Among the highlights of her career,
Cristina, who is only one of two female
photojournalists on the St. Louis PostDispatch staff, was a part of the Pulitzeraward-winning photojournalism team that
captured the desolation within Ferguson,
Missouri during the Michael Brown tragedy.
She often found herself in the middle of many
chaotic moments - wearing the smallest
bulletproof vest available to protect herself.
“My cameras weigh about seven pounds
each. If you carry that around long enough,
it’s exhausting,” she said. “I get so frustrated
when people say, ‘Oh is that all you do
all day- take pictures?’ With every shot I
am trying to compose something new and
different. So it might seem ordinary, but it is
mentally taxing. I have to think about how
to make something look better, how to get
the light to work, how to compose all the
elements that I have no control of and get it
to be art.’”
Jamyang Jinpa, a Buddhist monk from the Drepung Gomang Monastery prepares dinner on
Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. The monks were in St. Louis for the Festival of Nations and were being
hosted by Patty Maher in her Tower Grove home.
Photo by Cristina M. Fletes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Her work has captured
everything from art festivals
to sporting events, street
photography and state
government. “My greatest asset
is being extra sensitive and
quiet. Exactly opposite of what
I thought a photojournalist had
to be,” she said. “The ability to
be quiet, really listen, the ability
to really care...people will let
me into their homes into their
emotional lives, their physical
space. They might have just
lost a family member, and I’m
right there with them.
“What keeps me inspired
are the people. It’s mostly
about storytelling and being
a witness,” the 29-year-old
Cristina said. “I feel so fortunate
that I’ve been there for so many
historical events. I get to be in
places and with people I would
never had the courage to talk
to, or the opportunity, and
that’s awesome.”
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The arch lit gold for its 50th anniversary on Wednesday, Oct, 28.
Photo by Cristina M. Fletes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY