Look Who it Was Random video

The 50 Year Photo: My Responsibility to History | Samantha Appleton | TEDxDirigo

1,331 views · Published 15 December 2017 · 8:40 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2017 · Nonprofits & Activism

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“Mommy was I there with you?” an innocent question from a child asking her mother about photographs in a war torn Iraq. While always feeling responsible to history to capture complex issues and moments in a single frame, this responsibility is made personal for Samantha Appleton, now as a mother.  Samantha Appleton is a photographer concentrating on historical trends. Her work strives to show that quiet, subtle moments make up the complicated components of large news stories. The bulk of her career has covered many of the most tumultuous, man-made events of the past decade. Primary stories have included conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, social issues in Africa, and immigration in the US. She has won numerous awards including Pictures of the Year, World Press Master Class, American Photography and Camera Arts. She was most recently an Official White House Photographer for the Obama administration during the first term. In addition to her photography, she is currently writing a non-fiction book project about Iraq. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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