The People Behind the Press: The Photographer’s Eye

We want you to know what you’re getting for your membership donation by introducing you to some of the talented freelance writers, editors, photographers and multimedia journalists who make our newspaper possible. Join or renew your membership now to make sure that our journalists can continue to bring you more serious public-interest reporting in 2014.

The Photographer’s Eye: Tearsa Joy Hammock

Tearsa Joy Hammock brings versatility and verve to her work as a visual storyteller and multimedia journalist.

“I may have an idea but I also stay open to trying new ideas for the shot,” Tearsa says. “I try to talk to the source while I’m shooting. I try to make the person feel like it’s more of a conversation, not an interrogation.”

A graduate of the photojournalism program at San Francisco State University, Tearsa has worked on several projects with the Public Press as a freelance journalist. She produces images in a wide range of styles according to the needs of her assignments. She has told the stories of the city’s homeless residents, undocumented workers and the challenges facing the city due to unprecedented population growth in the region.

For the project “Nice Minimum Wage… If You Can Get It,” Tearsa reported the story of Mauricio Lozano, the Salvadoran immigrant who filed a minimum-wage violation complaint with the San Francisco City Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. Lozano won his case and recovered his wages. Tearsa also produced a short documentary video about Lozano.

 

Make a donation of $100 or more by Dec. 31 and we’ll send you a copy of “The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use ‘Plain English’ to Rob You Blind” by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, author and Public Press supporter David Cay Johnston.

 

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