Shannon Jensen

If you’re looking to take an intimate journey through multiple areas of East Africa in a single day, look no further than Shannon Jensen’s stunning photographs. She’ll show you the emotions of ethnically Southern Sudanese returning “home” after decades of being displaced, the jagged hilltops of Uganda’s Rwenzori mountains, and the emerging basketball culture of Southern Sudan (their unusually tall height makes them a natural fit). Her artistic talent, ability to capture personal moments and innate storytelling abilities have earned her publications in the New York Times, Die Zeit and The Guardian. Get a picture of what inspires this phenomenally gifted photographer in today’s 10 ANSWERS.

1. How would you describe your work in three words?
I aspire to create work that is compelling, insightful and worthwhile. Definitely not there yet.

2. Who is your creative role model?
People who creatively inspire me include brilliant storytellers like Ira Glass and Brian Storm, art photographers like Taryn Simon and Chris Jordan, and many photojournalists – most recently Stephanie Sinclair’s child bride work and Moises Saman’s coverage of the Arab spring, particularly under tough conditions in Libya.

3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Write more emails, mail more postcards. I spend a lot of time away from home, so maintaining relationships requires diligence.

4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
Wilderness, in the company of those who care about it.

5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
Biologist on a deep sea exploration mission, where there still is truly uncharted territory and important discoveries to be made.

6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
The obvious: photographs, if that can be claimed as homemade at all.

7. What is your favorite object in your home?
Various items picked up in antique markets in Shanghai, China, where I worked during the summer of 2004 and so loved wandering.

8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t be shy & it can’t hurt to ask.

9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
Longform.org for great magazine writing, TED for fascinating ideas, Burn Magazine for photography, Mediastorm for unparalleled multimedia storytelling, Photojournalism links for a weekly roundup of interesting work on the web.

10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
Never, or when its good enough. Trying to move from the former to the latter a bit more.