Why I Photograph: by Jose Soler

My dedication to photography began in the late 1970s when I began working as a labor photojournalist at the Distributive Worker, the newspaper of District 65, UAW. I was handed a camera and a 50mm lens by the editor and instructed to write articles and document the struggles of the members of the union, their shops and communities. With the help of some photographer friends I began to learn how to use this new tool. I entered a whole new world!

















Photography became a medium to express my dedication to the struggle for social and economic justice. New doors were opened to me. I wrote articles and made photos for Claridad the newspaper of the Puerto Rican Nation. I also worked for the Communication Workers of America newspaper in New Jersey – the State Worker.

No matter where I worked, the camera became my tool to tell the stories I saw and lived whether it was in the peace movement, the anti-apartheid struggle in the US and abroad, the workers fight for better working and living conditions and many other causes.
My vision has always been to promote the struggle for social and economic justice for workers, women, youth and all people of color through my images. I attempt to capture the majestic beauty of the environment to preserve it and combat those who would continue to destroy the future of our youth.
I am not just a documentarian of struggle, of the beauty and the fortitude of working people and people of color, but also a part of that struggle for equality and liberation. I work day to day to get better at my craft so that I can get better at telling this story.

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