Aaron Huey
Encyclopedia
Aaron Huey is an American photojournalist and documentary
photographer who is most widely known for his walk across America
in 2002 and his work on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
. He grew up in Worland, Wyoming
, graduating from Worland High School
. At the age of 18, he studied as a Rotary Scholar
in Slovakia
. He received his BFA
from the University of Denver
, in Colorado
in 1999.
whose photography also appears in Smithsonian
, National Geographic, The New Yorker
, and The New York Times
, among others.
In 2002 Huey embarked on a walk across the United States with his dog Cosmo. The journey lasted 154 days and covered 3,349 miles. Huey stayed with strangers he met along the way, averaging around 30 miles a day, with a record day of 46 miles. Color images of the people he met along his journey were made on a single camera
and lens
: a Leica M6
with a 35mm
lens. Huey spoke about his motivation for the walk and his experiences during an Annenberg Foundation
lecture given in 2010.
Huey was named one of PDN's
top 30 emerging photographers in the world for 2007, and was shortlisted for the Alexia Prize the following year. Also in 2008, Huey was awarded a National Geographic Expedition Council Grant to hitchhike
across Siberia
.
Huey's extensive work documenting the poverty and issues of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
gained wider recognition in 2010 with his talk at TEDxDU at the University of Denver, America's Native Prisoner's of War. The talk was selected to run on TED.com which gave it global exposure. The talk outlines the precarious and often violent relationship between the United States government
and the people of the Sioux
Nation, the history of their treaties
, and the effect it has had on the descendants of both parties.
Huey is currently a Knight Fellow at Stanford University
(2011-2012).
Documentary photography
Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit...
photographer who is most widely known for his walk across America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2002 and his work on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
. He grew up in Worland, Wyoming
Worland, Wyoming
Worland is a city in Washakie County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washakie County. The City of Worland is served by the Worland Municipal Airport.-Geography:...
, graduating from Worland High School
Worland High School
Worland High School is a public high school in Worland, Wyoming, United States. It is part of Washakie County School District #1.-Description:...
. At the age of 18, he studied as a Rotary Scholar
Rotary Scholarships
Rotary International offers a number of scholarships worldwide for periods of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years.- Ambassadorial Mission :The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarship is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. He received his BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
from the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
, in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in 1999.
Photography
Huey is a contributing editor for Harper's MagazineHarper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
whose photography also appears in Smithsonian
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
, National Geographic, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, among others.
In 2002 Huey embarked on a walk across the United States with his dog Cosmo. The journey lasted 154 days and covered 3,349 miles. Huey stayed with strangers he met along the way, averaging around 30 miles a day, with a record day of 46 miles. Color images of the people he met along his journey were made on a single camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
and lens
Photographic lens
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.While in principle a simple convex lens will suffice, in...
: a Leica M6
Leica M6
The Leica M6 is a rangefinder camera manufactured by Leica from 1984 to 1998.The M6 combines the silhouette of the Leica M3 with a modern, off-the-shutter light meter with no moving parts and LED arrows in the viewfinder. Informally referred to as the M6 "Classic" to distinguish it from the "M6...
with a 35mm
35 mm equivalent focal length
In photography, the 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and film or sensor size...
lens. Huey spoke about his motivation for the walk and his experiences during an Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Foundation
The Annenberg Foundation is a private foundation that provides funding and support to non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world...
lecture given in 2010.
Huey was named one of PDN's
Photo District News
Photo District News is an American monthly trade publication for professional photographers. PDN was first published in 1980. The publication takes its name from New York City's photo district, an area of photo businesses that was once located in Flatiron District.Originally named New York Photo...
top 30 emerging photographers in the world for 2007, and was shortlisted for the Alexia Prize the following year. Also in 2008, Huey was awarded a National Geographic Expedition Council Grant to hitchhike
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
across Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
Huey's extensive work documenting the poverty and issues of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
gained wider recognition in 2010 with his talk at TEDxDU at the University of Denver, America's Native Prisoner's of War. The talk was selected to run on TED.com which gave it global exposure. The talk outlines the precarious and often violent relationship between the United States government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and the people of the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
Nation, the history of their treaties
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
, and the effect it has had on the descendants of both parties.
Huey is currently a Knight Fellow at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(2011-2012).
External links
- AaronHuey.com
- In the Opium Den, The New Yorker
- Pakistan's Sufis Preach Faith and Ecstasy, Smithsonian
- Road-Tripping Russia: 6,000 Miles of Small Cars, Bad Roads, and Big Money, National Geographic Adventure
- Aftermath, The New Yorker. Pakistan after Bhutto's assasination
- Behind the Scenes: Still Wounded, New York Times Blog
- Annenberg Space for Photography: Aaron Huey's American Ocean
- TEDTalk Aaron Huey: America's native prisoners of war