Jeff Widener

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Jeff Widener
File:Jeff Widener.jpg
Jeff Widener in Greece, 2010
Born (1956-08-11) August 11, 1956 (age 67)
Long Beach, California
Nationality American
Occupation Photographer
Known for Tank Man photograph

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.

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 beats included East Timor, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Burma, Syria, Jordan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Pakistan and many more.

Widener is now based in Hamburg, Germany.

Background

Jeff grew up in Southern California where he attended 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.

  • 2010 – present Freelance based in Hamburg, Germany
  • 1997–2010 The Honolulu Advertiser – Staff Photographer[1]
  • 1995–1997 United Press International Miami – Staff Photographer
  • 1987–1995 Associated Press – Southeast Asia Picture Editor Bangkok, Thailand
  • 1984–1986 The Miami News – Staff photographer
  • 1981–1984 United Press International – Brussels, Belgium – Staff photographer
  • 1980–1981 The Evansville Press – Staff photographer
  • 1979–1980 The Las Vegas Sun – Staff Photographer
  • 1977–1979 The Whittier Daily News -Staff photographer

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.[2]

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.[3][4]

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.[5]

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,[6] Columbia University,[7] CBS Sunday Morning Show,[8] The MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show[9] as well as The New York Times,[10] Wall Street Journal,[11] NPR Radio,[12] USA Today,[13] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Irish News Radio, The London Daily Telegraph,[14] Australian Broadcasting Corporation, EFE Spanish News Agency, The Los Angeles Times, About.Com,[15] The Bangkok Post, Smithsonian Magazine,[16] Fotoflock,[17] The Huffington Post,[18] the British Journal of Photography, Die Welt,[19] Der Spiegel,[20] Schwarzweiss,[21] New York Times,[10] Time,[22] the South China Morning Post,[23] Resource Magazine,[24] The Charlie Rose Show,[25] CNN Anderson Cooper 360, [26] Global News Canada, [27] CTV News Canada Live TV and website, [28]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  3. ↑ Szczepanski, Kallie (June 8, 2008). Eyewitness at Tiananmen Square, 1989 – Interview with Jeff Widener, "Tank Man" Photographer, About.com Guide
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  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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