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John Pendygraft - Photographer
John Pendygraft

Photographer

I was born in El Paso, Texas, and could sing the complete theme to the 60's Spider-Man cartoon series as a preschooler. For better or worse, something stuck and I became a photojournalist. I have been at the Tampa Bay Times since 1997. When I started in Pasco County, it was a world of film, 60's Spidey-style. Since then my job has evolved from international work, to enterprise reporter, to multimedia enterprise reporter. In 2017-2018, I completed a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan and am pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of South Florida.

  1. Bringing food to the fields
    May 18• Hillsborough
    Isaret Jeffers-Chávez, founder of Colectivo Arbol, an organization dedicated to helping Florida farmworkers. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  2. A canceled party, an awful fire, a new purpose
    May 4• Health
    Cindy Organtini poses with donated clothes in the burned-out home of longtime friends. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  3. Grandfather’s actions in 1929 inspired 2020 donation
    Apr. 27• News
    Denise McCabe with her gift, for a member of Vincent House, a nonprofit clubhouse that provides help for people with mental illness. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
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  5. Isolation, frustration inspired action for Gulfport woman
    Apr. 13• Health
    Michelle Murphy, 51, (right) and her niece Stephanie Fortner, 46, (left) pose in their front yard "Lending Hope Library" Sunday, April 5, 2020. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  6. Introducing ‘The Helpers’: Meet the people lending a hand during dark days
    Mar. 26• Long Reads
    John Riesebeck, owner of Smokin' J's BBQ, poses in front of his smokehouse in Gulfport. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  7. A quick trip to the library, and suddenly, all is right with the world
    Mar. 19• Narratives
    Isadora Pendygraft carries a few books out from the Gulfport Public Library. She checked them out before the library shut down due to the coronavirus. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  8. An autistic child melts down. An officer makes a decision. A family suffers the consequences.
    Dec. 8, 2019• Long Reads
    Staci Plonsky holds art from her autistic son, A.J. Plonsky, depicting his memory of being taken by the school resource officer to a mental health facility under Florida's Baker Act law. The incident took place on A.J's first day of middle school. Photo taken November 17, 2019. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]
  9. ’My hands were tied. I couldn’t do anything about it.’
    Dec. 8, 2019• Long Reads
    Ann Corzo and her son Kristopher. [.]
  10. She doesn't care if you accept her, as long as you respect her
    Jun. 26, 2017• News
    “When I hit my low points in life, I go the graveyard,” says Mary Jane Taylor, 18, at Oaklawn Cemetery in downtown Tampa last week. “Do I want to leave this earth being another transgender woman that was . . . not taken seriously?” 
  11. Before you curse at someone in traffic, consider this story
    Dec. 29, 2016• News
    Pamela Block, 53, gives her dog Mishu a kiss as Anna Block, 11, (right) and Lily Block, 9, (rear left) get ready for School Tuesday, December 13, 2016. Anna was born with Bladder Exstrophy Syndrome. Her bladder was inside out and poked out of her belly. Since being adopted by Block in 2009, she has had two corrective surgeries. Lilly, who adopted by Block in 2008, was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a cardiac abnormality. Recent genetic tests have begun to explain a host of subtle symptoms; she runs out of breath quickly, has low muscle tone, always seems to have headaches and stomach aches. ?ˆš’When we leave the house, as far as the neighbors are concerned, we look like a family without a care. Because the kids are so outgoing and have these great personalities, our struggles are pretty much silent. But medical issues and medical appointments define our lives. When most kids are going to camps for vacation, we?ˆš•re going to hospitals,?ˆš“ Block says.
  12. All Eyes Gallery, John Pendygraft's favorite photos of 2016
    Dec. 22, 2016• News
    The Mosley Motel has filed for bankruptcy, and stakes are high for three-year-old Lawrence E Pratt (left), his sister McKenzie Bell, 10, (right) and all the families that live there. Altis Cardinal Storage of Miami owns the Skyline Fifth apartment complex, which neighbors the Mosley. They are the hotel's main creditor and recently filed an emergency motion to prohibit the motel's use of cash collateral. The Mosley could close and all it's impoverished residents will have to find new homes.
  13. Holiday Hopes: This St. Petersburg family has the drive, just not a car
    Nov. 27, 2016• News
    Willie Hairston, 29, gets his three youngest children, Avery, 1, Madison, 3, and Aiden, 2, ready for the ride to day care with the help of their mom, Zeneta Jackson, 37, while Trinity, 4. Aliajh, 8, and Zeneta’s mother are on the porch.
  14. All Eyes video: Election Day 2016 - Tampa Bay votes
    Nov. 8, 2016• Archive
  15. Readers respond to young violist with generosity and support
    Nov. 1, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Adán Martinez, 16, tries a cello at Violin Shop Tampa after a reader and the shop pledged $3,000 to help him add the second instrument he needs to qualify for the Juilliard music school in New York.
  16. Behind the Lens: Three photos of the ghost of Ma Barker?
    Oct. 28, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times
  17. After bullying, St. Petersburg teen stumbles on a purpose, and the perfect viola
    Sep. 1, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Ad?n Martinez, 16, busks with his viola — named Lamar — to help raise money to pay for the instrument, which he is paying off in monthly installments of $109 for two years.
  18. Senior Melody Sister fights to stay on the stage, even if the notes aren't always right
    Jul. 9, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Sara Ann Butler, 77, center, leads Susan O’Gara, 69, and Bill Houser, 64, in A Bicycle Built for Two during a Senior Medoly Sisters rehearsal recently.
  19. New dad tries to keep professional soccer dream going with Rowdies
    Jun. 3, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Maria Isabel Carabano, left, watches as husband and Rowdies midfielder Juan Guerra kisses their son, Santiago, after a season-opening 0-0 tie with the Indy Eleven on April 2. Guerra didn’t play in the game, something that in the past would have frustrated him for days. But since the birth of Santiago, Guerra says, his mind-set has changed.
  20. Trauma survivor shows off physical feats in Vinoy Park to chase away addiction
    May 8, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Chad Marsh, 35, performs a “human flag” in downtown St. Petersburg as part of his daily street workout, a trick he learned while trying to kick a painkiller addiction.
  21. All Eyes: Gibbs High students to play dress up on Sunday for a good cause
    Apr. 14, 2016• Breaking News
  22. All Eyes photo gallery: Enormous cranes arrive at the Port of Tampa
    Apr. 2, 2016• Archive
    Port Tampa Bay took delivery of two new, state-of-the-art Post-Panamax gantry cranes Friday, April 1, 2016. The cranes will be used to unload cargo containers and can handle larger container ships which will start using the expanded Panama Canal in late June. The new cranes have an outreach of 174 feet which will allow them to accommodate ships that are twice as big as the ships that currently deliver containers to the port.
  23. An inside look at a story about the eloquence of love
    Feb. 16, 2016• Breaking News
    Bob Mitchell, 74, hates shopping and hates the wind chimes on his porch. He loves Nancy Hicks, 69, who has aphasia and needs his help to do the things she loves, like shopping and hanging wind chimes on their porch. Aphasia is a condition that leaves a person's intelligence and personality intact, but robs them of their ability to communicate. In Nancy's case, she can only say "baa."
  24. Bob and Nancy know what true love sounds like
    Feb. 3, 2016• Arts & Entertainment
    Nancy, left, whose outgoing nature wasn’t affected by her stroke, makes new friends with Bob on a shopping trip to Target in Largo: Chloe the dog and Carol Granese, visiting from New York.