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If Gregg Wallace is looking to sharpen up his soundbites he could do worse than enlist Eileen Murtha-Brown in Tish (BBC Four). “Your memories are black and white but the blood’s always red,” was one gem she shared as she mined her recollections of her sister, Tish Murtha, aka “The Demon Snapper”, whose striking black-and-white photographs chronicled working-class lives and struggles in the northeast in the 1970s and 1980s.
We all like to think we are photographers these days, the digital age allowing us to rattle out images ten-a-penny hoping we’ll strike it lucky. By contrast, Tish Murtha, a political firebrand remembered affectionately but with a hint of fear, even by her nearest and dearest, had to rely on old-school equipment and her own remarkable eye to capture the lives and struggles of a community she felt had been overlooked by history.
Her daughter, Ella, proved an empathetic guide in Tish, Paul Sng’s expertly framed documentary that’s part celebration of an overlooked talent, part study of a tumultuous political period as unemployment soared and economic recession bit deep. Through Ella we met Murtha’s extended family and gained a clear understanding of how her mother’s photographic style was forged in the fire of a world she believed was loaded against her and her like.
What comes into sharp focus is the sheer honesty of Murtha’s images. Authenticity is an overused word nowadays but it shines through here, the inspiration drawn from the streets and people she knew intimately. It makes for a powerful and intimate portrait of an undeniable talent who deserves wider recognition, even if at times the polemic feels troweled on with a heavy hand.
“You can’t teach somebody how to have passion,” recalled one of Murtha’s former photographic tutors and it’s passion that burns off her monochrome prints, whether it’s street kids in South Shields or sex workers in Soho, one of her later projects. For all the family anecdotes and readings of Tish’s formidably trenchant view, it’s the pictures here that are worth a thousand words.
Operation Pets Alive, in partnership with Lenora Stein Photography, is happy to announce its 2025 Dog Calendar Contest! Proceeds from the sale of the calendar and photo contest will assist Operation Pets Alive with the spay and neuter of animals in the Montgomery County, Texas, area, as well as, medical bills, vaccines, and heartworm treatments for foster dogs and cats.
The Woodlands portrait photographer, Lenora Stein of Lenora Stein Photography, has chosen to partner with Operation Pets Alive for her inaugural dog photo calendar contest in an effort to raise $5,000 or more for this local rescue.
Montgomery County dog owners may enter their dog in this online contest by submitting a photo along with a $5 entry fee that is donated directly to Operation Pets Alive to help the rescue continue its efforts.
Entries and votes will be accepted from April 1 to April 26, 2024, and will be used to help determine the top 13 grand prize winners that will be photographed by Lenora Stein Photography during a professional studio portrait session to capture their image for the 2025 Operation Pets Alive Dog Calendar. The highest vote-getter will be featured on the coveted calendar cover.
A reserve-a-grid-space option for $10 is also available for those who wish to purchase an empty grid space and guarantee their pet a small square in the 2025 calendar.
The calendar contest fundraising goal is set at $5,000, all of which will benefit Operation Pets Alive and programs like Flight for Life, Pups on Trucks, adoptions, foster care, and more.
Copies of the 2025 Operation Pets Alive Dog Calendar will be available mid-September 2024 once Lenora completes photographing all 13 grand prize winners.
For more information on this fundraiser, please visit https://www.gogophotocontest.com/operationpetsalive2025 or contact Lenora Stein with Lenora Stein Photography at 713-417-1633 or lenora@LenoraSteinPhotography.com.
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About Operation Pets Alive
Operation Pets Alive (OPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization striving to elevate Montgomery County to a No-Kill community through innovative programs that raise community awareness, reduce the number of dogs and cats who enter our shelters and increase the number of dogs and cats who leave our shelters alive.
At OPA, we depend entirely on volunteers to implement our life-saving work. Each year, we rescue thousands of homeless pets, and impact the lives of hundreds more through our Core Programs. All thanks to countless volunteer hours. Join us and learn how you can make a difference in the lives of the homeless animals of Montgomery County by visiting operationpetsalive.org or following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).
