National Geographic

JULY | FROM THE EDITOREveryone Has a StoryINTERVIEW BY SUSAN GOLDBERG PHOTOGRAPH BY CAROL GUZY``````PUERTO RICO``````Susan Goldberg: I learned as ayoung reporter writing obituariesthat everyone has a story ...Carol Guzy: Yes! Everyone has a story,and it’s almost cathartic for peopleto tell it. But it’s their story—not mystory—and it’s amazing to me thatpeople have the courage to open uptheir lives to the camera.``````In nearly 40 years as a photographer,what changes have you seen?Now there’s such mistrust of the media.It makes it more important than everthat what we portray is as accurate aswe, as subjective beings, can make it.``````What was it like in Puerto Rico?I’d never been; my first trip was theday of the hurricane. People were justgetting by, yet not one didn’t welcomeme into the rubble that was left of theirhome. They had almost no water but``````ofered us some. There are few placesI’ve been where people were so gracious.``````You’ve made a career of going intodifficult places. What have youlearned from what you’ve seen?When I was covering the refugee campsin Kurdistan, people were living interrible limbo, and yet there was suchan amazing spirit. In Mosul, Iraq, therewas horrific urban fighting. Peoplewere battered and maimed and yethad this grace. I feel so privileged andso guilty to get on a plane and leave,and they are stuck. People forget them.``````Is that why you take pictures—sopeople won’t forget?I take pictures to enlighten people tosomething they are not aware of. If wekeep taking the pictures and keep tell-ing the stories, we can make it better.I really believe that.``````CAROL GUZY, 62, haswon four PulitzerPrizes for photogra-phy—more than anyother photojour-nalist. Among herpeers she’s knownas much for herbig heart as for theimages she makes inplaces as different asIraq, Haiti, and NewOr leans. We sentGuzy to cover PuertoRico (above) afterHurricane Maria. Italked with her aboutthat experienceand storytelling.``````THIS INTERVIEW WAS EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY.