About the Photographer
Tyler Hicks is a seasoned senior photographer for the New York Times. In 1992, Mr. Hicks graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1969. Presently, he is based in Nairobi, Kenya, where he covers photographs for new in West and East Africa. In 2014, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography and Robert Capa Gold Medal when covering the Westgate massacre in Nairobi on September 21 in 2013. In 2016, he won the Pulitzer Prize after covering the European migrant crisis, which he shared with three other photographers. The Missouri School of Journalism's named Mr. Hicks as the photographer of the year in 2007. Along with his colleagues, C.J. Chivers and Dexter Filkins, their 2010 photographs documenting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were ranked the top ten works of journalism of the decade.
The Photographer’s Career
Mr. Hicks has been contracted by the New York Times and posted in Nairobi since 1999. Following the September 11 Terror attack in the U.S., Mr. Hicks was posted to Afghanistan by the New York Times. While in Afghanistan, he reached Kabul after the Northern Alliance forces liberated the city. He has frequently returned to Afghanistan, where he has documented the conflicts there. Among other countries where he has worked include Pakistan, India, Syria, and Libya, among others. On March 16, 2011, he was captured by Pro-Qaddafi forces while covering the Libyan revolution and reported missing alongside three colleagues. However, they are released after six days following intense negotiation. In 2012, February 16, while covering the Syrian unrest, his colleague, Anthony Shadid, suffered a deadly asthma attack, and Mr. Hicks carried him across the Turkish border. Mr. Hicks was married to Claire Ward in 2017.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Images by the Photographer
Below is one of the famous photographs taken by Mr. Hicks in Nairobi during the Westgate shopping mall terror attack in 2013.
In the above photograph, a woman is sheltering her two children from gunfire after the shoppers in the Westgate shopping mall were attacked by Al-Shabab, a militia group based in Somalia, where more than 70 people were killed.
The Photographer’s Aesthetic Properties
Among Hicks' aesthetic properties in the above photograph are contrast and sharp focusing. Through the photograph, it is apparent that Hicks uses color conclusively to reveal the actual subjects. One can quickly identify the colors of the clothes won by the three individuals in the photograph. The color of the floor and that of other objects on the counter can be identified too. The colors are vibrant; hence, Mr. Hicks' expertise is evident with sharpness while shooting the photograph. The sharp focusing is an aesthetic property that Mr. Hicks uses to ensure that the viewers have an actual glimpse of the real situation at the shopping mall. The angle at which he shoots the photograph makes his work outstanding.
The Photographer’s photography qualities
Hicks' photography qualities can be identified as bold. In the above photograph, his bravery is apparent since he delivers quality work by taking a photograph while risking his life. Mr. Nicks happens to be a bold and brave photographer who risks his life without minding the risks involved. He was worked in different risky situations in different regions of the world. Mr. Hicks' experience in photography is renowned across the globe through the awards he has won while working for the New York Times. Born in 1969 in Brazil, he earned a B.A. in Journalism and is currently lives in Nairobi, where he documents photographs in East and West Africa. He was worked in various countries, mostly reporting are areas characterized by wars. His aesthetic properties include sharp focus and contrast, while his photography qualities can be regarded as bold.
