April 13, 2021 - It's been a helluva year. So we asked the nine regional clip contest winners to summarize their year of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest to accompany a selection of their pictures. We asked them: What was the most memorable story they covered in 2020 and why? What keeps them going as a photojournalist and what advice would they give to newcomers in our profession? Their reflections are revealing and made me feel hopeful. Thanks for reading.
- Sue Morrow, Editor, News Photographer Magazine
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
2020 brought a lot of challenges as a photojournalist. My main beat at the Buffalo News is covering sports. With the COVID-19 pandemic, sports was stopped, altered and changed. With little to no sports, I was put in a position to go find pictures and stories that told how COVID affected Buffalo, NY, and the Western New York region. I did a portrait series on people who lost their jobs due to COVID, as well as a portrait series on senior athletes who lost out on their senior athletic season, along with covering one of the first COVID funerals.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
The joy of being a photojournalist is that no two days are the same, and the chance to be in the public Interacting with people is a blessing. My goal on the sports beat is to treat a high school assignment no different than I would treat a professional game. I like taking readers behind the scenes, to where they cannot go, to tell a story.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
To the newcomers getting in the business, be humble and want to listen and learn. Be a sponge, so as much up as possible – even if it is a ride-along to observe, listen and learn. Be the best backpack photojournalist you can be, have writing skills, photography and video skills, be able to do it all! I have been a staff photographer for the Buffalo News for 25 years, previously I was a stringer for the Associated Press, AllSport and Getty Images.
Harry Scull Jr., The Buffalo News
[email protected]
NPPA member since 2016
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
The most memorable story I covered in 2020 was the memorial service for Kim McCoy-Warford. McCoy-Warford was one of the residents who died of COVID-19 at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, which is under a federal investigation. Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 368 residents at the nursing home tested positive for COVID-19 and 76 have died.
I cried watching McCoy-Warford's family celebrate her life despite this horrific situation. The family was suing the nursing home for negligence and wrongful death of Kim, and this funeral was held the same week George Floyd was killed under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis. It was evident there were many layers of pain as tears welled over the 15-or-so attendees’ masks as they filled the nearly empty church with songs of redemption and prayer.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
What I love about photojournalism is the power that visual storytelling has to evoke empathy, challenge authority and teach us something new of our shared humanity. It's a universal language that pulls at our emotions to love one another more deeply, to provoke change or to simply delight in the beauty of a broken world. Photojournalism teaches me to listen and observe. Undoubtedly, I have become a more sensitive person because of other people's bravery to share their stories.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
My advice to newcomers in our profession is to treat everyone with respect and to never devalue an assignment. Excel with what you're given and where you are in your career. You don't need to cover professional sports to make a compelling image nor do you need to be assigned the most glamorous story to truly touch someone's life. Open yourself up to the community, and don't be shy.
Steph Chambers is a newly hired staff sports photographer with Getty Images based in Seattle, Washington. Previously, she held staff positions in her hometown with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Tribune-Review for three-and-a-half years at each publication. Steph has been an NPPA member since 2010. Website: stephchambersphoto.com
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
There isn’t one story that sticks out but rather one issue that touched every story.
The coronavirus became THE story in every city, municipality and county in the country. Rural Maine was no different. It was a unifying experience felt by all in one way or another. The year 2020 is a chapter in a history book and that was how I approached its coverage.
Access to hospitals in Maine was non-existent. My focus quickly turned to the paramedic response in rural areas. Delta Ambulance, the second largest EMS provider in the state, allowed me incredible access to paramedic crews to tell this unique story of the rural response. I spent nine months riding with the paramedics through the rural wilds of Maine on calls that ranged the gamut. COVID-19 was just part of the call volume. It was a front-row seat to Maine’s response that I am still processing.
The other most memorable story of 2020 was comet NEOWISE. The benefit of living in Maine is the access to wilderness and unpolluted night skies. Ten days of photographing the comet was a welcome break from the confines of the back of an ambulance in a Tyvek suit, N95 mask and goggles. Big, deep breaths of fresh air under a cloudless sky void even of air traffic was a bit surreal. It was quite a show from the heavens.
What keeps me going as a photojournalist?
There’s a never-ending waterfall of stories that need to be reported in this state. Climate change, renewable and green energy, environmental stewardship, rural poverty and COVID-19 are all of interest here with real tangible impacts. That is what keeps me going.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
Stay focused. Don’t take any story for granted. Don’t listen to the noise. Have confidence in what you’re doing. Take ownership of every single picture you make. Be open to being open.
