"...believes that the stories of ordinary people living extraordinary lives can truly capture the imagination."
—Martha Rial
Looking through the pages of Look and Life magazine as a teenager, Martha Rial found herself inspired by the compelling photographs. Her desire to learn more about the art of photography led her to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where she learned the skills needed to launch a career in documentary, editorial, travel, and portrait photography.
As one of the nation’s leading photojournalists, Martha earned the Scripps Howard Foundation Award for Photojournalism and was named Pennsylvania News Photographer of the Year. But her most defining moment came in 1998, when she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her work titled “The Trek of Tears,” a visual story of the tragedy occurring in Rwanda and Burundi. In addition to her freelance work, she’s currently a staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Martha shares her passion for storytelling and photography through lectures and exhibits, and has taught at Western Kentucky University’s Mountain Workshops and Sundance Photographic Workshops. She believes that the stories of ordinary people living extraordinary lives can truly capture the imagination—and seeks to give these stories a voice through her photography.
See Martha’s work at www.martharial.com.