Louisa Gouliamaki

Everything that must be covered for a wire agency.

I grew up in Poland, and witnessed the ‘Solidarity’ movement, martial law, tanks on the streets, and demonstrations as a teenager.

My elder brother was photographing the events for a student magazine, and I was helping him process film in our bathroom. Many events were taking place just in front of our apartment block, and we gazed at them through a long lens from our window. It was exiting, helping to cover a moment in history.

My first assignment as a professional photographer was in Albania, to cover the Albanian Revolution after the collapse of the private banks in the country. It was chaos… pure anarchy. Surreal experiences in very volatile situations. I learned to cooperate with other media and locals to get the job done safely in unpredictable situations.

Photojournalism carries a significant responsibility because we are part of the credibility and integrity of news transmission, something that is more than critical in our current era.

We are trying to give a voice to our subjects. It’s rare to change the decision-maker’s actions but I have seen people changing their minds after seeing photos and reports, prompting them to act. That’s a win.