Ed Kashi, a member of the prestigious photo agency VII, is a photojournalist, filmmaker and educator dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times. A sensitive eye and an intimate relationship with his subjects are the signatures of his work. “I take on issues that stir my passions about the state of humanity and our world, and I deeply believe in the power of still images to change people’s minds. I’m driven by this fact: that the work of photojournalists and documentary photographers can have a positive impact on the world. The access people give to their lives is precious as well as imperative for this important work to get done. Their openness brings with it a tremendous sense of responsibility to tell the truth but to also honor their stories.” Ed’s innovative approach produced the Iraqi Kurdistan Flipbook with MediaStorm, which premiered in December 2006. His project Aging in America: The Years Ahead created a traveling exhibition, an award-winning documentary film, a website and a book that was named one of the best photo books of 2003 by American Photo. Along with numerous awards, including a Prix Pictet 2010 Commission and honors from Pictures of the Year International, Ed’s images have been published worldwide, and his work has generated six books, including 2008’s Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta and THREE, a series of triptychs. In 2002, Ed and his wife, writer/filmmaker Julie Winokur, founded Talking Eyes Media. Their first project resulted in a book and exhibition on uninsured Americans called Denied: The Crisis of America’s Uninsured.