Still Photojournalism Division Judges

Kimberly P. Mitchell

Kimberly P. Mitchell received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in photography and a minor in sociology while attending the University of Missouri-Columbia. Kimberly went on to intern at the San Jose Mercury News and the Detroit Free Press, later joining the Free Press staff in 2005. At the Free Press, Kimberly developed a strong commitment to creating socio-economic change through dynamic, storytelling photography and video.

Dee Dwyer

Dee Dwyer is a diversified Photographer from Southeast, Washington, D.C who produces awe-inspiring images. She has been anointed by her community as "The Visual Voice for the People”. Her goal is to show all aspects of human life with the primary focus being humanity. Dee Dwyer’s raw and compelling candids unveil the souls of people. The images expose many subject’s truth, adversities, beauty, and culture. Receiving her BFA in Filmmaking and Digital Production helped to develop her keen eye and technical skills. Her work has been shown in exhibitions such as PhotoSCHWEIZ, Photoville, Catchlight amongst many others and featured in publications such as Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BET, The Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek and more. Dee Dwyer currently resides in Washington, DC with her two children.

Jon Lowenstein

Jon Lowenstein specializes in long-term, in-depth documentary explorations that confront the realms of power, poverty, and violence. Through the combination of filmmaking, photography, experiential writing and personal testimonials, he strives for unsparing clarity by revealing the subjects of history that lack voice. Lowenstein’s commitment to social justice through community engagement runs both deep and long.

Lowenstein is best known for his work documenting the migrant trail from Central America and Mexico to the United States. His photographic monograph Shadow Lives portrays the real stories of the men and women who make up the largest transnational migration in world history. This project, unique in its breadth and intimate scope forces the viewer to engage with the impact of America’s punitive immigration and economic policies on some of the United States’ most vulnerable populations. His TED talk on the subject has more than 2 million views and the work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine as well as many other outlets.

Lowenstein has been recognized widely for his work including being named a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow and a Guggenheim Fellow in Photography. He won the Dorothea Lange/Paul Taylor Prize. He is a Nikon European Ambassador and he is member and owner of the NOOR Images cooperative based in Amsterdam.

The' Pham

The' Pham left South Vietnam in 1975. Halfway through his engineering degree, he broke his parents’ hearts by switching to journalism and went on to graduate at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. After 10 years on the street as a visual journalist at various newspapers, he became a photo editor at the Wilmington (NC) Star-News. When he arrived at the Star-News, the morale in the department was low. Their love for visual telling had faded away. He worked hard to rebuild their confidence, instilled a higher standard and work ethics. Within 1-1/2 years, the staff won North Carolina Staff Photography and Clips Photographer of the Year. The' then went on to become Deputy Director of Photography at the Charlotte Observer, the Kansas City Star and the Houston Chronicle. He became Director of Photography at the Virginian-Pilot and then returned as a visual editor to the Charlotte Observer. His father once told him "If you give a man a fish, he'll feed his family for a day, but, if you teach him how to fish, he'll feed his family for the rest of his life." That story has played a big part in The's life. He applies its philosophy in his daily life and advocates it in the workplace. He leads by example, hard work, valuing others' ideas and will not let fear of failure block his path.