About Lenora Stein Photography
Lenora Stein is the owner and photographer of Lenora Stein Photography, which celebrates the joy and love between Texas pets and their people. Lenora specializes in both studio and on-location sessions throughout The Woodlands, Spring, and greater Houston areas. She loves helping pet parents decorate their home and office with beautiful signature wall art, fine art albums, and other heirloom products that showcase the ones they love most.
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FARGO — The Fargo Public Library is seeking submissions for its fifth annual Northern Focus photography project.
It is free to enter, and adults and teens ages 13 and older can participate, according to a release from the Fargo Public Library. All photos must be taken regionally in North Dakota or Minnesota and convey a sense of the people, places or happenings that make up the community and region.
All entries will be included in a photo exhibit at the downtown Main Library in the fall, the release said. Fifteen photos will be featured in a program booklet, and one will be selected as the cover art for the library’s 2024 “Northern Narratives” publication.
Submissions will be accepted online only through May 31, 2024, at
fargolibrary.wufoo.com/forms/northern-focus-2024.
All rules and guidelines for the project are available at
For details about the Northern Focus photography project, contact Nicole H. at 701-476-5974 or the Main Library Information Desk at 701-241-1492.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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Tracey Lund/World Nature Photography Awards
Nicolas Remy/World Nature Photography Awards
Celia Kujala/World Nature Photography Awards
Alexander Brackx/World Nature Photography Awards
John Seager/World Nature Photography Awards
Bill Klipp/World Nature Photography Awards
Miki Spitzer/World Nature Photography Awards
Ivan Pedretti/World Nature Photography Awards
Ioannis Pavlos Evangelidis/World Nature Photography Awards
Chatree Lertsintanakorn/World Nature Photography Awards
Andy Schmid/World Nature Photography Awards
Amit Eshel/World Nature Photography Awards
Richard Li/World Nature Photography Awards
Roy Wiesner/World Nature Photography Awards
Tracey Lund/World Nature Photography Awards
The date was Jan. 29, 2009, and Pat Quinn was sitting at his desk in the lieutenant governor’s office, writing notes for what would become his inaugural speech as governor while the state Senate, one floor above, considered voting to remove Rod Blagojevich from office.
A few feet away, camera in hand, was Springfield resident Lee Milner, capturing the scene from a pivotal moment in Illinois history.
That day’s Chicago Sun-Times sat on Quinn’s desk. The top headline, “His Last Stand,” referred to the ultimately futile speech Blagojevich would give in the state Senate chamber in Springfield before senators voted 59-0 to oust the disgraced Democratic governor as the final step of impeachment.
For Milner, who at 64 was volunteering his time as Quinn’s photographer and later would send the photographs to the Illinois State Archives, recording history was just his latest efforts at “making a difference.”
Throughout his life, he would do just that by harnessing his work ethic, kind personality, self-deprecating humor and wide-ranging experience as a communicator and volunteer for state government, civic groups and nonprofits.
Now 78 and in declining health, Milner, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2019, is reflective.
When it was evident that Gov. Rod Blagojevich would be removed by the Senate and Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn would become governor, I was asked to document his first day. I thought this was a historic picture with the newspaper headline “His Last Stand” with Blagojevich’s photo and Quinn in the background preparing the notes for his acceptance speech hours before the transition was to occur.
“I’m very fortunate in all kinds of respects,” he said. “I’m fortunate in what I’ve been able to do, who I’ve been able to meet, who I’ve been able to help, friends I’ve met along the way.”
Referring to lyrics from a Garth Brooks song, Milner said with a chuckle, “I’ve got friends in high places, not low places.”
He added: “Most of the people I’ve been around, I’ve been around leaders, being involved in the issues of the day, watching some very bright people perform. People like me help them stay ‘on message’ and get things across to the people.”
Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But they may not realize they are viewing the work of someone known and respected by people in public life throughout Springfield and beyond for years.
