He's covered the Oscars and interviewed Obama, but out photojournalist Sean Patrick Lewis's life changed dramatically when he left the comforts of Los Angeles for a trip to Haiti. Check out his trip in photos and commentary.
- Sean Patrick Lewis on the streets of Haiti
It’s not often you get the experience of a lifetime that you will remember forever. I’ve covered the Academy Awards and I’ve personally interviewed Barack Obama, but my trip to Haiti has been the most unforgettable experience of my life thus far. When I first got the call asking if I’d be up for covering the story, a lot went through my mind quickly. Security would be a big concern. Inmates from the Haitian prisons had escaped and were already organizing gangs canvassing the city. There was no guarantee of food and water, nor of shelter. And I had seen the early TV and Web images to come out of Port-au-Prince that Tuesday when the 7.0 earthquake struck and was shocked at the human devastation and destruction we’d face. But, I knew this was a story that needed to be covered; an experience of a lifetime.
A few days later, very early in the morning, my reporter David Ono and I left the comfort of our ABC 7 News building in Glendale, Calif., and set out on our trip to Haiti with only the two 50-pound backpacks we carried. Camera, portable uplink satellite, SAT phone, laptop, batteries for everything, and all the gear from the sporting goods store that could fit would have to be enough. We brought PowerBars for food and packed our personal items lightly, bringing only the absolute essentials. I carried one pair of convertible pants, two shirts, and the one pair of shoes I was wearing. Many of my friends thought I couldn’t do a trip like this, leaving behind the comforts of Los Angeles lifestyle we take for granted. They said I couldn’t go without a shower, couldn’t deal with the obstacles I was to encounter, and a couple even thought I was being foolish voluntarily putting myself in harm’s way. But I knew I could do it, and covering a story like this was the reason I became a journalist.
Getting a flight into Haiti was difficult. Aid was coming in from around the world, and the airports were overrun with traffic. Our assignment desk was able to secure us two seats on a small missionary flight, but with strict weight limits for both of us. Flying in on a smaller plane was the only way to go at the time since the airport had frequently stopped larger jets from landing simply because there was no room on the runway. We left the United States from a small airport in Fort Pierce, Fla., stopping once to refuel along the way. The views from the air were amazing. The water below was so blue; the clouds were picturesque with their perfection. It was hard to reconcile the area's dire poverty with the natural beauty surrounding it.
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