Creative Contributors
Michael Couzens is an attorney in Oakland, California. He specializes in broadcast law, especially for community radio and television. A serious amateur photographer, Couzens was in New York in September 2001 to celebrate Laurie Garrett's birthday. Like many of the celebrants, Couzens was stranded in New York following the 9/11 attacks, as regional airports were shut down. He used the time to photograph the unfolding drama. See more of Michael’s photos here.
Viorel Florescu was born in Sighisoara, Romania, and grew up under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. As a young man he dreamed of making movies, and escaping the stifling confines of communist Romania. In 1979 Florescu managed to get into Italy, and ended up in the Bronx. He has worked as a photojournalist ever since, putting in 21 years at Newsday, and now at the New York Daily News. In 1997, Florescu traveled across Russia, Georgia and Ukraine with Laurie Garrett, documenting the collapse of the region's health systems and lives of its people. The resulting more than 32 stories published in Newsday were complimented with dozens of Florescu's photos, some of which are posted on this website. See more of Florescu's work here.
Rian Horn was a young South African on his first photojournalism assignment outside of his home country when he traveled with Laurie Garrett in Uganda and Tanzania, documenting the impact of HIV. Horn continues to live in South Africa, working as a freelance photojournalist for such entities as Reuters, the Guardian and the Washington Post.
Ski Shields, fine art photographer, was uniquely positioned with a line-of-sight to the catastrophe when the al-Qaeda hijacked jets smashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. A longtime director of photography for film and television, Ski had taken a one-year sabbatical to daily document the life of the East River at the time of the events. His panoramic images were taken from a perch along Brooklyn’s famous waterfront Promenade, and encompassed nearly 270 degrees, from the Verrazano Narrows to Ellis Island. A skilled photographer, Ski painstakingly shot, developed, and curated over 2,000 images leading up to the terror attacks on 9/11 and its aftermath. Two hundred were selected to be printed on metallic Kodachrome, and until now, this collection of work has never been shown to the public. Ski lives in Los Angeles, working in film and television. For more information or to inquire about purchasing prints, click here to contact Ski, or visit his website:
www.skishieldsphotography.com
Olivia Burke's passion for architecture began in the summer of 2005, when she helped to build an aqueduct in a rural village in the Dominican Republic with an organization called Global Routes. The power of implementing change through design fills her with a surge of creative energy and a desire to pursue a career immersed in collaboration and innovation.
Olivia fell in love with photography during her study abroad semester in Italy. Olivia's architectural studies continue to influence her work today. While her focus shifts on a daily basis, one component is consistent in her work — Olivia endeavors to capture movement in stillness and distort reality. Olivia is inspired by the power of photography to convey a message or express an emotion and aspire to push the boundaries of her work every day.
Olivia Burke is based in New York City. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California and was a Co-Founder of the USC Chapter of Global Architecture Brigades.
www.oliviaburkephotography.com
Brian Bergeron is the creative principal at b-havior, providing creative direction, graphic design and photo art direction for established and emerging brands. b-havior develops visual brand voice for clients in retail, hospitality, non-profit, and technology industries. b-havior is located in the San Francisco's Design District.
Bergeron currently serves as Associate Creative Director for the creative marketing efforts of Twitter's Global Design Studio. Previously Brian served as the Creative Director for The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Retail Division where he directed the MoMA Visual Brand for its retail channel at every creative touchpoint. Bergeron served as Co-Founder of ADHESIVE&CO, a creative networking group focused on bringing creatives from all walks together to connect, with branches in NYC, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Prior to NYC, Bergeron was the Art Director for Boston Children’s Museum, where he re-branded the City’s fourth largest cultural institution with a new logo and visual language.
www.b-havior.com