Samantha Appleton is a photographer and 2019 Nieman Fellow at Harvard. Her work combines art and history to interpret the complicated components of large news stories. She has covered many of the most tumultuous, man-made events of the 21st Century. Primary stories have included conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, social issues in Africa, and immigration issues in the US. She was an official White House photographer for the Obama administration 2009-2012. Appleton co-founded the photo agency Noor Images to promote projects in support of human rights and social justice. She has won numerous awards including Pictures of the Year, World Press Master Class, American Photography and Camera Arts.