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Carolyn Cole
Carolyn Cole.JPG
Cole speaks at Ohio University (2009)
Born (1961-04-24) April 24, 1961 (age 64)
Education Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin
Master of Arts from Ohio University

Carolyn Cole (born April 24, 1961) is a talented staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. She is famous for her powerful photos that show important world events. In 2004, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. This award was for her amazing pictures from the siege of Monrovia in 2003. Monrovia is the capital city of Liberia, a country in Africa.

Becoming a Photographer

Carolyn Cole studied at the University of Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1983. Her main subject was photojournalism, which is about telling stories with pictures for news. Later, she also earned a master's degree from Ohio University.

Starting Her Career

Carolyn began her photography career in 1986. She worked as a staff photographer for the El Paso Herald-Post. After two years, she moved to the San Francisco Examiner. She then worked as a freelance photographer in Mexico City. This meant she took pictures for different newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times. In 1992, she became a staff photographer again for The Sacramento Bee. Finally, in 1994, she joined the Los Angeles Times.

Award-Winning Photography

Carolyn Cole has received many important awards for her work. She is known for capturing moments that show the human side of big events.

Early Recognitions

In 1994, soon after joining the Los Angeles Times, she was recognized for her photos of a crisis in Haiti. The next year, she was honored for her work in Russia. In 1997, her photos from a police shootout gained attention. Her pictures helped the Times win a Pulitzer Prize for their news coverage. That same year, she was named Journalist of the Year by the Times Mirror Corporation.

Top Photojournalism Awards

In 2002, Carolyn won the National Press Photographers Association Newspaper Photographer of the Year award. This was a big achievement.

Pulitzer Prize for Liberia

In 2003, Carolyn traveled to Liberia. A civil war was happening there. Rebels surrounded the capital city, Monrovia. Carolyn's photos showed the effects of the war on ordinary people. Her work earned her the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. The judges praised her "behind-the-scenes look" at the conflict. She also won the 2003 George Polk Award for photojournalism.

Winning All Three Top Awards

In 2004, Carolyn Cole won the NPPA Newspaper Photographer of the Year award again. This time, it was for her work in both Liberia and Iraq. She also won the Pictures of the Year International Newspaper Photographer award. This made her the first person ever to win all three of America's top photojournalism awards in the same year! She also received the Robert Capa Gold Medal twice, in 2003 and 2004.

Later Achievements

In 2007, Carolyn won the NPPA Newspaper Photographer of the Year award for a third time. This shows her consistent excellence in photography.

Covering Major Events

Carolyn Cole has covered many important global events. She often puts herself in challenging situations to get the story.

Reporting from Bethlehem

In 2002, Carolyn covered a tense situation in Bethlehem. Palestinian militants had occupied the Church of the Nativity. Carolyn made a brave decision to join peace activists entering the building. For nine days, she was the only photojournalist inside. She also sent news reports back to the Los Angeles Times. The powerful pictures she took earned her a nomination for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize.

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