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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. On TV, old murder cases get solved pretty quickly. But it’s not that easy.
    Sep. 22• Life & Culture
    University of South Florida forensic anthropology grad students and staff, from left: Gennifer Goad, Erin Kimmerle, Barbara Arriaga Espinoza, Tuesday Frasier and Kelsee Hentschel-Fey.
  2. Photos: Tropical Storm Elsa passes by Tampa Bay dropping heavy rain
    Jul. 7• News
    John Pack, 52, fishes from the Dunedin Causeway following Tropical Storm Elsa Wednesday.
    25 Images | View Slideshow
  3. Prince Philip Laid To Rest
    Apr. 17• Photos
    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II follows the coffin in a car as it makes it's way past the Round Tower during the funeral of Britain's Prince Philip inside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England Saturday April 17, 2021. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)
    10 Images | View Slideshow
  5. Photos: WrestleMania 37 comes to Raymond James Stadium.
    Apr. 11• Sports
    Damien Priest and Bad Bunny react after winning their tag team match at Wrestlemania 37 at on Saturday, April 10, 2021 in Tampa.
    23 Images | View Slideshow
  6. Photos: Rays face Yankees in home opener
    Apr. 9• Photos
    Raymond hold a sign saying “We Missed you” as fans are greeted before the doors open at Tropicana Field for the Tampa Bay Rays home opening day against the New York Yankees, on Friday, April 9, 2021 in St. Petersburg.
    31 Images | View Slideshow
  7. Photos: Tampa Bay Bucs are Super Bowl champs for a second time
    Feb. 8• Photos
    The win settles in for Buccaneers fans at the conclusion of Super Bowl LV on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa between the Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs. Tampa Bay won 31-9.
    52 Images | View Slideshow
  8. Historic victory has Tampa Bay residents celebrating in the streets
    Nov. 8, 2020• Elections
    Alexander McGreevy, 44, of St. Petersburg, celebrates with Biden supporters at the intersection of Tyrone Blvd N and Park St N Saturday, November 7, 2020.
  9. Photos: Polls have closed in the Tampa Bay area
    Nov. 4, 2020• Photos
    Staff at the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections receive and count ballots late into the night on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 in Tampa.
    24 Images | View Slideshow
  10. Photos: Rays 2-1 over the Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS
    Oct. 11, 2020• Photos
    Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Diego Castillo (63) reacts after getting the final out during ninth inning of the American League Championship Series game one against the Houston Astros Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Petco Park in San Diego.
    30 Images | View Slideshow
  11. Students go back to school
    Aug. 24, 2020• Photos
    Students lock up bicycles at Gulf Middle School during the first day of school for Pasco County Schools on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in New Port Richey.
    45 Images | View Slideshow
  12. Fire Tampa’s police chief, protesters demand; St. Pete protest ends after motorcycle incident
    Jul. 4, 2020• News
    A Tampa police officer attempts to detain a protester as officers break up a march blocking traffic on N Dale Mabry Highway on Saturday.
  13. Juneteenth Week: Artists, Marchers and Celebrations
    Jun. 20, 2020• Live Coverage
    Local artist, Cheryl "Jujmo" Weber of Tampa paints her assigned letter "B" in the new Black Lives Matter street mural in front of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, 2240 9th Ave. South in St. Petersburg on Thursday, June 18, 2020. Woodson Museum executive director, Terri Lipsey-Scott contacted St. Petersburg City Council member, Lisa Wheeler-Bowman with the idea who in turn contacted Wayne Atherholt with the city’s Cultural Affairs department who also liked the idea. Atherholt contact John Collins with the St Pete Artist Alliance which runs the Shine Mural project and got his team working to find artists willing to participate. 16 artists are responsible for painting 1 letter each of the phrase. The mural will be ready when the city of St Pete kicks of its Juneteenth celebrations on Friday morning.
    13 Images | View Slideshow
  14. Photos: Protesters return to Tampa Bay’s streets with renewed strength
    Jun. 13, 2020• Live Coverage
    Bayshore Blvd in Tampa fills with protesters Saturday, June 13, 2020.
    12 Images | View Slideshow
  15. Tension amid peaceful protests in Tampa and St. Petersburg
    Jun. 13, 2020• News
    In St. Petersburg, marchers demonstrated Saturday against police brutality and racism in the afternoon and at night.
  16. Photos: Rainy day protests Saturday in Tampa Bay
    Jun. 6, 2020• Photos
    Florida Highway Patrol block the intersection of Tyler Street and Ashley Drive as protestors march past Saturday, June 6, 2020 in Tampa.
    42 Images | View Slideshow
  17. Protests end peacefully Friday night across Tampa Bay
    Jun. 5, 2020• News
    Zoey Triplett, 9, left, cuddles with her mother, Amy Triplett, 49, center, of Safety Harbor, while attending a peaceful protest organized by the Bless Up organization, on Friday, June 5, 2020, at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater. At right is Byron Triplett, 53, Zoey's father and Amy's husband.
  18. Students return, if only for a moment, to clean out their lockers
    May 26, 2020• Pasco
    Sunlake High School senior Anna Nelson, 18, returns textbooks after cleaning out her locker Tuesday. Students hadn't been inside the school since spring break in March because of COVID-19.
  19. Bringing food to the fields
    May 18, 2020• Hillsborough
    Isaret Jeffers-Chávez, founder of Colectivo Arbol, an organization dedicated to helping Florida farmworkers.
  20. A canceled party, an awful fire, a new purpose
    May 4, 2020• Health
    Cindy Organtini poses with donated clothes in the burned-out home of longtime friends.
  21. Grandfather’s actions in 1929 inspired 2020 donation
    Apr. 27, 2020• News
    Denise McCabe with her gift, for a member of Vincent House, a nonprofit clubhouse that provides help for people with mental illness.
  22. Isolation, frustration inspired action for Gulfport woman
    Apr. 13, 2020• Health
    Michelle Murphy, 51, (right) and her niece Stephanie Fortner, 46, (left) pose in their front yard "Lending Hope Library" Sunday, April 5, 2020.
  23. Introducing ‘The Helpers’: Meet the people lending a hand during dark days
    Mar. 26, 2020• Long Reads
    John Riesebeck, owner of Smokin' J's BBQ, poses in front of his smokehouse in Gulfport.
  24. A quick trip to the library, and suddenly, all is right with the world
    Mar. 19, 2020• 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.