Ben Trachtenberg

This was by far the most difficult project I’ve ever worked on in my career. Weeks of research and background work finding characters and piecing together a story that reflected the reality of life in a neighborhood plagued by drug addiction led to a very challenging shoot. Because of the risks in the neighborhood, I needed to organize a security detail and establish a detailed timeframe for the shoot. I was also responsible for booking and leading a two man crew, along with the correspondent. As you can see in the piece, the Kensington neighborhood is home to a huge amount of people struggling with severe drug addiction. Being in that environment for just a day is physically and emotionally draining, so to realize what it’s like for people who live every day either with drug addiction or around it – that’s really what the story is about. Overall, it was the people we met that day who surprised me most. Everyone we talked to demonstrated so much empathy and understanding in the midst of such a difficult situation.