More than any other medium, photojournalism has likely shaped our image of the world. We all remember Eddie Adam’s Vietnam photo of Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner, Joe Rosenthal’s image Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, and Jeff Widener’s Tiananmen Square image titled The Unknown Rebel with vivid clarity. Steve McCurry’s portrait, Afghan Girl, is one of National Geographic’s most notable cover images, while memory of Yousuf Karsh’s portrait of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill hasn’t faded since 1941. Even sports fans easily recall iconic moments based on a single image, like Bob Thomas’s image of Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal.

In fact, all of the above images were so popular that photographer Mike Stimpson recreated these photojournalists work using nothing but Lego.

Simply put, photojournalism defines our lives and its influence continues today. These five photographers vary widely in fame and exposure; however, they each strive to document, report and tell compelling stories with as few words as possible:

Joel Sartore – Sartore began his photojournalism career at the Wichita Eagle newspaper but quickly landed an assignment with National Geographic. Since then, he’s remained a freelancer but his career remains tied to numerous National Geographic assignments, including Madidi: Bolivia’s Spectacular National Park (March 2000) and, his personal favorite, In Search of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (December 2006).

He has also been published in other mainstream magazines, including Audobon, Life, Newsweek, and Time. His work as a conservation photographer has earned him several awards, most recently the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2010 Photographer of the Year, and a fellowship with the International League of Conservation Photographers.

His most recent book project, Rare: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species culminates a multi-year project documenting the world’s vanishing biodiversity without leaving America. The stunning studio portraits are both unexpected and unbelievably personal.

Garth Lenz – Although Lenz is a new Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, his work has been published in Wildlife Magazine, The New York Times Sunday Edition, Time Magazine, and Sierra Magazine, among many others. His largest success came early in his career. As an advocate against clear-cut logging in British Columbia’s temperate rainforest, Lenz coupled his photography with public speaking during an overseas tour in the USA, Europe and Japan. He helped develop the international campaign that was instrumental in the conservation of Clayoquot Sound.

His recent work continues to feature stunning landscapes with an environmental edge but the focus has shifted to the boreal region of Canada and the Alberta Tar Sands. He won Awards and both the Prix de la Photographie Paris and International Photography Awards in 2008.

Mitchell Kanashkevich – Part Getty Image shooter, part portrait photographer, travel photographer Kanashkevich admits that his photography subjects vary widely but his aim is always the same: to capture the human element. In fact, it’s hard to find a single image on his website that doesn’t feature a personal moment with a human subject.

His portfolio collections, which include a Kusti – Traditional Mud Wrestling and Rabari – an intimate look at the last of India’s wandering shepherds, highlight an thorough knowledge of ambient light. It’s a talent he isn’t shy about sharing; he markets two ebooks that teach both his techniques with natural light and his post-processing work flow. He also hosts occasional workshops, which offer incredible value when the one student limit is considered.

Tatiana Cardeal – Self-advertised as a photojournalist, visual artist, and dreamer, Cardeal spent a decade working as an art director and designer for several Brazilian magazines and newspapers before becoming a full-time photographer.  Today, she specializes in long-term documentary projects that focus on social, educational and environmental issues with a number of NGO’s, including Childhood Foundation, UN Institute for Disarmament, and OXFAM International.

Her work with indigenous cultures in Brazil stands out from a diverse portfolio that houses award-winning work from China, Africa, and Latin America. She isn’t afraid to share outstanding work either, as her Flickr photostream shows off nearly 1000 images that should inspire any up-and-coming photojournalist.

Carlos Diaz – Diaz was a mechanical engineer before he abandoned his day job, nearly a decade ago, to become a travel photographer in Latin America. His goal was to photograph its people, cultures and landscapes and the resulting images are proof of his dedication.

His strength at creating stand-alone documentary images makes his work different than most photojournalists, but his recent post Solsticio de Invierno provides a glimpse of what this rising photographer can produce. Both WIN-Initiative and Agora Gallery currently market his work for collectors and organizations that encourage social awareness and environmental issues.

He is also working to increase his web presence. He just launched a blog, which should attract some popularity if 100 photos on Flickr’s Explore pages is any indication.

• Travel Photographer Jeff Bartlett offers more than just images. He regularly combines his travel photography with written feature articles. He uses SEO optimized writing techniques for online material, while producing fresh copy for print publications. He can be contacted at jeff@photojbartlett.com.

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