Salim Amin: The Power of Photography

"I never truly realized the power of photography despite having a camera in my hands from the age of 8 and living with one of the most influential photojournalists in history."

"As a young person, I never saw the magic of that captured moment, the perfect image, that forever caught the action and emotion for posterity, or how a beautiful or powerful image would allow us all to look back, relive, be inspired and hopefully learn from those that have gone before us."

"That revelation came very recently when I decided to delve back into my father’s vast photographic archives. I found I could spend hours looking at his photographs, being transported back to another time, almost re-living those moments with him and the people he photographed."

"With a photograph in hand, “I was there” watching as Bobby Kennedy worked his charisma on massive Kenyan crowds; while his son, Bobby Kennedy Jr., rode bare-chested on a rhino and played with a puff adder."

"Or as the majestic Elephant Ahmed strode through Marsabit National Park in all his grandeur."

"My father was best known as a great frontline photojournalist, but he spent more time documenting his country’s beauty, culture, people and leaders than anything else. Today, I see my father not only as a recognized photojournalist who lost his life in 1996 negotiating with armed hijackers, but also as a leader in his own way. "

"It has been said that Mo Amin’s work saved millions of lives throughout Africa. This may be true and could certainly be a reason to call him a leader, but I see his true leadership in the things he did on a weekly basis."

"He certainly had his faults, but he was a leader because of the way he cared about people and our country. He was a leader through his honesty, courage, risk-taking and ability to recognize when people were being taken advantage of, or in great jeopardy of losing their lives and all their worldly possessions."

"His lens documented some of the most important events in our country and continent’s history. For the better part of four decades, he was known as the 'Eye of Africa'."

"Mo would bring stories to the world’s attention and work tirelessly to make sure action was taken. He was the voice for those that could not tell their own tragic story or share their successes."