Do1Thing Blog

Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Leeson has been on staff at the Dallas Morning News since 1984. He has also worked for the Abilene Reporter News and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.

His assignments have taken him to more than 60 countries and numerous world conflicts.

He was a finalist for the Pulitzer three times prior to winning the award in 2004 along with colleague Cheryl Diaz Meyer for photographs made in March and April 2003 while on the front lines with the US Army 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq. He has also won two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and numerous regional, state and national awards.

In the fall of 2000, he began shooting video for the Dallas Morning News making him the first staff photographer in the nation shooting video full-time for a newspaper. Since then he has completed more than seven documentary films.

Two of his documentaries from the war also won honors. War Stories (2003) won a National Headliners award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award and a regional Emmy Award for best television documentary.  Dust to Dust (2004) was named a finalist for best short film at the USA Film Festival. He won a second Emmy in 2007 as producer/editor of combat footage from Afghanistan.

In 2006, Leeson was named Innovator of the Year in Photojournalism by American Photo magazine for his work using frame grabs for newspaper daily still assignments. The results of his efforts have culminated in the growing trend by newspapers to use existing photo staff, transitioned to high definition video cameras, to obtain both video and stills (frame grabs) from a single assignment.

Leeson is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, is married and has five children.

View David’s Work

William Snyder, a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist has traveled many miles and covered a myriad of assignments.

He began shooting photographs for The Gleaner in his hometown of Henderson, KY at the age of 14 and rode his bicycle to assignments or hitched a ride with his mother.

He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with highest honors and a BS in photography and finished fourth in The College Photographer of the Year.

Snyder began working for The Miami News in 1981 where he covered many of the city’s major news stories – riots, Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl, Haitian boat people, and space shuttle launches.

In 1983 Snyder moved to The Dallas Morning News. In the 15 years he was a photographer at The News, he covered the first democratic elections in Haiti and Romania, the explosion of the Shuttle Challenger, the ’91 coup attempt in the Soviet Union, the re-unification of Germany, healthcare in the US federal prison system, hunger in Dallas, MLK streets across the US, AIDS orphans in Romania, AIDS in Uganda and Thailand, illegal immigration in Russia and the Czech Republic, cotton farmers in Nicaragua, seal hunting in Newfoundland, Summer Olympics in Barcelona and Atlanta, Winter Olympics in Calgary, Albertville and Nagano, two NCAA Final Fours, two Super Bowls, two Republican Conventions and the re-emergence of religion across Russia while traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railroad,

He has won four Pulitzer Prizes.

• In 1989 Snyder and two colleagues were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism for their special section detailing how the National Transportation Safety Board conducts an investigation.

• In 1991 Snyder was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for photographs depicting the inhumane treatment of orphans in Romania’s “home for the irrecoverables.”
  

• In 1993 Snyder and a fellow photographer were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photography for their work at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

• In 2006, as Director of Photography, Snyder guided The Dallas Morning News’ staff to the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
  

He has also won numerous awards from The National Press Photographers Association, Associated Press Managing Editors, Society of Newspaper Design, Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, Dallas Press Club, The Texas Headliners, Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Olympic Photo Committee.

Other honors include:

• Recruited as a lecturer for the Independent Journalism Foundation (Sponsored by NYT & Knight Ridder) in Romania & the Czech Republic.
• Lectured and taught at 20+ seminars and universities, including: Eddie Adams Workshop, Mountain Peoples Workshop, NPPA Flying Short Course and National Convention, Northern Short Course, Southern Short Course, Atlanta Seminar, SMU, Baylor U., Michigan U., RIT, Austin College & Savannah College of Art & Design.
• Twice nominated for CARE-Dallas Humanitarian Award.
• Chosen as Rochester Institute of Technology’s Outstanding Alumnus.
• Served on Pulitzer Prize Jury for Photography.
• Selected as the inaugural Dan Burke Fellow for the University of Michigan’s Professional Journalism Fellowship program where he studied   African-American history and Eastern European/Russian History.
• Produced “Eyes of The Storm”, 256-page book published by Taylor Trade featuring DMN photography. The profits were donated to hurricane victims.
  

His freelance clients include Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Computer Reseller, Allstate Insurance Co., New York Times Sunday Magazine, Pinnacle Sports Cards, USA Today, Visual Media, Inc. and The Who.

View William’s work