In this special ONPA Convention Episode (Part I) of the Buckeye Visualist, host Lori King speaks with LA Times roving foreign correspondent Marcus Yam, who took us back to when and where his award-winning photojournalism career began -- at his school newspaper at the University at Buffalo, which led him to his first photojournalism job at the Buffalo News.

Formally of Malaysia, Yam's long and twisting journey to the LA Times is one of grit, perseverance and luck. It includes multiple newspaper internships, a successful freelance gig at the New York Times and a short stint at the Seattle Times, where he won one of his three Pulitzer Prizes for breaking news photography.

Yam was the keynote speaker at this year's ONPA Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Not only did he show his amazing work, which includes his stories documenting wildfires in California, the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the deadly landslide in Oso, Washington, and the fall of Afghanistan, which earned him his first solo Pulitzer for Breaking News Photography, he also made time for portfolio reviews.

He also won the NPPA 2022 Photojournalist of the Year - Large Market. His winning portfolio includes his work on the Gaza border.

Yam is candid about his broken relationship with his family due to his career choice, living out of a suitcase for the past three years, and how being backstage at concerts initially ignited his love for visual storytelling.

Part II of this special edition of the Buckeye Visualist features longtime ONPA leaders Kimberly Barth, director of the ONPA Board, and ONPA webmaster Bob DeMay, who are both retired from the Akron Beacon Journal. Also featured is Ohio University photojournalism professor Stan Alost and two of his photojournalism students. Go here to listen to Part II.

Social media: Twitter @yamphoto⁠ | Instagram ⁠@⁠⁠yam photo⁠ | Website at ⁠marcusyam.com⁠

The Buckeye Visualist is brought to you by the ⁠Ohio News Photographers Association