Andrew Spear is a Midwest-based photographer currently living in Athens, Ohio and finishing his degree at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.
He is a contributing photographer for Aurora Select, and his clients include the AARP Bulletin, Builder magazine, Ohio magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Washington Technology magazine.
His work has been recognized by the NPPA and POYi 66 for content in the 2008 Soul of Athens project.
He enjoys skiing, riding bikes, taking pictures, writing, and Mexican food.
andrewspearphoto.com

This collection of images was made over a five month period and is part of an ongoing essay. I have always been interested in the prison system and want to continue doing work regarding corrections. The people I met there were wonderful human beings that had just made mistakes. I felt very comfortable and welcome every time I went to visit.

Dustin Franz is a student at Ohio University studying photojournalism with a specialization in sociology. Dustin is a hard working and compassionate individual and pushes to show that in his work. When not behind the camera, Dustin likes to ride his bike, cook good food, and take it easy. You can see more work at http://dcfranzphoto.blogspot.com

No more than one mile down the road, Herb Sternberg lays in the bed he used to share with his wife Ann while trying to maintain his hope that she will remember his face when he visits her in the morning.

For the past four years, Herb has learned how to be a bachelor all over again. At 92 years old, he is the product of decades of loving care from a wife who learned her womanly duties from Better Homes and Gardens. The transition hasn’t been easy for Herb who has had to teach himself to shop, cook, clean house and take care of himself all the while realizing that his wife of 71 years doesn’t know that he exists.

The first time I heard about Herb and his wife, I was on the wrong end of an angry phone call. My editor had forwarded a call to me from an irate reader who was upset that we didn’t cover a holiday party at his wife’s care facility. After listening to how Herb loved the people who cared for his wife, and listening to what he had gone through over the last few years, it occurred to me that this was a story that was told a million times, but I wanted to show what Herb was going through. Not only how this affected his wife, but what drastic changes were taking place in his life.

What ensued was a crash course in photo stories 101. I made all million mistakes. And I’m sure I’ll make a million more, but that’s what progress is about and I can see how this first long-term project has helped me in my other stories.

Jerome Pollos traveled the world in the military before finding his life calling in photojournalism. Now, after more than six years finding his niche in visual storytelling, Jerome has found a home in the Northwest covering its people and culture. People who have been affected by Alzheimer’s, those who boogied down at proms for people with special needs, pow wow dancers, tribal horse racers, rodeo bronc riders and people with big trucks and gun racks have shined their light through Jerome’s viewfinder. He has been published in a number of news and trade magazines. Based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Jerome is available for coverage throughout the Northwest. His work can be seen at JeromePollos.com

This story initially came out of need for a picture story class at Ohio University. After some research I was informed that there was a “tent city” of homeless people near OSU campus in Columbus, Ohio. Little did I know that this group of people would soon become some of my best friends and teach me more than any class could ever offer. From the start Del was very open to the idea and told me to come back whenever, although I don’t think he expected me to come back nearly as often as I did. As time went on, I would drive to Columbus every weekend and spend the whole time with them down at their campsite or wherever they were at. Each time they were eager to have me tag along and live their life for a few days. It was around this time that the story transformed from a school project to a personal project and personal relationship. Each visit brought something new whether it be a day of dumpster diving in the freezing cold, hanging out at a friend’s apartment, going to soup kitchens, or just “shooting the bobo” around the campfire as they would call it. Other notable times include visiting Bev in the hospital when she got an eye infection, and witnessing how much they truly care for each other or going with Del to see his daughter for the first time in ten years and his granddaughter for the first time ever. What really made this project special to me was how much they opened up to me and shared their incredible life stories with me. Towards the end of the quarter, Del and Bev got approved for section 8 housing and were finally going to be getting a roof over their heads. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the quarter and story with.

Throughout the project, I have been continually self-reflecting and comparing my lifestyle to theirs. After spending the night outside in a tent in below freezing temperatures, my room is no longer cold. My computer is no longer slow. My cafeteria food no longer tastes so bad. My college workload is no longer a huge pain in the ass. All of these things are privileges and I have come to recognize this. While I may be done shooting this story full time, I plan on visiting Bev and Del every time I’m in town and checking in with them every so often. I am grateful for my time spent with them and the incredible access they gave me.

James Roh is a photojournalist currently located in Athens, Ohio studying photojournalism and sociology at Ohio University. He is passionate about good visual story telling that aims to increase compassion and understanding. Aside from photography, James believes in equality, the environment, and good vibes. More of his work can be seen at www.JamesRoh.com

August Kryger is a graduate student in the photojournalism program at the University of Missouri. He received his bachelor of Journalism degree in 2007 from MU. Prior to beginning his graduate studies, he worked at the Courier-Times in Sedro-Woolley, WA and the Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon, WA as a photographer and staff writer. Currently he is interning at the St. Joseph News-Press. He has been recognized by College Photographer of the Year awards, the Washington Newspaper Association and the Missouri Press Association.

