Open discussion with Richard Ellis the photographer

The students from the Communications, Media and Design faculty had an online meeting with the American photographer Richard Ellis, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize three times.

During the discussion, the photographer shared his impressive shots with the students and the stories behind them. Richard Ellis has covered many civil wars and uprisings in Asia: in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan. The photographer has about 12 trips to Afghanistan during Soviet–Afghan War, mostly he covered this war from a Soviet side. His series of photographs capturing military action in Afghanistan was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize: here on shot you can see the arrest and execution of a police officer who worked for the previous government.
Richard also told the students about his work in the Gulf War. After spending many hours with American soldiers, the photographer was able to photograph burning oil fields in the desert, the recapture of the American embassy, ​​Palestinian refugees, destroyed tanks and cars, destroyed homes.
The students were most impressed by the photos of people during the war: shots capturing soldiers, refugees, funeral ceremonies. But it was not only the war that got into the lens of Richard's camera - he also filmed the culture, traditions, and joyful moments of locals.
Richard Ellis discussed with the students the importance of photography in the media sphere, as well as the professional approach and the ethics. At the end of the discussion, the students asked the photographer about the challenges of being a photojournalist, keeping a neutral side when covering the war, and his preferences in the filming technique.