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ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

President: John Harrington, Freelance VICE PRESIDENT: Paul Morris, Freelance Treasurer: Jon Elswick, The Associated Press Secretary: Ron Sachs, Consolidated News TV Rep: Fletcher Johnson, ABC Ed Eaves, NBC Pierre Kattar, washingtonpost.com Charlie McDonald, National Geographic Channel Stills Rep: Toni Sandy, The Washington Post Matthew Cavanaugh, EPA Allison Shelley, Freelance

Contest Chair, Still Photography Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images Contest Chair, TV Pege Gilgannon, WJLA-TV CONTEST CHAIR, NEW MEDIA Pierre Kattar, washingtonpost.com History Chair & High School Seminar Mike Geissenger, Freelance Education Chair Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP Dinner Co-Chairs: Ed Eaves, NBC Jon Elswick, The Associated Press Sponsorship Committee: President, Dennis Brack, Black Star Vice President, Ed Eaves, NBC

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HISTORY OF THE WHNPA

Watch a 3:37 minute video produced for WHNPA "The Eyes of  History" 2005 gala, narrated by host Joe Scarborough and hosted by washingtonpost.com. The clip features an overview of the Association's history, along with archival footage of such memorable events as the destruction of the Hindenberg, Harry Truman the morning after he won surprise re-election, President Johnson lifting his dog by the ears, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, and other once-in-a-lifetime events covered by WHNPA still and video photographers.

In the early 1920s, when motion and still photographers started covering Washington newsmakers, the coverage was restricted and access to the business of government was limited. Even the speaker of the House of Representatives, Frederick Gillett, issued an order "denying photographers entry without written permission of the building superintendent."

As a result, 17 camera and motion-picture photographers who covered the daily activities of the president and the White House organized the White House News Photographers Association on June 13, 1921. Recognition of the organization came immediately as President Warren Harding set aside the first pressroom for photographers. The rest of official Washington soon followed and permitted access to events. The WHNPA's main goal is to protect and promote photographers' interests in pursuing their mission.

Since the beginning of the association, our members have been covering events and activities of major world importance, traveling with presidents, photographing royalty, diplomats and newsmakers. They have been at the forefront of video and photographic technology, and they have recorded some of the world's greatest moments.

Through the years, many of these images have become part of history. We may not know the historic significance of the images captured today, but history will. We know that history can be forever changed in the split second that a photographer decides to press the shutter or start the camera rolling; it is the defining moment that blends art with information.

In 1941, the association established an annual contest bringing forward the best of the best in photojournalism. The WHNPA now recognizes four top awards annually: Photographer of the Year, Television Photographer of the Year, Television Editor of the Year and Political Photo of the Year.

Today, readers and television viewers all over the world rely on our members for interesting, accurate and responsible coverage of the president, Congress and major news events in Washington and around the world. On any given day, anywhere in the world, if you read a newspaper or news magazine, or watch the news on television or look online, you will see an image captured by a member of the White House News Photographers Association. While you may not know our members, you see their work every day. We are `The Eyes of History™.'

Did you know that President Harry S. Truman was a member of the WHNPA?
Read more about it...

IN MEMORIAM

REMEBRANCES of our deceased friends and colleagues are posted on the members news in memoriam page

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Membership and participation on WHNPA committees and projects provide a very rewarding way to support the community and the profession.

Download a MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (PDF), or for more information, call 202-785-5230 or write:
WHITE HOUSE NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION
7119 Ben Franklin Station, Washington, D.C. 20044-7119

BY-LAWS

WHNPA membership requirements and sponsorship rules are detailed in our association by-laws. Before submitting an application for membership, please download and read the BY-LAWS (PDF)

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GRANTS PROGRAM

The Education Committee and the Executive Board are pleased to announce professional enrichment grants available to members of the White House News Photographers' Association. The  educational opportunities include:

• A $10000 PROJECT GRANT
• A $250 SEMINAR GRANT
• A $250 LECTURE GRANT

Review some recent grants, learn more about the ongoing program, and download a grant application

2008

PROJECT GRANT -- MARY CALVERT

Mary Calvert, staff photographer for The Washington Times, has been chosen as the recipient of the White House News Photographers Association 2008 Project Grant. The grant, recently increased to $10,000, with a matching amount from PNY Technologies Inc., will fund “Forgotten Victims: Rape as a Tool of War”, which Calvert plans to produce in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been engulfed in on-again-off-again warfare for years. Recent fighting in the eastern Congo has sparked fears of a civil war in the country - known as Zaire for several decades and originally named the Belgian Congo. The Second Congo War that began in 1998 is sometimes referred to as the “African World War” and despite the 2003 peace accords, fighting continues in eastern Congo - where the prevalence and intensity of rape and other sexual violence has been described as the worst in the world. The war is the world’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War with more than five million people killed. “Ugly topic, but a story that needs to be told,” said WHNPA education committee chairman Leighton Mark in announcing the award. “Not only do we wish Mary the best of luck with her project, but we hope she stays safe. The Congo has been a nasty place for a long time. We know she’ll return with stellar photos.”Read more about Mary's work and see a slideshow of some of her compelling images in the WHNPA MEMBER GALLERY.

