Melissa Golden is a photographer from Atlanta, Georgia. I chose this photographer because her work focuses strongly on economics, religion, entertainment and public health. 

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Over the course of her work, she has visited a prison multiple times, stood in the middle of raging forest fires and has met and photographed some of the world's most interesting people. 

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Her photographs have been accredited for both humor and humanity.

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My favorite commission is her file " Shock Trauma."As a nursing major I find this type of photography most interesting and educational. Melissa explains that "The homicide rate in America is decreasing, yet the country is not less violent." Most people are being shot, stabbed and assaulted. However, fewer are dying! Special trauma centers perform life-saving miracles hours after hours- days after days. 

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Melissa Golden was able to photograph just ONE of the very busy night shift at the University of Maryland Medical Center/ Trauma Center in Baltimore Maryland. 

She caught image of several gunshot victims, a stabbing, an assault, car accidents, suicide attempts, high school football injuries and other traumas considered priority 1, skipping the regular emergency room. 

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This commission was published for the Wall Street Journal.