Nick O.
Phoenix, AZ, USA
$850 - $1500
As someone who came to this country from India, I try to reveal parts of America that may seem ordinary to many at first but that, once exposed, touch the soul. I strive to bring intimacy and beauty to every story that I cover – whether in still or video photography, print or online. This point of view has served me well as I have built a strong track record for both enterprise work and breaking news stories in the communities where I have worked. Before coming to Arizona, I worked in Georgia for nine years. While there, I documented the lives of migrant farmworkers and followed the state National Guard, who was at the time preparing for war in Iraq. I traveled to Iraq twice and also responded to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, where I was part of a Pulitzer Prize winning team covering the gruesome aftermath of the storm. Now here at the Arizona Republic, I am currently working on a number of projects in addition to my daily assignments. I am working to tell the stories of undocumented Mexican families juxtaposed with the frequent use of excessive force by the Border Patrol and the complexity of the movement to reform immigration laws and policies. Our in-depth project has put a lot of pressure on the Department of Homeland Security and I believe it is part of the reason that they have written a new book of policies on how to respond to migrants encountered in the desert. I have also been asked to cover a number of ongoing social issues including Arizona’s embattled Child Protective Services department, laws that target the LGBTQ community and heroin use in our region. These special projects often require me to dedicate personal time in order to do them justice, but the work is worthwhile as it feeds my passion for the craft of photojournalism and telling compelling stories.ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS Rocky Mountain Emmy Award 2011-2012 - “Saving Arizona's Children" Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Part of the 2006 (Biloxi, Miss.) Sun Herald team covering Hurricane Katrina Pictures of the Year International 2013 Award of Excellence, News Picture Story 2015 Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism “Pipeline of Children” and “Revisiting the Pipeline” 4 times Arizona Photographers of the Year
- Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
- News Shooter / Video Journalist
- Video Editor - News
- Video Editor - Documentary
- Video Editor - Commercial