NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As the year comes to a close, our NewsChannel 5 photojournalists took time to look back on the stories they captured—not just the powerful images, but the process behind them.
Revisiting photos of celebrations and everyday life, they reflected on the reality of their work: moments missed, frames they wish they could redo, and the constant pressure to get it right in real time. Photojournalism, they say, is deeply human guided by instinct, shaped by emotion, and marked by mistakes that become lessons.
Still, the images together tell an honest story of a year lived by a community, reminding them that their role isn’t to be perfect, but to be present and bear witness as history unfolds.
September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”
- Rhori Johnston