 

2007
WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO JAMIE ROSE

Read about Jamie Rose's project "Isolated: On the front lines with MSF in Northern Uganda” is about the doctors, nurses and aid workers of Medicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) and their work in the in the refugee camps in northern Uganda as they work to provide medical services to the 1.3 million refugees in the 20-year-long war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (the rebels) and the Ugandan military.

2006
WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO CHRIS USHER

Read about Chris Usher's project, which tracks the lives of Gulf Coast residents
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and view a slideshow of this powerful work.

2005
WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO SUSANA RAAB

Washington, D.C. (November 11, 2005) Freelance photographer Susana Raab has been selected as the
winner of the White House News Photographers Association 2005 Project Grant.

Her project, "Consumed: The Culture and Legacy of Fast Food in the United States," examines the culture and the legacy of fast food production in the United States, focusing on four aspects of the multi-billion-dollar fast food industry: Marketing and advertising; the labor force - the largest outside of the U.S. government; obesity in the nation as a side-effect of fast food over consumption and the impact of the industry on the national landscape. READ MORE...

2004
WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO LAURA SIKES

Washington, DC (December 1, 2004) Laura Sikes, a freelance photographer living in Alexandria, Virginia, has been chosen the recipient of the WHNPA 2004 Project Grant by the WHNPA Education Committee.

Her project, "Poor From the Start", will document the lives of the residents of DeSoto County, Florida who were struck by Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne during the summer. DeSoto County has a diverse population, but U.S. Census Bureau dat shows almost 25% of the nearly 34,000 people live below the poverty level - and that was before the hurricanes of 2004.

"Although Florida newspapers will undoubtedly do a great deal of coverage of the reconstruction, I image it will almost all be local and Laura's approach will offer a look at one small, primarily agricultural region that was slammed by Mother Nature," WHNPA Education Committee Chairman Leighton Mark said.  "The grant will not only assist Laura in her project but will provide a national stage showing what these people are going through to put their lives back together."

--- 2004 SPRING LECTURE GRANT ---The WHNPA Education Committee has chosen Associated Press photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais as the recipient of the 2004 Spring Lecture Grant. Pablo will be returning to Columbia College–his alma mater in Chicago–to discuss photojournalism in Washington and in particular at the White House.

2003

WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO VIVIAN RONAY
(WASHINGTON, D.C. Jan. 2, 2004) Washington freelance photographer Vivian Ronay has won the White House News Photographers Association $5,000 Project Grant for her story on five Bedouin tribes living near the ancient trading city of Petra in Jordan. The $5,000 grant will be used to facilitate the completion of Ronay’s photographic exhibit, "The Beduin Tribes of Petra.” Ronay’s photographs document the transition of the Bedouin tribes people from their traditional pastoral lifestyle to that of a market economy and with modern amenities such as electricity and mass media, plumbing and cell phones. Petra, built nearly 2,000 years ago, is on the crossroads of the ancient frankincense trade route from Oman to Damascus and on the Silk Road connecting Asia to the Mediterranean port of Gaza among others. Unlike most cities, Petra was not built as a series of freestanding buildings but rather rooms carved into the sandstone cliffs with elaborate facades. Read more about this project and view related images and Flash slideshow on the WHNPA Members' Awards page.

--- 2003 SPRING SEMINAR GRANT ---
Stuart Cohen, a freelancer, working primarily for the BBC as an editor/producer,cameraman is the recipient of the WHNPA's Spring 2003 SEMINAR GRANT. He plans to attend the location lighting seminar at the Maine workshop in May. WHNPA Education committee memebrs thought this a worthy venture. We wish Stuart well and hope he has an enjoyable time in Maine.

2002

WHNPA PROJECT GRANT AWARDED TO NANCY PASTOR
Nancy Pastor of the Washington Times has been chosen by the WHNPA Education Committee as the recipient of our 2002 WHNPA $5,000 Project Grant. The WHNPA Education Committee awarded Nancy the grant for her photo story "Tobacco Road", an ongoing photo project on the changing way of life for Maryland tobacco farmers. See press release for further project information and preview Nancy's work in a FLASH slideshow.

--2002 LECTURE GRANT Ed Eaves, a segment editor for NBC, is the latest recipient of the WHNPA Lecture Grant. Eaves plans to use the grant to speak about video storytelling to a video production class at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach.

--2002 SEMINAR GRANT Ami Rossetti, a Media General staff photographer, plans to use her Seminar Grant to help defray costs of attending the Mountain Workshop in Cave City, Ky.

--2002 LECTURE GRANT Dominic DeSantis, a freelance cameraman, plans to use his Lecture Grant to help defray expenses on a trip to New York City where he will be addressing an NYU documentary production class about working at the White House and the relationship between the White House press corps and the White House press office.