I have worked at the Morning Sentinel since August 2010. I have been an NPPA member since 2005. Instagram: @michaelgseamans and Twitter @MGSphotojournal
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
Protests following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor: Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Lexington nightly for nearly the entire month of June. The protests remained peaceful throughout the month. It was very eye-opening to document this moment in history for our readers, which tied in with larger-scale protests around the country.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
Shoot whatever you can as often as possible. Trying to develop your eye and find your niche in photojournalism is important now more than ever. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help. This is a very small community and we can all work together.
I am the chief photographer at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky. I’ve been here for nearly four years. I have worked at the Courier & Press in Evansville, Ind., the Treasure Coast newspapers in Florida and the Daily News in Bowling Green, Ky. I have been an NPPA member since 2015. [email protected]
The year 2020 was the most difficult of my career but it was also the most gratifying year. It’s an honor to work as a newspaper staff photographer during this unforgettable time in our nation’s history.
The health and economic disaster caused by the pandemic is the biggest story I have ever covered in my 29-year career. On March 13, 2020, as the coronavirus reached Austin, our newsroom closed, and we started working remotely. None of us had any idea that more than a year later the newsroom would remain empty. But photojournalists can’t work from home, so I continued to work in the field, all the while going through various stages of anxiety and fear of catching the coronavirus myself. Early in the pandemic one of the Statesman’s staff photographers was hospitalized with COVID-19 so the threat felt very real and very dangerous.
The pandemic dominated our news coverage for several weeks, but then George Floyd was killed, and large protests erupted in Austin. Thousands of people poured into the streets to protest against police brutality and systemic racism. Police fired less-lethal ammunition at the protesters, and some were seriously injured.
Adding to an already historic year was a contentious national election and a growing homeless crisis in Austin. Almost every day seemed momentous so I kept working with the hope that my photos would become part of that history.
Jay Janner has been a staff photographer at the Austin American-Statesman since 2003. Previously he was a staff photographer at the Colorado Springs Gazette from 1995-2003, and at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times from 1992-1995. He has been a member of NPPA since 1988.
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
The most memorable story I was supposed to have covered in 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic or the protests. But that wasn’t the case. I’m the early-morning breaking news photographer for the paper and it’s all pretty memorable for me. Our online platform is hungry for content at the start of the day and I’m always on the lookout to feed-their-need. So I shoot, interview, tweet and send from the field to keep our morning audience in the know with all morning jolts of the day.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
The urgency and fast pace of breaking news keeps things interesting. I started off in this business many moons ago primarily shooting sports. I’ve done my share of general assignments, politics and story projects over the years, but breaking news brings a unique assortment of challenges you have to navigate and overcome. Nowadays, nobody gives you access or invites you in. You have to create your own access to get pictures every day.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
I think students and newcomers to the profession need to realize that access will be your greatest obstacle to making images. And that’s not getting any better or easier. You’re going to need to learn the art of gaining access. You need to be a videographer, a still photographer, engaged on social media, be a reporter and a storyteller. If you can be proficient in all of these areas you will be well suited for the profession.
I’ve been with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1984. I was with the Kansas City Star and then (Times) before that. I started off as a stringer for the AP in K.C. I’ve been an NPPA member since 2016. Before that, my membership lapsed in the ’80s when our paper no longer funded memberships. [email protected]
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
I’m not a political photographer, but President Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore and the fireworks display to cap it off is one of those assignments that I will probably never forget. Given it was the first fireworks display in over a decade, included a visit by a president, and then to be the sole newspaper photographer from a South Dakota publication included in the pool was an opportunity that'll probably never come up again.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
I've never really thought about slowing down. I'm in a part of the country with so few photographers as it is, that I consider it a privilege to be able to continue to capture little slices of everyday life in my community. And my community seems to appreciate it in return.
Matt Gade has been a photographer for the Mitchell Republic (formerly The Daily Republic) since 2014 in Mitchell, S.D. He’s been an NPPA member since 2011.
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
Following the Hardin boys basketball team's undefeated season, which was cut short when the final game of the state tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. Before coming to Montana I'd never heard of rez ball but seeing how the Crow community gets behind their team was awesome to witness.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
Whenever I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut I take some time to seek out inspiring work from other journalists, which always lights a fire in me to keep growing.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
I feel like I'm still really new at this so I don't know that I'm qualified to answer that yet, but when I was in journalism school I got caught up in comparing myself to what my peers had accomplished. What I'm starting to realize is that a career is more of a marathon than a sprint. What matters is that you make progress at your own pace.
