ARTIST: BILL SNEAD

View gallery page

Bill Snead's round trip in life from Lawrence, Kansas, and back made several interesting stops. He began his journalism career at the Lawrence Journal-World at age 17 while attending Lawrence High school. That was in 1954. Bill helped in the dark room, ran the engraving machine, copied photos for the society page and later became a one-man photo staff. He replaced his mentor, Rich Clarkson.

In 1958 after completing his studies at the University of Kansas, Bill joined the photo staff of the Topeka Capital-Journal, moved to the Wilmington, Delaware News-Journal as photo director, was greeted in Vietnam by the 1968 Tet Offensive. He worked there for nearly two years both as a photographer and as photo bureau manager for United Press International. He was later named photo bureau manager for UPI Chicago, moving from there to the National Geographic as a picture editor.

In 1972 he was hired by the Washington Post as Assistant Managing Editor/Photo and Graphics. In 1992, Bill wanted back on the street, and as a staff photographer. He was later named White House Photographer of the Year and was a runner up for a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Kurds fleeing Iraq.

In 1993, after 21 years at the Post, Bill returned to Lawrence where he ran the Journal-World news room. When he left the newspaper in 2007 he was senior editor, writing stories and making photographs for their print and on line editions.

Since early 2007, Bill has produced writing, video, photographs and audio for the Washington Post's web sites and print editions working out of his home in Lawrence and in Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

In his more than 50 years as a journalist his work has been published world wide.

Bill has been recognized with countless awards in his long career for still photography, writing, and on-line media content. If anyone gives a damn, he has never applied for employment. For Bill, that's just the way good turns to great. His website is www.billsnead.net.