Passion Leica Weblog

Born in Linden, New Jersey, Reed attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts where he graduated in 1969, after studying pictorial illustration.




Reed's specific strength lies in his strong empathy, his ability to get close to subjects that are often chosen for emotional as well as intellectual reasons, his capacity to see the broader picture and put his images into a historical context.



These qualities are obvious in some of his special reports such as a series on Central America (1982),




his long-term study on Beirut (1983-1987), his coverage of the ousting of Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti (1986),



his work on the US military action against Noriega in Panama (1989),




his special report on the Walled City in Hong Kong, and his documentation of the black experience in America and Africa (1997).




Reed, who has lectured and taught extensively, has received numerous awards for his work including the runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize (1981),



the Mark Twain Associated press Award (1981),




the Overseas Press Club Award (1983),




the Nikon World Understanding Award (1983),




the Leica Medal of Excellence (1988), World Press (1988),




Kodak's World Image Award for Fine Art Photography (1992) and the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Documentary Photography (1992).