I was five years old when my father offered me my first camera. My challenge at the time was to try to shoot our dog running… It was so much more difficult and exciting to photograph him while he was moving and not asleep!
I've always loved taking pictures. Most of my childhood was spent in Cambodia during the war. I started taking pictures for myself then. I was 13.
I can't remember my first assignment because it was such a long time ago, but I am convinced my feelings were mixed – I would have felt both stress and excitement.
The assignment that left the biggest mark on me was the Romanian revolution in 1989, my first job for Reuters. On December 20, we drove from Istanbul to Bucharest through Bulgaria. It was snowing heavily, we didn't have a road map, and we weren’t able to read the road signs, which were in Cyrillic. It took us two days to reach our final destination. The whole thing was a difficult experience but a fantastic adventure and a great success for Reuters.
I enjoy covering breaking news, stories where nothing can be planned. I perform well under pressure in situations where I feel a lot of stress. Somehow this is when I create my strongest pictures. I like the unexpected and I hate routine.
When I take pictures, I am always trying to get as close as possible to my audience.
I have been doing this job now for 33 years, 28 of which I have spent with Reuters. I still think I am extremely lucky to be able to make a living from my passion.
