Justin J. Yurkanin

2002 Student Winner

1st place

Justin Yurkanin is a photojournalist dedicated to documenting social issues shaping our times. His thought-provoking images depicting intimate moments in his subject’s lives are the signatures of his award-winning work. Witnessing history as it unfolds in front of him, Yurkanin renders the troubling circumstances happening to people both locally and internationally.

Yurkanin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1980. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in photojournalism, and he is currently the multimedia producer at Stephens Media Interactive in Las Vegas.

Yurkanin was one of 18 photographers whose work was featured in the March 2006 exhibit Eyes on the World at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This exhibit traveled to China, Japan, the United Kingdon, Turkey and France, where it was part of Visa pour L’Image, an annual exhibition that displays the year’s best photojournalism. The collection was also published in the book titled “Eyes on the World.” He has won the prestigious Alexia Foundation photographic grant as well as numerous journalism awards. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, The Los Angeles Times, People Magazine and numerous other publications.

Yurkanin recently documented several issues in the Philippines, including overcrowded prisons, abandoned street boys and the plight of the indigenous Aeta people. Also, he traveled to Haiti (2006) to tell the story of orphans whose adoptions were put on hold because of the region’s corruption and violence.

Between stories, Yurkanin works on daily assignments and multimedia projects for Stephens Media Interactive, and is currently researching grant opportunities to return to Sudan and document the hundreds of thousands of people flowing back into the country from refugee camps in neighboring Kenya.

“I believe the work of documentary photojournalists still has an important place in today’s society. Our work can have an positive impact on people’s lives.”