About Gerard Burkhart

Professional Photojournalist
 
National and International Clients
  • Gerard Burkhart is a photojournalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and publications internationally through assignments or via the wire services Agence France Presse and Associated Press. Additional work has been circulated through the agencies gettyimages, Polaris and Black Star.

North Hollywood Neighborhood Project

  • His North Hollywood Neighborhood Project is a part of the permanent historical photography collection of the Los Angeles Public library, the attorney group O’Melveney and Meyers photo collection and private collectors in the U.S and Great Britain.

Part of Three Pulitzer Prize editions of the Los Angeles Times
  • As a photographer with the Los Angeles Times his photos were a part of the North Hollywood bank shoot out, the Northridge Earthquake and Rioting following the acquital of police accused of beating motorist Rodney King. Burkhart was published in a fourth group entry Pulitzer Finalist for Spot News for coverage of widespread fires in Los Angeles.

Other Career Highlights
  • At the Los Angeles Times he won First Place for Photo Essay in the 1996 Greater Los Angeles Press Club for a local environmental clean up story.
 
  • Worked 11 Academy Awards ceremonies with Agence France Press as either a photo editor or photographer.

  • Staff photographer at the Los Angeles Daily News.
 
 
Photo Educator

Fulbright Specialists Roster

  • Listed to the Fulbright Commission Specialists Roster in spring 2015 to participate in international educational diplomacy for this U.S. State Department program.
 
Photojournalism Educator

  • He has taught photojournalism classes at Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif. since 2004, and Photojournalism and Intro to Photography classes at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. since 2008.

Getty Museum Masters Class

  • Currently finished a  third Getty Museum masters class with community college students. The 2015 project is on alternative printing methods. 
  • Spring 2013 was an architectural photography class emphasizing the cultural importance of place and the people that utilize those constructed spaces taught at Pierce College. Group showing at the Architecture and Design Museum  in Los Angeles February 2014.
  • 2010 project with SMC and Pierce students working with  photojournalist Sudarek Olwe, of Mumbai, India in conjunction with the Getty's "Engaged Observers" photo show.

Eddie Adams Workshop


Four students chosen in ten years. Community college students are the rarest attendees to this prestigious student workshop.
 
  • Santa Monica College student Amy Gaskin was selected for the 2014 Eddie Adams Workshop. Gaskin's 2014 story on Triple Crown contender, the horse California Chrome, was the second most hit story on google 24 hours after publication in the schools Corsair news. The Chrome story also won Third Place in the national College Media Awards competition behind photojournalism education giant Western Kentucky.

Student Success
At Santa Monica College, photo students on the Corsair newspaper have consistently won photo awards in local, state and national photo competitions. 
 
  • Student Michael Yanow awarded Silver in Sports Portfolio, College Photographer of the Year 2013.
 
  • 2013 Santa Monica College Corsair photojournalism students covered an on-campus shooting that left five dead in its wake, a shooting at Los Angeles International airport, a five page  photo story on a neighborhood trailer park residents battle with a developer intent on closing the mobile home residency to build luxury apartments along with other high profile local stories.
 
  • Student photo coverage of the Spring 2012 pepper spray incident brought the Corsair staff to national attention and work produced overall from that semester won First Place for Feature Photography and several other awards in the national Society for Professional Journalists student division awards.
 
  • Following those student successes Chris Callahan, Dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, visited SMC in fall 2012 to announce a new partnership with SMC journalism students matriculating to the Cronkite School.

Fellowships, Faculty Development and Travel

  • Chosen as part of a faculty development in Beijing, China, summer 2013.

  • Santa Monica College Faculty Fellowship recipient in 2010 to attend a National Geographic travel photography workshop in Washington, D.C.
 
  • Participated in month long SMC Archeology class in Belize summer of 2010 working on Mayan ruins .

Elected Position
  • Education Chair of the Press Photographers of Greater Los Angeles, organizing and/or running a series of free student workshops for lighting, fire safety, visual journalism, Nikon and Canon Tech days and general critiquing of student work. In year six of third two year term.

Contact: 818-207-0273