By Caleb Tobin
A world-renowned photojournalist visited Stonehill to share stories of sorrow, hope, and how journalists can impact the world.
Peter Pereira, an award-winning photojournalist from New Bedford, Massachusetts, presented a variety of photos during his presentation at the Martin Institute on Nov. 12. Pereira is currently a staff photographer at The Standard-Times in New Bedford.
He showed photos from his visits to India, Haiti, Guatemala, and from around Massachusetts.
“The world is perpetually different, every single day, every single moment,” Pereira said to the audience.
One of Pereira’s goals is to show the world from a unique perspective. To do this, he tries to carry two cameras with him; one with a wide-angle 16-35mm lens, and one with a 70-200mm telephoto lens to get close-up shots.
He said he does this because the human eye sees the world from the perspective of a 50mm lens, so he uses cameras that don’t capture that perspective because “I don't want it to look like the rest of our eyes. I want to show you the world in a different way.”
Many of the photos showed people living in poor conditions, struggling to get by.
Pereira got emotional when showing certain photos, saying, “Not only is it completely different from what we experience, but some of these folks have no choice but to live in what we would call medieval times.”
Some of the photos showcased included abandoned children in India picking up bottles along train tracks and sick babies in hospitals in Haiti.
“I've seen the best that humanity has to offer, and I've also seen the very worst that it has to offer. The question for all of us, myself included, is where do we stand on that? Where do we stand on that,” Pereira said.
Pereira also spoke on the importance of journalism, specifically photojournalism. Many journalism students were in the audience to learn from Pereira.
“We’re a team. The writer, the reporter, combined we can make a much greater impact than just having a written piece,” Pereira said, “You can make a difference, you can change the world.”
Throughout the presentation, he spoke about how his photos have been shown in media outlets across the world and said how photos can move people. His photos have been in The Standard-Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Courier International, and more.
He ended his presentation by encouraging people to take risks and follow their passions.
“Guys, if you believe, if you're willing to take the risk, nothing is impossible. Everything is possible. I’m proof of that,” he said.
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