Pulitzer-winning photographer, Yannis Behrakis, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 58. In his 30-year long career at Reuters, Behrakis covered main conflict areas around the world.
He touched millions of people worldwide with his snapshots from the Refugee crisis in Greece.
His coverage of the refugee crisis earned him also the Pulitzer Prize in 2016.
This astonishing picture of a Syrian father with his baby off the Greek island of Lesvos won Behrakis’ Reuters team the Pulitzer Prize.
In his professional life, he was determined to show the world what was happening in conflict zones and countries in crisis. across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
He covered events in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Yugoslavia, the earthquake in Kashmir and the Egyptian uprising 2011.
His motto: Once you see the picture you can not say you didn’t know about it.
1998: An ethnic Albanian man places the body of two-year-old Mozzlum Sylmetaj into a coffin next to the coffins of three other family members killed by Yugoslav army troops as they were crossing into Kosovo from Albania.
The images captured the terror of battle, fear, death, love, intimidation, starvation, homelessness, anger, despair and courage.
The talented and committed photo-journalist was telling his stories in the most artistic possible way.
1991-1990 Frantic Kurdish refugees struggle for a loaf of bread during a humanitarian aid distribution at the Iraqi-Turkish border.
2015 Refugee father kissing his child
Behrakis’ description of the image above was “typically unorthodox,” a co-worker said.
“I would love to be this father; I think every child would love to have a father like this,” he explained.
“This picture proves that there are superheroes after all. He doesn’t wear a red cape, but he has a black plastic cape made out of garbage bags. For me this represents the universal father and the unconditional love of father to daughter.”
Yannis Behrakis is considered as one of the best news photographers of his generation.
His is survived by his wife, his daughter and his son and the many colleagues and friends who will terribly miss him.
More Yannis Behrakis pictures here.
