Heidi Levine

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Heidi Levine (born 1961–1962) is an American freelance photojournalist who has worked for the Associated Press, Sipa Press, and The Washington Post. She has spent much of her career covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Early life and education

Levine was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was passionate about photography, and bought Levine her first camera; they would walk around Boston taking pictures. Her first interest in the field was to photograph under-privileged areas of Boston and New York. At the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, she was the school paper photographer. In 1983 during a school break, at age 21, she went to Israel to work for six weeks at a kibbutz. While there, she applied to the Associated Press and received a job offer. Figuring that working as a photojournalist would be educationally better than college journalism classes, she took the offer,{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Pamela |date=2013-06-26 |title=Interview: Combat Photojournalist Heidi Levine On Covering Deadly War Zones |url=https://www.thewomenseye.com/2013/06/26/interview-heidi-levine-combat-photojournalist-on-covering-deadly-war-zones/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=The Women's Eye |language=en-US}} and in 1983 started her photojournalism career in Israel as a staffer.{{Cite web |title=Heidi Levine |url=https://www.iwmf.org/community/heidi-levine/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=IWMF |language=en}}

Career

Working at A.P. in Israel gave Levine experience in many facets of the field, including editing, lab activities, and interacting with subscribers. She reports difficulty breaking into the field as a woman, describing it as a "boys club." In 1991, she joined the Sipa Press Photo Agency. Based in Israel, most of her coverage has been the violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.{{Cite news |date=2015-03-25 |title=Award-winner Heidi Levine's images of Gaza – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/gallery/2015/mar/25/heidi-levine-gaza-pictures |access-date=2024-12-17 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Krever |first=Mick |date=2015-06-25 |title=The breathtaking war photographs of Heidi Levine |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/25/world/gallery/amanpour-heidi-levine/index.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=CNN |language=en}} She has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya,{{Cite web |last=Chetcuti |first=Kristina |date=2013-10-18 |title=We never learn from history |url=https://timesofmalta.com/article/We-never-learn-from-history.490808 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Times of Malta |language=en-gb}} and Syria on assignment. She has also covered topics such as female feticide in India, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Syrian refugee crisis.

In February 2022, she went to Ukraine on assignment for The Washington Post.{{Cite web |title=Women of The Washington Post Reporting on Ukraine |url=https://www.iwmf.org/community/women-of-the-washington-post-reporting-on-ukraine/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=IWMF |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=In photos: The war in Ukraine one month on |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/ukraine-photos-one-month/}} While there covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she photographed and commented on the aftermath of the Bucha massacre. She noted that "most of the images [she] took could never be published because they're too shocking."{{Cite web |title=‘I could go on and on’ Photojournalist Heidi Levine on what she saw in Bucha in the days after its liberation |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/04/01/i-could-go-on-and-on |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Meduza |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Heidi |date=2022-04-10 |title='What I've seen in Bucha': photojournalist shares experience |url=https://www.postguam.com/forum/what-ive-seen-in-bucha-photojournalist-shares-experience/article_784b1168-b786-11ec-a114-1bd2865dc2b6.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=The Guam Daily Post |language=en}}

As of October, 2024, Levine is covering the Gaza war.{{Cite news |title=Israelis still at war pause to remember attacks of a year ago |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/07/israel-oct-7-attack-anniversary-hamas-war-gaza/\}} Washington Post, October 7, 2024; Retrieved 2024–12–17.

{{Cite web |title=Israeli reservists fight in Gaza but question what comes after the war |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-06-02/israel-reservists-gaza-ceasefire-14062383.html?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}} She has described covering the Israeli–Palestinian conflict as "very, very personal"{{Cite web |last=Berand |first=Doug |date=2015-07-17 |title=Bearing witness |url=https://medium.com/vantage/bearing-witness-77d19c837b23 |access-date=December 18, 2014 |website=Vantage}} and intimate.

Her pictures have been published in many outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Stern, National Geographic, Paris Match, L'Express, Newsweek, Time, The New York Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Forbes, and The Globe and Mail.

=Humanitarian focus=

She feels that the power of photography can make a difference by raising awareness and evoking empathy for those affected by conflicts and crises. She has the "ability to capture the essence of conflicts and their impact on people's lives." She has "depth of compassion for the people she encounters,"{{Cite web |last=Sim |first=David |date=2015-03-24 |title=Powerful photos by Heidi Levine, winner of the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/powerful-photos-by-heidi-levine-winner-anja-niedringhaus-courage-photojournalism-award-1493358 |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=International Business Times UK |language=en}} and "a passion for bearing witness."

Awards

1997 First prize at the International Scoop and Journalism Festival in Angers, France, for her work in Hebron.{{Cite web |title=Heidi Levine, Award-winning Photojournalist |url=https://www.radiosefarad.com/heidi-levine-award-winning-photojournalist/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Radio Esfarad |language=es}}
2015 Bayeux Award for war correspondents,{{Cite web |last=Antunes |first=Jose |date=2024-09-19 |title=Bayeux award for war correspondents is back for the 31st time |url=https://seriouslyphotography.com/2024/09/bayeux-award-for-war-correspondents-is-back-for-the-31st-time/?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Seriously Photography |language=en-US}} for her photo series titled "Healing and Resilience in Gaza"{{Cite web |last=Roué |first=Damien |date=2015-10-13 |title=Heidi Levine remporte le Trophée Photo et le Prix du Public aux rencontres des correspondents de guerre à Bayeux |url=https://phototrend.fr/2015/10/heidi-levine-laureat-bayeux-2015/?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Phototrend |language=fr-FR}}
2015 UNICEF Photo of the year award{{Cite web |title=UNICEF Photo of the Year 2015 - Press Release |url=https://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles/photo-of-the-year/contest-2015/press-release |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.unicef.de}}
2015 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, for her work in Gaza{{Cite web |title=Honoring the courage of women photojournalists |url=https://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/behind-the-news/honoring-the-courage-of-women-photojournalists/?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Associated Press|language=en-US}}
2021 Picture of the Year Award of Excellence{{Cite web |title=Pictures of the Year {{!}} 78th Annual Competition {{!}} Winners List |url=https://www.poy.org/78/winners.html?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=www.poy.org}}
2022 Local Testimony, First Prize Breaking News award for her coverage titled "Violence in Lod"
2023 International Women's Media Foundation award for courage in journalism, as part of the "Women of The Washington Post Reporting on Ukraine"{{Cite web |title=IWMF Announces 2023 Courage in Journalism Award Winners|url=https://www.iwmf.org/2023/07/iwmf-announces-2023-courage-in-journalism-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=IWMF |language=en}}

Personal

Levine has lived in Jerusalem{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-06-25 |title=Jerusalem-based photographer wins award for courage |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-based-photographer-wins-award-for-courage/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |agency=Associated Press}} and Tel Aviv,{{Cite web |date=2021-05-21 |title=The Human Cost of the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis in Photos |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a36476056/war-photographer-israel-palestine/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=ELLE |language=en-US}} and has three children. In Jerusalem, she lived in a mixed neighborhood to expose her children to people of different backgrounds. Her work away from home and in danger zones has led to some disappointments among her children, family and friends. She has had to make compromises that would not allow her "to be the best photographer [she] wished to be."{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Pamela |date=2013-07-24 |title=INTERVIEW: Heidi Levine–War Photographer and Working Mom, Part TWO |url=https://www.thewomenseye.com/2013/07/24/interview-heidi-levine-war-photographer-and-working-mom-part-two/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=The Women's Eye |language=en-US}}