I've been at the Billings Gazette for a little over a year, before that I freelanced in South Central Kentucky and interned at the Grand Rapids Press. You may contact me at [email protected]. I have been an NPPA member since 2013.
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
It’s hard to drive through a town that has been burned to the ground by wildfires and not have it stick in your mind weeks and months later. When I think back to the most memorable stories from 2020, I keep coming back to the fires that tore through parts of eastern Washington across the towns of Colfax, Malden and Pine City, and the fires in western Idaho, around the town of Orofino, on the Labor Day. I remember meeting one of our paper’s reporters at the office on Labor Day as she asked me what all the constant Slack messages were about, and telling her “Colfax is on fire.” An hour later we’d find ourselves standing on a burnt hillside as firefighters and neighbors dowsed the remaining hot spots from the fire. Later when back at the office we’d hear the news that Malden and Pine City had been completely destroyed, with an estimated 80% of homes lost. A month later I’d be with that same reporter. But this time in Malden amidst the burned-out carcasses of cars, front stairs that led to nowhere and standing chimneys with nothing around them. It’s easy for the images of the burned homes to stick in one’s mind. But more than the destruction, what I remember thinking back to that story is how the Malden community worked to come together, how families kept their focus on the bright side, some remarking about how no lives were lost in the fires, and how the residents sought to keep moving forward in spite of the fires that’d forced so many to start life over anew. In a year where a pandemic swept across the world, fires desolated and displaced so many and it seemed every headline was worse than the next. It’s the stories of hope and people coming together to get through difficult times that will stick with me.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
I always try to remember two things when the job gets tough and tiring. First, how lucky I am to have been able to find a career where I get to make pictures daily. Second, why we make the pictures in the first place. No matter how much controversy or cries of “fake news” we might face, the job of photojournalists of telling stories, showing the daily moments that define life and documenting our communities is a vital function of journalism. Stories still matter, and there’s nothing that can tell a story like a good photo.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
I’d tell newcomers to not focus on awards and not compare themselves to the top photojournalists in the profession. Focus on yourself and the stories you want to tell. Embrace and learn about your community, allow your own photographic eye to develop and always be on the lookout for a new angle or way to tell a story. Recognition will come when you give yourself the freedom to explore and make good work.
I worked at the Gillette News Record, in Gillette, Wyoming, for one year and five months. I have been at the Lewiston Morning Tribune, in Lewiston, Idaho, for 11 months. Contact me at [email protected]. I have been an NPPA member since 2015.
What was the most memorable story you covered in 2020 and why?
The funeral of Army Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez who was murdered while on a camping trip with fellow soldiers over Memorial Day weekend while stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in May 2020. With millions of people dying of COVID-19 and family members not being able to attend funerals, it's a shock to the system. Family members had to grieve alone or on Zoom without one another to hug, cry and just be together.
By late August families were allowed to attend funerals in Southern California in limited numbers while social distancing and wearing masks. Photographing funerals is never easy no matter the circumstances -- murder, cancer, COVID-19 or first-responder deaths.
I've covered my share of them over my 30-plus-year career as a photojournalist, the last 18 years at the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., which is now part of the Southern California News Group (SCNG). Making pictures of families when they are most vulnerable and in so much pain is never easy, but the family invited the paper to cover the funeral to bring attention to the murder of their loved one.
What keeps you going as a photojournalist?
My drive is to make every picture better than the last and to inform and educate the public through good photography and information so they can be educated on local topics.
What advice would you give to newcomers in our profession?
1. Have a large heart.
2. Care about every assignment, not just the good ones, because the worst one may turn out to be the best one.
3. Keep your eyes open.
4. Listen to both sides of the story and cover it evenly no matter what you think.
5. Remember you are the public's eyes and ears on every assignment.
I hope you have a large trust fund so you can survive on a journalist pay. Get ready to have many roommates and not be able to pay off college loans anytime soon, maybe in your lifetime …
Terry Pierson graduated from California State University, Fresno, in 1991. He interned at the Milwaukee Journal and Sentinel in 1989; worked at Fresno Bee’s Neighbors Newspapers from 1990-1993; Gilroy Dispatch, Morgan Hill Times and Hollister, freelance 1993-1997; The Daily Bulletin 1997-2002; The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California, 2002 to present. Pierson has been an NPPA member since 1992.