“Lee is a man for all seasons,” Quinn, 75, said in a phone interview from Chicago. “He’s not a show horse or someone with braggadocio. He’s a down-to-earth, caring person. … I really, really, really enjoyed working with him. He’s a lot of fun.
“I think it’s a testament to his faith and stamina and just his good nature that he’s been able to battle this disease for as long as he has, and everybody’s rooting for him.”
Milner was born in Breese, the third of five children born to a Methodist minister father and homemaker mother. He graduated from high school in Beecher City in Effingham County and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He worked as a photojournalist for the Effingham Daily News, where he met many state lawmakers, before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968.
Milner never went overseas where the Vietnam War was raging. He served his two-year hitch as a clerk and photojournalist at Army bases in North Carolina and South Carolina. After discharge, he attended the now-closed MacMurray College in Jacksonville, where one of his brothers was a professor. After a semester, he got a job at Memorial Health in Springfield as a photographer for a pathologist, Dr. Grant Johnson, at the recently opened Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
After several years of taking photos of surgeries, autopsies and Sangamon County coroner’s death investigations, Milner moved to Washington, D.C. He began working as a legislative coordinator for former U.S. House member George Shipley, a Democrat from Olney, whom Milner met while working in Effingham.
After a year, Milner returned to Springfield to marry Cindy Young, his wife of 49 years and now a state retiree, whom he met while working for Memorial. They would have two children, James, 39, a filmmaker, and Leanne Sappington, 42, an events coordinator. Milner’s children, and his 11-year-old grandson, Leanne’s son, all live in the Los Angeles area.
After Milner came back to Springfield from Washington, a legislator friend of his asked then-state Rep. Bill Redmond, a DuPage County Democrat who had recently been elected speaker of the Illinois House and was building out his staff, to consider hiring Milner.
Milner became Redmond’s assistant press secretary and worked for Redmond from 1975 to 1979.
“I loved it,” Milner said. “It was where the action was. There were some very intelligent, articulate people that went through the House of Representatives and went farther, as a lot of them did. So it was just exciting to be in a position like that and to think you were helping the community by helping people who were trying to do their best. I think that’s a place where you can do some real good.”
The legislature was a less-partisan place then, he said. It was before the passage of the 1980 Cutback Amendment, backed by Quinn, which reduced the size of the House by one-third. The constitutional amendment also eliminated three-member districts and cumulative, or “bullet” voting, which often resulted in at least one member of a different party representing a district.
While working for Redmond, Milner witnessed a rapt audience when former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley addressed the General Assembly.
A visit to the legislature by then-President Jimmy Carter also was memorable.
“I can’t get past his smile,” Milner said with a laugh. “He always had the best smile. He was very cordial to everybody, as I recall.”
Redmond encouraged Milner to apply to lead the communications office at the Illinois State Board of Education – “not because he wanted to get rid of me, but because he thought it would be a good opportunity,” Milner said.
The education agency had been reorganized when the state superintendent of schools position became a gubernatorial appointment rather than a statewide elected position.
Milner was hired in 1979 and would work there until his retirement in 2004, serving more than a half-dozen superintendents, including Joseph Cronin, Joseph Spagnolo, Glenn “Max” McGee and Ted Sanders, the father of current State Superintendent Tony Sanders.
Early in his 2016 campaign for president, Donald Trump held a rally at the BOS Center in Springfield. The estimated 10,000 people in attendance on Nov. 10, 2015, surpassed the previous records set by an Elton John concert and evangelist Beth Moore. Trump used his Springfield rally to call for a boycott of Starbucks because its new winter-themed cups didn’t make any reference to Christmas.
Answering questions from reporters could be stressful, especially when the topics involved could make the state board look bad, but Milner said his work with reporters rarely created tension with state superintendents and his other bosses.
“In most cases, we got along just fine and decided how to approach issues,” he said. “I knew what the reporters were interested in.”
Milner worked for the agency at a time when spokespersons in state government frequently spoke to reporters for attribution, instead of the current practice of frequently resorting to written statements, emails and text messages. Milner said he tried to cultivate professional relationships with the media to promote trust.