Photographs and text by August Kryger

Mary has been living in a single room in her daughter’s home in Chauncey, Ohio for a year and a half. She is hooked up to a catheter that must be emptied and cleaned fairly frequently. Besides having to take care of her mother, Pat Conor’s husband passed away in February of 2008. Pat has been through very hard times but still manages to keep a positive outlook on life.

Photographs and text by Dan Krauss.

This story was a two-day assignment in Saint Louis for The Missourian, University of Missouri’s newspaper, where I was on staff as part of a class. It was just one part of a bigger story about communal living, written by Besa Luci, a fellow reporter (here’s the link to her article http://www.voxmagazine.com/stories/2007/07/26/living-fringe/ ). It was a really short time for a story, which made it hard to get people to relax in our presence. They did, however, and I’m grateful for their trust.

Andrei Pungovschi is a photojournalist based in Bucharest, Romania. He received a BA in journalism from the University of Bucharest and then went on to study photojournalism at the University of Missouri, on a Fulbright scholarship.

His work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, College Photographer of the Year, The Missouri Press Association and Norhtweast Regional Emmy.

Photographs and text by Andrei Pungovschi

You can also view a multimedia version of this essay here
Drew Angerer is an ambitious young photographer studying photojournalism at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication. You can contact him at drew.angerer@gmail.com or view his portfolio at www.DrewAngerer.com

Photographs and text by Drew Angerer.

At the time, I was studying at the Danish School of Journalism in Århus for a semester and was drawn to this subculture after seeing some teens hanging out under a bridge in the center of the town. I went with them to an apartment they were squatting and would go with them to activist meetings. I heard about Ungdomshuset and knew something could happen, it was just a matter of time. So, the phone call came one morning around 7 AM before school. It was Daniel, sort of the leader of the group and the provider of shelter in exchange for beer or food. He said they were meeting at the train station to head to Copenhagen because the police began the raid. Their intentions were to prevent the loss of the house and were prepared to do anything in order to keep police out. By the time we arrived in the city about three hours later, the police had control of the building and set up a huge perimeter. Then the demonstrations began, leading to burning cars, molotov cocktails and cobble stones being hurdled everywhere. I went with my laptop, camera and two lenses, leaving the laptop locked in the train station figuring I would be sleeping on the street for the next couple days. This was my first time in a situation like this and I found myself running in to tear gas, wanting more. I want to continue to photograph and dig deeper into some of these people’s
lives, but can’t seem to get back to amazing Denmark.

John Tully graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May 2009 with a degree in Photojournalism. Currently a staff photographer at the Midland Daily News since September, John interned at The Free Lance-Star, The Patriot-News, and The Washington Times while in school. He enjoys the daily grind of newspapers and eventually wants to end up at a place that can send him to cover international news or base himself somewhere as a correspondent. Growing up in a military family moving around every three years, he can’t sit still and is always searching for something. He also thinks it’s weird referring to himself in the third person. Thank you.

Photographs and Text by John Tully

This story comes out of a search for a photo column I was working on in Missouri, and has turned into something I want to return to again and again. For most of my daily work, I shoot stories that follow a narrative, or touch on a series of points that need to made about the subject’s life. This project doesn’t feel like that; it’s not a linear
progression. While I was working on it I relished the chance to shoot and gradually try and make sense of the story, rather than shoot a series of images to fill in holes in a pre-existing structure. As I started working on it, Brenda Ann Keneally came to Missouri for POYi, and over dinner we had a brief talk about how you know what the ’story’ of your story is. She encouraged me to embrace the uncertainty and just to keep shooting, and I did and still do. It should be said too that I fell in love with this family, and my heart rises and falls with their achievements and disappointments. They just moved into their grandfather’s farmhouse, and I can’t wait to make the trip to Missouri and see what their lives are like now.

Amanda Lucier graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Reed College with a degree in Political Science and is finishing her Master’s degree in Photojournalism at the University of Missouri. Currently an intern at The Herald in Jasper, Ind., Amanda was Indiana News Photographer of the Year, won First Place Portrait in POYi, was Runner-Up 2008 College Photographer of the Year, and won an assignment at the Eddie Adams Workshop in October. Her Master’s Project, a five-part series of stories related to the 2008 presidential election won First Place in POYi for Newspaper Special Series, and Indiana News Photographers Association’s John Ahlhauser Award and Community Awareness Award. She is headed to the Dallas Morning News for an internship this summer. She loves local stories, long drives, feature hunts, the 4-H Fair and community journalism.

- Amanda Lucier