John Spink

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-----John Spink, has been a staff photographer with the Atlanta Journal / Constitution since 1984. Before coming to Atlanta, he served as a staff photographer for the Kansas City Times (1979 - 83) and as a stringer photographer with the Associated Press in K.C. (1975-1979). John's span of news coverage encompasses a world of subjects. 6 U.S. Presidents, Pope John Paul's U.S. pastoral visits, The Hyatt Regency disaster, Political Conventions, World Series, Superbowl, Olympics and a span of celebrities and major news events.

John was part of the team, who as a 'staff ' won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News for the coverage of the 1981 Hyatt Regency Disaster in Kansas City. Awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, The National Press Photographers Association, The International Association of Professional Firefighters, The Atlanta Press Club, The Georgia Press Association, The Atlanta Seminar on Photojournalism and Cox Newspapers have all recognized Spink's work over the years.

John won the Georgia Associated Press Photo of the Year for 1998 for his picture of a Hall County Tornado victim and also a 1998 Best of Cox Award, for the same picture from the Cox newspaper chain. In 1999 John was recognized by the National Press Photographers Association Region 6 for a dramatic crane rescue photo and by the Georgia Associated Press for a parent and child embracing following the Heritage High School shooting.

In 2000 John took Honorable Mention as Cox Newspaper's Photographer of the Year and in 2001 John took second place in the news photography category in the Georgia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. In 2004 John won the best news picture from the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists for a mother grieving over her son's casket, a casualty of the Iraq war. In 2006 John won Photo of the Year from the Georgia Associated Press with a spot news picture of a knife wielding being captured - and in 2007 first place for spot news from the Georgia Press Association.

John and Carmen Spink have three children and reside in the greater metro Atlanta area.