columbia University, CBS Sunday Morning Show, The MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show as well as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR Radio, USA Today, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Irish News Radio, The London Daily Telegraph, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, EFE Spanish News Agency, The Los Angeles Times, About.Com, The Bangkok Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Fotoflock, The Huffington Post, the British Journal of Photography, Die Welt, Der Spiegel, Schwarzweiss, Time, the South China Morning Post, Resource Magazine, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN Anderson Cooper 360, Global News Canada, CTV News Canada Live TV and website,