“I don’t know if I’m cut out for it or not, but it worked out well,” Milner said. “I like reporters, and I respect what they do. And the most important thing to think about is what reporters can make out of what you do – the good and the bad.”
WBEZ reporter Dave McKinney, a longtime Statehouse reporter for the Sun-Times, said Milner “showed utmost professionalism” at the State Board of Education. “His word was gold. He was accessible, and there was never any skepticism on my part that I wasn’t being told the truth.”
Milner’s activities since retirement from the state included volunteer work with Network Knowledge, SIU Illinois State Employees Credit Union and the FBI Springfield Citizens Academy Alumni Association, which named its award of excellence after him.
When a reporter was unable to use credentials to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, I was approved to attend. It was my first national convention, and I was thoroughly impressed. The final presentations were on an elaborate stage erected on the field of the Denver Broncos. After Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, the presidential nominee and vice-presidential nominee, Joe Biden, as well as their families, took to the stage to acknowledge the accolades of delegates and a stadium full of supporters.
His freelancing included photos for an Illinois news organization at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver when then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Chicago was nominated for what would become his first term as president.
Milner said he volunteered his services for Quinn because the newly sworn-in governor, who ended up serving for six years, didn’t have a downstate photographer, and Milner was acquainted with members of Quinn’s staff.
“To be frank, I don’t think they cared if they had pictures,” Milner said, adding that Quinn “was not like a Blagojevich running out there to get his picture taken. His ideas are what he wanted out. I told them, ‘If you are in central or southern Illinois, let me know and I’ll do what I can.’”
Quinn said he liked having Milner around.
Speaker Mike Madigan and Gov. Rod Blagojevich were not close and often had very public disagreements. So, during the speeches to the Illinois delegation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. challenged the two to hug and start over. This is the hug that got a lot of attention and a standing ovation from those in attendance. But I don’t think any other photographer was able to capture a photo, which later appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times.
“He has a divine gift – his ability to not just take photos but take evocative photos, pictures that really bring out the people at the event and how they look and feel,” Quinn said.
“Lee is very discreet,” Quinn said. “He’s not a loud person. He’s very modest and polite and courteous – all the things you teach your kids to be. He embodies that. We’re lucky that God sent him our way.”
When asked how he would like to be remembered, Milner paused for about 30 seconds, then said: “I certainly would like to be remembered as a good father with successful kids, a good husband, and I suppose a loyal worker, and mostly as a helper.”
Dean Olsen is a senior staff writer at Illinois Times. He can be reached at 217-679-7810, dolsen@illinoistimes.com or twitter.com/DeanOlsenIT.
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Amazon now offers the unlocked Sony Xperia 5 IV 128GB Smartphone for $798 shipped. If you need an Android device that puts pro-grade photography in the spotlight, that’s where one of Sony’s latest releases comes in. It’s $200 off the usual $798 price tag and matches the all-time low. We haven’t seen it on sale since last spring, either. Today’s offer is only the third discount.
Sony’s latest Android smartphone comes centered around a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and uses that power to drive the photography experience. It’s an approach that we’ve seen countless times from Sony as of late, and one that helps the company stand out amongst other Android handsets on the market. Chipset aside, you’re looking at a 6.1-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display that is 50% brighter than previous generations.
The rear camera array is also receiving lots of love this time around, with the 12MP triple-sensor setup being comprised of 16mm ultra-wide, 24mm wide, and 60mm telephoto lenses. All three can now record 120FPS slow-motion video in 4K, and Sony has also baked in real-time tracking and Eye AF into its new Xperia 5 IV. You’re also looking at a 5,000mAh battery backed by wireless charging, 128GB of onboard storage, and 8GB of RAM. Other notable features include dual SIM card support, immersive 360 Reality Audio, and an improved gaming mode for PS Remote Play.
