A young boy from Guinea-Bissau once asked Ami Vitale if she too had a moon where she comes from. Thus began Vitale’s quest to understand that which makes communities around the world so unique, yet so similar — a quest to share stories that are often not told and that convey the beauty and nuance of life.
Last week, Scholars Forum speaker Ami Vitale shared how capturing the stories of incredible people from around the world shaped her own story. Vitale is a National Geographic photojournalist and Nikon Ambassador. Her presentation “Rhinos, Rickshaws, and Revolutions ”captivated attendees and gave a glimpse into her career spanning over 90 countries and many years.
At the beginning of her presentation, Vitale shared childhood photos in which she was dressed as a lion and discussed her shy personality as a child.
“I actually got my courage from being behind the camera as opposed to being in front of it,” Vitale said. “When I had a camera in my hand, all of a sudden, I felt empowered. It was like this passport.”
During the inspiring and insightful talk, Vitale shared her journeys as an international correspondent, photographing the resilience of the human spirit in China, Kashmir, Kenya and many other communities.
“One of my favorite [projects] was certainly when I began in Guinea Bissau because I learned so much about life in the world,” Vitale said. “This mythology in the west … like we’re taught to believe certain things about the rest of the world and it just blew everything up. It blew my mind because I started to realize, ‘Oh that’s just one narrative.’ That’s where I really learned that everything looks different from where you’re standing.”
Students who had a chance to see Vitale speak on campus had a lot to say about Vitale’s impact.
“I was inspired,” said Sean Nicol, a second-year student studying civil engineering. “It’s not every day you get to meet someone who gets to share the stories of other people. [The Scholars Program] has given me a new perspective. It incorporates that human aspect of learning.”
One of the driving values in Vitale’s work is empathy. During her talk, Vitale asked the room what the world would be like if we chose to illuminate the things that unite and not simply all the things that divide us.
“We all have the capacity to do a lot,” Vitale said. “It’s amazing what one human being can do — the power of one individual. You just have to keep listening to yourself.”
Vitale also spoke of her determination, despite pressures against her.
“If people don’t know my work, they’re like, ‘how could you possibly do that?’” Vitale said. “I had men tell me, like in my face, ‘You shouldn’t be here.’ ‘You can’t do that.’ ‘You don’t belong here.’ And I believed them sometimes. I just wish I could encourage other young people to have confidence and understand that it’s not gonna be this easy road. [It’s really important to] just follow your voice.”
Vitale wrapped up her presentation by drawing a parallel between dressing up as a lion in her youth to dressing up as a panda while taking photos at a panda nursery in China.
“I feel like all the things I’ve worked on have come together; you start to realize how connected every story is to one another,” Vitale said. “They’re not separate. Nature is not separate from humanity and vice versa. Every story is super connected.”
Indeed they are.
Ami Vitale, a photojournalist with National Geographic Magazine, talks about her experience with rhinos in Kenya during a University Scholars Program event in Witherspoon Student Center on Oct. 16. "It's not about the camera,” Vitale said about photojournalism, “It's about who you are and your relationships.”
