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In a single year, Monitor photographers take thousands of photos around the world. For our year-end retrospective, we've chosen photos that resonate as examples of the qualities that define Monitor photojournalism: clarity, context, and compassion. These images underscore our efforts to cover global events through photos that offer the most compelling image while preserving the dignity of their subject. This year, we dedicate a photo gallery to two issues of particular import: Reconstruction after hurricane Katrina and African nations torn by war.
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Melanie Stetson Freeman - Staff
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From solemn reminders like Memorial Day and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, to joyous military homecomings and lighthearted days on the ski slopes, our cameras covered a wide range of the American community. In the course of the year, we met – and shared the emotions of – a great number of people doing remarkable things.
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A year after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, devastation and signs of recovery continued. While the Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt New Orleans's levee system, homeowners returned to pick up the scattered pieces of their lives. A host of volunteers from across the country came to the region, helping hands at the ready. Maintaining tradition and local culture were uppermost in thought, as we witnessed, during Mardi Gras and the reopening of Tulane University. Step by step, the Gulf Coast is coming back to life.
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Scott Peterson - Staff
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As the conflict in Iraq escalated and Lebanon flared, Monitor images helped us understand the context for these struggles. Beyond the hot news spots, images of everyday life around the world brought us closer to the people with whom we inhabit this vibrant planet called Earth. The composure of a Haitian sugar-cane worker whose life has been marked with hardship; the pride of an Indian dhobi wallah, or traditional launderer, in producing gleaming white clothes; the joy of aboriginal children as they dive into the ocean - all these help us understand our shared human condition.
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A rich African culture stretches from the traditional to the modern. In Burundi, drums resonate throughout the country's villages. In South African townships, young ballet dancers stretch their legs and their imaginations for a career in dance. Growing environmental awareness benefits Rwandan mountain gorillas while generating income for the local peoples. Caring souls reach out to AIDS-affected families. As Hutus and Tutsis begin their urgent process of reconciliation, Africa can be seen as a land of hope and forgiveness.
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Melanie Stetson Freeman - Staff
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