NOTE: Yoon S. Byun Photography is officially, Strewn Wonder, LLC, starting January 1, 2021.

Photojournalism changed my life. It taught me, a naturally shy person, how to connect with other people, often strangers whose most personal stories I was charged with documenting. It trained me to identify the narrative thread in real life and to work in a constantly changing environment against tight deadlines. It has made me into a creative problem solver, a strategist and a planner who also thrives on the fly.

Editors like working with me because I can humanize complex or data-driven ideas and I welcome the challenge of creating something compelling from a story with no obvious visual thread. Brands and agencies like working with me because I bring a level of authenticity to their message. My work stays on point, with storytelling that is intimate and relatable.

My work as a staff photographer at The Boston Globe was recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Headliners, and the Boston Press Photographers Association. I was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. I also managed an award-winning staff of photographers and videographers at The Portland Press Herald that won three regional Emmys. I’ve applied my passion for mentoring by teaching documentary photography and film at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at MECA, and I am a coach at Boot Camp for New Dads through Maine Boys to Men, a nonprofit that works to change the definition of masculinity and end violence against women and girls.

I’m drawn to mission-driven work, in my career and in my life. I hope we have a chance to work together.

The above photo is by my wife, Chelsea Conaboy, a gifted writer, journalist, and mother to our two sons.