The Sony XPERIA 5 IV Dual-SIM 128GB 5G Smartphone adds desired features from the last generation, while expanding on what made the XPERIA 5 III popular. With the XPERIA 5 IV, you will enjoy a 6.1″ FHD+ 120 Hz OLED display that’s 50% brighter than the previous generation and the ability to recharge wirelessly. These new features come alongside significant upgrades to the rear camera system. Now, all lenses can achieve 120 fps slow-motion video in 4K, real-time tracking & Eye AF in video, 20 fps burst in HDR, and more.
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Pulling from thousands of entries, the overall winner (and recipient of a $1000 cash prize) in this year’s competition was Tracey Lund from the United Kingdom for her image of two gannets under the water off the coast of the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
This year, you can support the foundation by purchasing a print from the recently launched online store. “We’re thrilled that people will now have the chance to buy some of these images to grace the walls of their homes,” shares Adrian Dinsdale, cofounder of the World Nature Photography Awards. What’s more, for every piece of wall art sold, the organization will plant a tree.
Here are the winning submissions of 2024 across the categories.
Nicolas Remy’s photograph of a black frogfish (or black anglerfish in Australia) was taken in Kurnell, New South Wales, Australia. Frogfish are known for their excellent camouflage and their ability to lure in prey. They have a lure on their head that resembles a small fish or shrimp. When another fish comes close to investigate the lure, the frogfish strikes quickly, swallowing its prey whole.
Uniquely adapted to Israel’s harsh desert environment, the Nubian ibex is the only member of its family that can thrive in such extreme conditions. This photo was taken by Amit Eshel in the Negev desert, a vast and rugged region covering over half of Israel’s landmass.
The Galapagos lava lizard, also known as the Albemarle lava lizard, is a group of seven lizard species found throughout the Galapagos Islands. They are some of the most abundant reptiles in the archipelago and are closely related to iguanas. John Seagar took this epic photo of the lizard standing on a marine iguana.
Overall winner, Tracy Lund, took home the cash prize for her image of two gannets under the water in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The islands are one of the best places in the world to see these magnificent seabirds.
Bill Klipp’s entry showcases the Sally light-foot crab on Santiago Island in the Galapagos. The Sally Lightfoot crab is known for its stunning red coloring and impressive agility. They are adept climbers and can navigate uneven terrain with ease, even scaling vertical surfaces.
Alexander Brackx took this photograph of a mother zebra and her foal being attacked by a cheetah in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. The reserve borders the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, and together they form one of the most extensive wildlife ecosystems in Africa.
The black and white winner was Richard Li for his photo of a leopard in the East Rift Valley of Kenya. This area has a varied landscape including mountains, savannas, and forests. Leopards can thrive in these areas, especially with rocky outcrops and dense vegetation that provides cover for hunting and stalking prey.
Miki Spitzer wins this category with their photo taken in Iceland showcasing blue watery veins, glacial braids, and golden sediment.
Ioannis Pavlos Evangelidis’ entry of traditional stilt fishermen trying their luck at sunset in Koggala, Sri Lanka, is another winner. Koggala is a small coastal town located on the south coast of Sri Lanka, in the Galle District. It’s home to one of the longest beaches in the country.
Ivan Pedretti’s photograph was taken in Stokksnes, Iceland. It features Vestrahorn mountain, known for its two distinctive peaks and dramatic black sand beach.
The plants and fungi category was won by Chatree Lertsintanakorn for their photo of Thismia Thaithongiana. Taken in Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, Tak Province, Thailand, Thismia Thaithongiana, also known as Thaithong’s Fairy Lantern, is a mycoheterotrophic flowering plant, meaning it gets its nutrients from fungi rather than photosynthesis.
Andy Schmid’s shot of a female orca splitting a herring bait ball was taken in Skjervøy, Norway. Skjervøy is a small island located off the coast of northern Norway and is known for its abundant marine life, including orcas, humpback whales, and herring.
The final category of urban wildlife was won by Roy Wiesner for his photo of a female sunbird in Be’er Ora, Israel. There are about 146 species of sunbirds found in Africa, Asia, and Australasia. They are known for their vibrant plumage, especially the males, which have iridescent feathers that shimmer and change color depending on the angle of light.
