Gary Coronado is a 2007 Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature photography for his vivid images of Central Americans risking life and limb as they jump aboard the trains from southern Mexico bound for the United States. Also a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist in breaking news photography for team coverage of hurricanes. After graduating with a city planning degree from the University of Southern California, Coronado entered the corporate world, managing accounts for AT&T. But his creative passion lay elsewhere. In 1996, he took his first photography course at a community college, where what he could create through the lens of his camera made him rethink his life’s path. Later, he began freelancing for the Orange County Register in California, and relocated to south Florida in 2001, when he was awarded a fellowship through the Freedom Forum. Assignments include projects in Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where his fluency in Spanish has been indispensable.
EXPERIENCE
Los Angeles Times - Staff Photographer: 2016 -
Houston Chronicle - Staff Photographer: 2014 - 2016
Palm Beach Post - Staff Photographer: 2003 - 2013
Naples Daily News - Staff Photographer: 2001 - 2003
Orange County Register - Staff Photographer, community news: 2000 - 2001
AT&T-Account Manager: 1996 - 1999
University of Southern California B.S., City Planning and Development: 1993
AWARDS/HONORS
2007 Pulitzer Prize Nominated Finalist, feature photography: Train Jumpers
2005 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, breaking news photography: Team coverage of hurricanes
2020 NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Second Place, News and Issues Story - Mexico Homicide Epidemic
2019 Visa pour l'image - Visa d’or Région of Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Feature, Finalist - We Are Throwaways
2017 Pictures of the Year International Competition, Award of Excellence, Newspaper Local Picture Story - Modest Rebellion
2013 International Association of Firefighters Media Awards - Best News Story, under 100,000 circulation - First Place - On the Helmets of Heroes
2012 Florida Society of News Editors - Enterprise Online Slide Show Division A - First Place - Panhandlers: Stories Behind The Signs
2011 Florida Society of News Editors - Multimedia Division A - First Place - Season To Share, team
2009 Best of Photojournalism - Photo Editing, Newspaper Sports Project: First Place team
2008 Henri Nannen Nominated Finalist, photo-reportage: Train Jumpers, Stern magazine January 2007. Presented by Gruner + Jahr and Stern, Hamburg, Germany
2008 National Association of Black Journalists, Salute to Excellence, Newspaper: single image, Heroes of the Epidemic: HIV in the Caribbean
2007 Photojournalist of the Year Award: The National Association of Hispanic Journalist
2007 Society of Newspaper Design: Best of Newspaper Design Creative Competition, Gold award, photo project page or spread, Train Jumpers
2007 Pictures of the Year International Competition: Third Place team, Best Multimedia News Story or Essay, Train Jumpers
2007 Editor & Publisher Photos of the Year: News (general/spot), 100,000-249,000 circulation
2007 Speaker - The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar
2007 Speaker - Associated Press Managing Editors/Associated Press Photo Managers Conference
2006 First place, best body of work: Florida Society of Newspaper Editors
2004 Best of Cox Newspapers, Gov. James M. Cox Public Service Award for "Modern-Day Slavery," team
2003 Edward J. Meeman Award for "Deep Trouble: The Gulf in Peril", Scripps Howard Foundation Award in Environmental Reporting, team
2001-2003 Fellowship, The Freedom Forum. The American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Associated Press Managing Editors fellowship program administered and paid by the Freedom Forum