2014 Photo Contest, Contemporary Issues, 1st prize

A Portrait of Domestic Violence

Photographer

Sara Naomi Lewkowicz

for Time

03 March, 2013

Maggie and her daughter Memphis enjoy the view from the back seat of the family car, on a Saturday afternoon drive in Alaska. After her partner Shane had been arrested on charges of domestic violence, Maggie decided to move back to Alaska to be closer to her estranged husband.

Domestic violence is frequently seen as a private crime, hidden from view, often excused or obscured from outsiders even by its victims. Maggie (19) lives in central Ohio, with her children Kayden (4) and Memphis (2). Her partner of some months, Shane (31), has had struggles with addiction, and has spent much of his life in prison. One night a violent argument broke out between them after they had returned home from a bar. Shane told Maggie she could choose between being beaten in the kitchen, where a friend was sitting, or going to the basement where they could talk privately. Maggie refused to be alone with him, and his rage grew more intense. Shane was arrested after a resident in the house called the police. He later pleaded guilty to a domestic violence felony and was given a nine-month sentence.

About the photographer

Sara Naomi Lewkowicz

She received her master's degree in visual communication from Ohio University in Athens and received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at ...

Technical information

Focal length
24.0 mm
F-Stop
9.0
ISO
250
Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

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