We all like to think we make sense of the world through our own eyes. But photography offers us a chance to see beyond our immediate surroundings. An art that holds the power to tell a story, evoke emotion, and offer a new perspective on the world – all with one lens. For Georgina Goodwin, an independent documentary photographer born and based in Nairobi, Kenya, her book Window to the World is a culmination of these beliefs, reflecting both the beauty and the struggle embedded in her journey as a visual storyteller.
The Vision Behind the Window to the World?
For 20 years, Georgina has dedicated herself to documenting social issues, the environment, and the lives of women across different communities. Her work with global organizations such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and Getty Images has allowed her to showcase underreported stories to international audiences. But a book? That was an entirely different challenge.
“Like every author weaving a thousand stories before actually launching the book, I spent years traveling, meeting people, and capturing their realities through my lens. Window to the World is my way of bringing those stories together in a meaningful, lasting form. A journey through the highs and lows of humanity, nature, and resilience,” explains Georgina.
The Highs Are Moments of Connection and Impact
Compiling a book from a decade of work was no easy feat, but there were moments that reminded Georgina why she was drawn to this field in the first place. One of the most rewarding aspects of Window to the World was revisiting the stories she had documented over the first ten years of her career and seeing the impact they have made.
One of her most treasured images is a portrait of a 30-second-old refugee baby named Marian, which won the British Journal of Photography Portrait of Humanity Award. “That moment encapsulated both fragility and hope, reminding me what life is really about” Georgina reflects.
The process of curating Window to the World also allowed Georgina to reconnect with the communities she had photographed. Many individuals featured in the book have remained part of her life in some way, their stories evolving over time. Often, photographers explain how every moment captured is a way to build a connection with moments in the frame. And it was exactly how it looked for Georgina.
The Lows Were Part of Adding Life to The Book
The sheer volume of photographs Georgina had accumulated over the years made selecting the right ones a challenging task! How do you take thousands of images and distil them into a narrative that flows seamlessly? Publishing a book, especially one of high-quality photography, requires careful planning and investment. “There were times when I questioned whether I could see this project through. The cost of printing, designing, and distributing a book of this scale is immense,” she shares.
These challenges reinforced the importance of perseverance in creative projects, that every meaningful endeavour comes with obstacles, and slow growth may not seem a big achievement at that moment, but it’s a way to take you to the destination. Some of the images in Window to the World show us conflict, displacement, and environmental destruction – subjects that carry a heavy emotional weight. “There were days when I would go through my archives and feel overwhelmed by these stories. But I also remembered the resilience, strength, and hope that I saw side-by-side, which kept me going.”
If there’s one thing to be learned from the book, it’s that every image, each distinct from the others, holds its own unique power. Be it capturing grand landscapes or intimate portraits, photography has the potential to inform, inspire, and create change.
Georgina also emphasizes the importance of patience and perseverance. “Success in photography, or any creative field, doesn’t happen overnight. It requires years of dedication, practice, and resilience. There will be times when you feel discouraged, but if you stay true to your vision, your work will find its audience.”
As Window to the World makes its way into the hands of readers, Georgina is set to spark conversations about the stories behind the images. The idea behind every image is to evoke something inside, to see the world through different eyes, to understand experiences beyond their own!
We need more diverse voices in visual storytelling, like Georgina Goodwin, to challenge the conventions and norms. With every small step, she aims to pass on this passion to young photographers and women-preneurs, and encourage them to pick up the camera for change.
