Anja Niedringhaus faced down some of the world’s greatest dangers and had one of the world’s loudest laughs. She photographed dying and death, and embraced humanity and life. She gave herself to the subjects of her lens, and gave her talents to the world, with images of wars’ unwitting victims in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and beyond.
Shot to death by an Afghan policeman Friday, Niedringhaus leaves behind a body of work that won awards and broke hearts. She trained her camera on children caught between the front lines, yet who still find a place to play. She singled out soldiers from their armies as they were confronted by death, injuries and enemies’ attacks.
Niedringhaus, a Pulitzer Prize winner, was one of two Western journalists shot by the Afghan police officer ahead of the election in the country.
