Photo by Hilary Swift
Phone: 760-533-9760
Email: samhodgsonphoto@gmail.com
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I’m the Director of Photography and Video at The San Diego Union-Tribune, where I oversee the newspaper’s photo and video staff while still working in the field on daily assignments and projects. Before joining The U-T, I was a regular contributor to The New York Times. I consider myself a “true believer.” I know that independent, intelligent journalism is imperative for a free society.
I try to leave a mark on every assignment I work on, not only through the photos I deliver but also through helping guide the reporting process to show the impact on real people. I work closely with reporters and editors to make sure that we deliver journalism that is groundbreaking and impactful.
In 2019 and 2020, I spent eight months producing a 7-part documentary series about the campaign finance scandal that upended the political career and family dynasty of Congressman Duncan D. Hunter and the race to replace him in California’s 50th congressional district.
I spent most of 2016 covering the presidential election for The New York Times, traveling to 20 states and more than 80 cities. I was embedded on and off for months with the Bernie Sanders campaign at the height of his rise and traveled extensively covering both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's bids for the White House. After Trump's election, I spent months covering the transition of power for the newspaper.
Before becoming a freelance photojournalist in 2011, I spent about five years working for the online, nonprofit news source Voice of San Diego. There, I was the sole staff photographer. I focused on documenting quality-of-life issues and underserved populations in San Diego.