Barbara Davidson, a Pulitzer and Emmy Award-winning photographer, joins Paris on The Paris Chong Show. Davidson discusses her project for The Globe and Mail, where she traveled from Los Angeles to New York, documenting swing states and aiming to capture quintessential American scenes. She highlights her photo from Coldwater, Michigan, showing a woman in a hijab at a fair, reflecting the area's large Yemeni community and illustrating a "modern America".
Davidson also talks about her journey to becoming an American citizen, and the challenge of maintaining excellence in her work. Her three-week road trip took her to various locations where she observed the local economies and health infrastructures. She shares how she photographed victims of violence in Los Angeles, which led to her Pulitzer Prize and that this work came from a place of pain and healing, and how she transitioned to video, winning her an Emmy.
Davidson's upcoming show at Leica alongside Joel Meyerowitz will showcase a more artistic style, while also maintaining her social awareness. She sees herself as a "visual humanitarian," dedicated to telling people's stories. She is currently working on stories about senior evictions in Los Angeles, and the English/French tensions in Montreal. Davidson also reflects on how Instagram has changed photography, noting concerns about authenticity.
Episode Timestamps
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:00:26) Barbara Davidson
(00:01:28) Tell Us About This Photo
(00:03:48) The Road Trip
(00:05:16) Canadians
(00:06:19) Back to the Roadtrip
(00:11:30) Self Pressure
(00:15:29) Drew
(00:19:06) Art is Healing
(00:22:35) Pulitzer Show
(00:24:57) An Emmy, Film & Docs
(00:28:45) Funding As a Photographer
(00:30:47) Debt From the Vet
(00:31:41) Los Angeles
(00:35:26) Where to See More Barbara
(00:36:27) Photography in the Insta-Age
(00:38:36) Outro
Links to Barbara Davidson
- Link to Barbara Davidson's Website
- Link to Barbara's Instagram
- Link to Barbara's Facebook
- Link to Barbara's LinkedIn
- Link to Barbara's Wikipedia
Links to Articles
🎵 Music by Andrew Raiher
📸 Shot & Edited at Visible Audio Studios
