Endorsements for Paul Joseph Brown
As a photographer, Paul Joseph Brown combines an extraordinary eye with keen intelligence, deep compassion, and a commitment to reporting harsh truths from dangerous places. It was a privilege to work with him as a reporter covering famine in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the Rwandan civil war and refugee crisis. He took excellent photos that conveyed many dimensions of the tragedy, from the dead and maimed to fearful refugees crossing the border, to the travails of life in a massive refugee camp. When he was not shooting pictures, Paul would help interview story subjects, which helped greatly because of his insights.
-CHRIS HANSON, foreign correspondent, professor of journalism university of Maryland
Paul’s gift is in his ability to capture the intimacy of relationships and communicate that essence to the viewer. Each of his images evokes a powerful emotional response.
-Sarah Alexander, Director of External Affairs, Global Alliance For the Prevention of Prematurity and Stillbirth, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Paul Joseph Brown is the kind of experienced, well-traveled photographer who can handle any assignment that comes up. He’s cool under fire. I’ve traveled with Paul into villages controlled by drug and human traffickers and watched with great admiration while he talked his way into stunning, award-winning photos, and by doing so, smoothed the way for my interviews. In short, Paul is ethnically and culturally sensitive, extremely talented, enthusiastic, resourceful, hard-working, and he’s passionate about photography. He’d be a valued asset at any organization. And I would jump at the chance of working with him again at any time.
-Larry Johnson, foreign correspondent, Senior Editor Al Jazeera
Paul Joseph Brown is a true professional with broad international experience and a keen eye for unforgettable images. No matter how difficult the conditions, Paul remains totally focused on his work, and the results are often stunning. He’s as intrepid as they come.
-Ron Redmond, former Head of Media Relations and Public Information, UN High Commission for Refugees
I worked with Paul Joseph Brown for decades at the Seattle Post Intelligencer on a wide variety of stories, including a number of difficult and sensitive stories about people struggling with disease, death, suffering and injustice. It’s one thing for a reporter to talk to people in these situations; it can be quite another to try to document these stories as a photographer. A camera in the wrong hands can stifle honest talk, create awkward or artificial behavior and appear intrusive. Paul does just the opposite with his talents. He has a remarkable ability to connect with people, to draw them out and transform photography into another form of interview. The quality of his photos speak not only to his incredible technical skill. They speak of Paul’s humanity, and his love of humanity.
-Tom Paulson, founder and lead journalist at Humanosphere, global health and development blog at KPLU, NPR Seattle