What do slaughtered gorillas and Angelina Jolie have in common?

I only first heard of Getty Images photojournalist Brent Stirton when I saw his incredible photographs documenting the slaughter of gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The images are beyond powerful. Stirton captured the largest massacre of seriously endangered primates in over 40 years and brought international attention to an otherwise underground issue.

This project has gone on to earn him numerous awards such as:

- International Photographer of the Year by the Lucie Foundation
- 2008 Visa d'Or Award, Feature Photography, Visa pour l'Image, Perpignan, France
- First prize, Singles, Contemporary Issues, 2008 World Press Photo
- American Photo, 2008 Photo of the Year
- PDN Photo Annual, First prize in Photojournalism/Sports/Documentary

...the list goes on and on and on but I'll stop there.

Turns out Brent Stirton is also the photographer behind those famous photos of Angelina and Brad's babies that sold for a record amount of money to celebrity magazines and generated millions for charity. Magazines that I did indeed shamelessly buy. Pretty much anyone who knows me knows of my fondness (huge understatement) for the Jolie. Stirton's not supposed to talk about those famous photos though. Getty credited him for the 2006 baby shoot, but not for the 2008 shoot with the twins.

Below is an interview Stirton did with Photo District News the day after he won the award in France. I found it really interesting so I thought I'd post it.