Photographer John H. White shares “PJ” love with students, area photojournalists

In 1958 photographer Art Kane shot his iconic picture "A Great Day in Harlem" featuring jazz greats assembled on the stoop of a Harlem apartment building. Getting everyone together for the photo was so tricky that it is the subject of a documentary.

On Saturday April 14th, 2007, Pulitzer-prize winning photographer John White and Columbia College Chicago photojournalism or "PJ" students as they refer to themselves, assembled a group of photojournalists from far and wide to show work and talk to students and the public. An effort to take a group photo proved almost as elusive as the day in Harlem, as the group tried to find a space large enough to hold them all, eventually spilling out onto Wabash and taking the shot at Wabash and Congress.

Group tries a hallway, but it is too small. Photo by B. Iverson

Group moves outside and deed is done. Photo by B.Iverson

The official sessions featured Tasos Katopodis, Columbia alum and freelance photographer; Eric Unger, alum, Pulitzer Prize winner, and staff photographer at Crain's Chicago Business; and Pablo Martinez Monsivais, alum, Pulitzer-prize winner and AP photographer who is in the White House pool these days and was the event's keynote speaker.

The "Women in Photojournalism" panel featured Stacey Westcott of The Chicago Tribune; Laura Stoecker of The Daily Herald; freelancer Stacie Freudenberg; Iwona Bieder Mann, director of Dreambox Foto Gallery; and moderator Barbara Iverson, faculty member in Journalism Columbia College's journalism department.

More than 70 photographers, photojournalists and other folks with an interest in photography filled the Journalism Department's mini-auditorium at 33 E. Congress for the day-long event. Student photojournalists from Columbia and other schools around the Chicago-area rubbed elbows with veteran professional photojournalists, including Bob Black, Jason Han and Karen Kring. Kathy de Foe got an award for traveling the farthest as she came to town from Minneapolis.

John White presented slides and spoke on "The Soul of Photojournalism." He emphasized that all the photos he showed were taken near the Loop and Columbia College, and that a good "PJ" could take the mundane, humanize it and make outstanding pictures.

There were raffle prizes donated by Central Camera all day. But the highlight came at the end of the event when the winners of the juried Portfolio contest were announced. Runner-up Réne Edde won a week-long freelance opportunity at Pioneer Press.

First prize, a PAID internship at Crain's Chicago business, a John H. White print and a portfolio critique by Eric Unger went to Tina Wagner.

You can join the photojournalism students' listserv and get more information from their blog.