Jeff Hutchens
Photographer
Jeff Hutchens was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1978. The son of an American diplomat, he spent his childhood throughout the U.S. and across China, South Africa, and the Philippines.
Hutchens has shot professionally on six continents, where he's faced grizzly bears, lava floes, Komodo Dragons, and all manner of corrupt officials. From work on the surreality of life in China, to documenting underground epidemics in the jungles of central Africa, and photographing polar bears in the Arctic Circle, he captures images that convey transcendent moods and subtle beauty.
Hutchens was recognized as one of "PDN's 30" (2009) and has won multiple awards in the World Press Photo competition, National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Best Of Photojournalism competition, Pictures Of The Year (POYi) and Communication Arts (CA). He is represented by Reportage by Getty Images and Orchard Represents and lives in Washington, D.C. when not on assignment.
Jeff participated in the June 2009 MediaStorm Storytelling Workshop. He had the following to say about his experience:
The absolute highlight of the week was working with both the fantastic folks at MediaStorm and the high-caliber of participants they brought in. One of the most surprising but effective techniques I'll take home was the emphasis on the radio edit as the primary backbone of the story. It's a shift in perspective when you come from a primarily visual background, but an extremely powerful one.
Ulaanbaatar. N'Djamena. Ankara. Kyoto. Manaus. Kolkata. Pittsburgh.
Once you leave, no one knows you were there.
One evening, David Sheets read a story about a new basketball arena proposed for his neighborhood. Then he realized the plans were drawn right over his house. Hold Out is the story of a few neighbors who haven't been very easily dislodged.
"Three Women" is a fictional film about women in pain, struggling to make sense of their lives. It is a series of stories reduced to their emotional essence. This is a fictional piece but one that is also true.