Author: Sean Sheridan

Sean Sheridan is a photojournalist and author who for the last 16 years has been shooting and writing stories that elevate people and brands. Sheridan has a bachelor of science degree in journalism from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. His first major work project was to help craft the marketing plan surrounding the launch of Bill Gates’ best-selling book, The Road Ahead and produce the CD-ROM version bound into the book. He also contributed to Gates’ second book, Business @ the Speed of Thought, before joining a private production company to shoot film projects around the world. In July 2002, Sheridan started 4:Minute.Media to tell compelling stories through feature writing, photography, film, and publishing. His work has taken him to nearly 60 countries and has been found in SMITHSONIAN magazine and on the cover of The Washington Times, countless development agencies and gallery exhibitions, Testimony Africa—his book about the terrible beauty of AIDS, genocide, and hunger in Africa—and most recently Wahl STORY, his book about renowned graffiti artist Erik Wahl. Sheridan and his family live in Colorado.
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Burkina Faso in Color

Recent assignment: Burkina Faso. Shot a roll of color (and a roll or two of black and white–will show a few of those in another post). Here are a couple that I like on the color roll:

Camel Herder
Water Boy
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A Cold and Rainy Paris

Stopped by Paris on my way to an assignment in Africa; saw a couple of cool shots. Nikon F5 with Tri-X; gritty! I never seem to get tired of shooting in this city…

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
Homeless in the Metro
View of Paris from the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile
Champs-Élysées
Paris Lovers
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Guatemala

Catching up on posting a few images from 2010 trips, which proved to be a busy year. These are a few shots of various people and places around Guatemala from a May 2010 assignment. I used my trusty Nikon F5 and Tri-X 400 film. Still really love doing that. Next post will likely be film from latest trips to  Paris, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. Stay tuned for that.

Kids play marbles outside of Guatemala City
Cowboy, outside Guatemala City
A woman in her home outside Guatemala City
A woman works on her weaving outside Guatemala City
Boys carry water to a home outside of Guatemala City
The barriors outside Guatemala City
A girl holds an axe for her father, who is sharpening a knife before starting his day of work, outside of Guatemala City
A girl does her homework at a class outside of Guatemala City
Tikal, Guatemala
The cross painted on a home outside of Guatemala City
Cowboy, outside Guatemala City
Tikal, Guatemala
Tourists wind their way up a monument in Tikal, Guatemala
A massive trail of ants in Tikal, Guatemala
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Testimony’s Work Continues…

Rhoda Yar Bol and her daughter, Hannah, stand on the curb outside Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. They are on their way out of Sudan and heading to Nakuru when they run into Sean Sheridan, who takes this photograph. May 25th, 2008.

The Testimony vision is that the development work will continue and live on long after my involvement in it is done. Isn’t that the true mark of sustainable development, that it is not dependent upon those, or the money, who initiate it? That it lives on through the recipients?

Anyhow, a good example of this is Rhoda, one of the people in the book. A few years ago I had a massive layover at the airport in Nairobi. I went outside to get some air. I heard a voice call my name and turned around. It was Rhoda. Total chance meeting (described in the book). After the “Testimony Africa is more than a book post” and after I had sent a check from book sales to support the work Rhoda helped started in Southern Sudan, I got an email from her:

“I heard that ALARM is going to hire a  Lady to work with the Lietnhom women for the time being. I am really happy that your gift for them is going to work. I have a heart to visit them some days if I got some money for transport because they are very important in my life and I hope one day I will return to help them.”

And then another:

“Thank you a lot for the cooperation and hospitality you have shown and the love of God you have for all people. You have a waken my hope and my life and I got a courage that I can do good things in life.”

People, making a difference is possible. It may not be much or change the world overnight. BUT, any time you help someone move forward in a good, better way in life, you tilt the pendulum in the direction of good. And for that, no one can find fault with what you do. So go for it!

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India and IJM

A girl along the river in Kolkata, India

One of the highlights of 2010 for me was going to India with International Justice Mission (with Amy Roth and Amy Lucia—the Amys—so fun) to make a film about their work in Mumbai and Kolkata (the film is nearly done and will be posted here in the near future). I had been to India before and was not all that impressed (dirty, smoggy, hot, crowded, forced to eat sheep brain, etc.) but let me tell you this trip changed all that for me, especially being in Kolkata (I even managed to pray with the Sisters of Charity at Mother Teresa’s “Mother House”). I found Kolkata to be the keeper of all things cool and vintage India—Kolkata was, in a word, AWESOME.

At any rate, I put together a little slideshow of images and hope that you find it revealing, both in terms of IJM’s combating forced-sex-trade work and of India herself. Oh, and for a detailed trip report (probably the finest trip report of any trip I have ever been on) check out Amy Lucia’s blog on her experience. Very cool. And I think I would be remiss without thanking the IJM India staff—you were great. Thanks IJM. I love you guys (especially the driver in Kolkata). Stay classy!