There have been so many times that I’ve made a mental note that I need to include more photojournalism on the show, only to have a mental dog eat my homework. Finally, today, I am checking that off the list.

Still, if I’m being honest, it wasn’t my mental note that made this show happen. It was a series of events that include an email, a referral, and a conference.

It ends out that today’s guest had reached out to me directly back in August of last year. His email started with “Hey Steve. I have been a loyal listener to your podcast for years. It’s been my favorite photo-related podcast by far. I’d love to be featured on your show.”, but unfortunately at the time I wasn’t in need of any guests – I try not to book too far out these days. Still, I checked out his work and figured someday I needed to follow up.

Then, a few months ago, my buddy Kersten Luts, of the Camera Shake Podcast, mentioned a guest that he’d had on his show, and suggested I should get him on my show. When he mentioned the name, Kevin Painchaud, I had the feeling I had heard of him. Still, I was a bit busy at that point, so I didn’t really pursue it. Which brings us to the conference part of the story…

In February I want to Imaging USA in Texas, mainly to see some friends, like Larry and the gang from Platypod, and Kersten, who was traveling in from London. While there I met Kevin, and that meeting finally got this show off the ground.

Kevin is a photojournalist for Lookout Santa Cruz, or more to the point he’s THE photojournalist for the all digital daily news organization. His road to, and through, photojournalism is an interesting one. He fell in love with photography in High School, but then, just shy of his 16th birthday, he was a passenger in a car that hit a tree and rolled down a hill. Kevin ended up badly injured, and in a coma for four days. He woke up on his 16th birthday with a new found gratitude to be alive, and an appreciation for people and their stories.

Fast forward to 2023, when Santa Cruz County was battered by relentless atmospheric rivers, and destruction as a result, and Lookout Santa Cruz’s newsroom of 10 people was tasked with documenting the devastation and providing critical updates. A year later, that hard work would pay off. The Managing editor, Tamsin McMahon, had spent weeks secretly compiling all the articles, photos, and videos, to create a beautiful timeline of their coverage. Why? She was entering the coverage for a chance at the Pulitzer Prize. That had to be one hell of a Zoom meeting when she told the staff, that had no clue she’d done this, that they had won.

Now, with 25 years of experience, Kevin has shot for numerous magazines and newspapers, and his work has been featured on prominent news outlets including ABC News, CBS, The Washington Post, NPR, CNN, and MSNBC. His videos were also featured on ABC’s World News Tonight.

Kevin has produced several feature films, directed TV show pilots, and even earned an Emmy nomination for his music-focused TV show, Muzic on the Edge. One of Kevin’s projects that really intrigues me is that he directed PSAs for Aerosmith.

Join Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Kevin Painchaud and me as we discuss his road to photojournalism, and as we dissect his award winning image of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, on this Behind the Shot.

Portfolio: kevinpainchaud.com

Shumel Thaler: shmuelthaler.com | @shmuelthaler