New photographers at LAT

To: The Staff
From: Colin Crawford, Assistant Managing Editor

I am pleased to make the following announcements about staff changes in Photo:

Senior Photo Editor/ Rob St. John

California Photo Editor Robert St. John has been promoted to the position of Senior Photo Editor/California. Since 1998, Rob has been an integral part of the California section, planning daily and project coverage throughout the state. He has coordinated our visual coverage of numerous major events throughout the region including the Pulitzer Prize winning California brushfire series, the Democratic convention, the recall campaign for Governor. Rob's strong editing skills and well developed relationships with photographers also make him one of our most valuable editors." The Vanishing Class " and "Surprise in the Ring" series are just two examples of his work on projects that demonstrate his wide ranging abilities. Rob's experience across all sections of the paper, from photo editing the Academy Awards to helping coordinate and edit our Rose Bowl coverage, makes him one of the photography department's most valuable assets.

Rob joined the Los Angeles Times in 1998 as a photo assignment editor for the California section. He came to the Times after four years at the Detroit Free Press where he was deputy director of photography. Prior to becoming a photo editor, he spent five years as a photographer at the Ventura County Star. Rob, a former Times intern, holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Long Beach State and completed graduate work in journalism through Ohio University.

Please join me in congratulating Rob on his promotion.

Photo Editor/Jeremiah Bogert
Jeremiah Bogert Jr. will be joining our staff as a picture editor in December. Jeremiah previously worked for the Times as a national, foreign and business photo editor from 1995 until 1998, when he left to take a job with The New York Times. Over the course of nine years at the NYT, Jeremiah worked on the metro, national and sports picture desks. He was the assignment editor for the NYT's Pulitzer Prize winning coverage of the World Trade Center attacks and covered the Winter Olympics in Turin and both Republican and Democratic conventions for the 2004 presidential elections. He recently left the NYT to take a job as Senior News Editor for Getty Images where he coordinated visual coverage for national news and enterprise stories and worked on multimedia projects for international clients. His versatility and breadth of talent will be a great addition to the best picture editing staff in the country. Jeremiah holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University, and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. Jeremiah will be starting Dec. 3rd.

Photographer/Jay Clendenin

Jay Clendenin, a freelance photographer based in Washington, DC, will be joining the Times as a staff photographer. Jay is considered to be one of the top feature and portrait photographers in the country and has earned numerous awards from the National Press Photographer's Association> , Pictures of the Year International and the White House News Photographer's Association. After graduating from San Jose State with a journalism degree, Jay began his career as a photographer at the Hartford Courant, where his energy and quest for knowledge was put to use as one of the paper's first fully digital photographers. His breadth of talent, and knack for unique storytelling images, were spread across all sections of the Courant. In the spring of 2002, Jay left the Courant, to launch his career in freelance photography. Moving to Washington DC., he joined Polaris Images and entered the worlds of politics and news magazines. His clients include Time, Newsweek, Wired, People as well as many foreign publications. Most recently many of you may have seen his work on children's fashion in West Magazine. Jay will start October 22nd.

Photographer/Liz O. Baylen

Liz O. Baylen, a freelance photographer based in New York, will be joining The Times as a staff photographer. A native of Ohio, Liz graduated with honors from Ohio University's School of Visual Communications in 2001, and began her career at the Washington Times. During her five years at the Times, she concentrated on in-depth photo essays, specializing in covering psychological trauma, and in the process has become a leading chronicler of mental health issues. Liz left the Washington Times to pursue a freelance career. Liz's unique eye has made her a regular contributor to several sections of our paper, most notably our Calendar section, where her entertainment photography has greatly enhanced our visual coverage of Broadway and entertainment figures on the East Coast. Despite being relatively new to the world of freelance photography, she has quickly developed a client base that includes The New York Times, Financial Times and numerous European magazines. Her assignments have taken her around the world to locations including Lebanon, Korea, the Caucauses, and Guantanamo Bay. While with the Washington Times, Liz was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her contribution to the staff's coverage of the DC sniper in 2002. Liz has also won numerous awards for her work including multiple honors in the Best of Photojournalism and Pictures of the Year International competitions and the White House News Photographers association. Liz will start Nov. 19th.

Please join me in welcoming them to our staff.