Sandra Vidrequin

INTERNATIONAL COMBAT & PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER

NORWAY

Sandra Vidrequin takes pictures to record news and cover conflicts, and as a documentary filmmaker she brings untold stories to light.

“It’s a humbling line of work and powerful images often touch a nerve, that’s when the risk of taking the pictures is worth while”

The RUSH12^TM is her go-bag for her many travels and missions.

WHY ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

“After travelling and seeing so much suffering in the world, and feeling my own sense of hurt for humanity, simply observing made me feel so helpless. This is why I started being interested in documenting injustice like poverty, conflicts, to tell people’s stories through my lens. The camera allows me in some small way to expose wrongs in the world while processing my own sadness about injustice. It acts as kind of an imaginary shield.”

WHAT DOES "BEING READY" OR "BEING PREPARED" MEAN FOR YOU?

“Being ready and prepared is critical to response time demands inherent in my line of work. Why am I prepared to do it? Through powerful images, someone is moved to action, either personally or communally because the image changed or sparked something in their thinking. The world gets better one human at a time and through the lens I reach many.”

WHY DO YOU HAVE A GO-BAG AND WHEN DO YOU USE IT?

“I have a Go-Bag ready at all times because efficiency with my gear is crucial to my profession and I use it when I get, “The Call”.”

WHY IS YOUR 5.11 BAG/BACKPACK IDEAL?

“My RUSH12^TM is ideal because the ergonomic layout of the bag suits me perfectly – the size of the compartments, the hook-and-loop versatility, easy access and the high quality affords me the flexibility to be fast and effective.”

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS IN YOUR GO-BAG AND WHY?

“My 3 most important items in my go-bag are my camera, medical kit and press cards - although all content of the bag is essential and important to my job. My stuffed toy for example allows me to connect with children, it’s an icebreaker.”