Portfolio

I believe in the power of images, both still and moving, to evoke emotion, make information easier to absorb, change minds and tell stories. Here are a few of my favorite examples of the stories and projects I’ve been privileged to edit and exhibits I’ve organized and curated.

The death of George Floyd at the knee of a police officer brought demonstrations and protests that swept the Twin Cities — and the world — at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought people to the streets who had never before protested, and inspired photojournalists and other photographers to create images with lasting impact. It motivated some to pick up a camera for the first time. I organized the exhibit that brought 54 of those images together. It opened in October, 2022, at the Andersen Library on the U of M campus, and moved to the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis in March, where it ran through June 5, 2022. The reaction brought attention to community and professional photographers, and the two public programs had great participation.

The MPR News investigation into the failure of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to deal with sexually-abusive priests won the Peabody, the Alfred I. duPont, Edward R. Murrow and an Online Journalism award (among many others). It was a difficult story to visualize, but my team created stunning images that reinforced the written word.

American Creations, a project of Round Earth Media and the International Women’s Media Foundation, highlights stories of Islamic art and culture in the U.S. As photo advisor, part of my charge was to mentor women and photojournalists of color. I found freelance photographers around the country and worked with them to create memorable stories. Finding, assigning and editing great photographers is one of my favorite things to do.

Rakan Bucha, 62, sits outside the Alamir Cafe on Main Street in Paterson, New Jersey.
Thomas E. Franklin for Round Earth Media/IWMF

Probably my favorite story of the entire year-long project was “Arabic with a Jersey Accent,” which ran in the L.A. Times. Written by Zahra Hankir and photographed by Thomas Franklin, images from the story became part of his “Seeking Refuge” exhibit on immigration.

For MPR’s 50th Anniversary, I curated and managed a traveling photo exhibit, Faces of Minnesota, that stopped at five locations around the state, including the Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis.

Diamond Reynolds, the morning after she recorded the death of her boyfriend, Philando Castile.
Evan Frost | MPR News

One of the biggest stories I worked on at MPR News was the death of Philando Castile, shot by a St. Anthony police officer. I was working the night the Facebook video recorded by Diamond Reynolds went live, and covered the story for weeks to come as the photo editor and as a digital editor.

Valerie Castile danced at a protest march after Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted.
Maria Alejandra Cardona for MPR News

Protests followed in the days immediately following Castile’s death, and after Officer Yanez was found not guilty, and we covered it extensively in visuals.

Family members at the funeral for Philando Castile.
Caroline Yang for MPR News

Finding the heart of an on-going story can make all the difference.

A St. Paul school board candidate shows a copy of a thank you note he received.
Richard Marshall for MPR News

I love breaking news, and I love the smaller stories that inform our community as well. In the hands of a good photographer and editor, even a local school board debate can make a wonderful photo gallery or a strong visual story. At MPR News, my team’s work won an EPpy for best use of photography, and multiple regional SPJ awards for photography including: First place, Best News Photography (four times), First place, Best Sports Photography (twice), First place, Best News Video, Best Continuing Coverage Online.

Multimedia storytelling

As the senior multimedia producer for the StarTribune, our projects, including A People Torn, Double Play, 13 Seconds in August, Minnesota’s Olympic Athletes, and Voices for the Land won many national awards. Sadly, because of server, CMS and technology changes, they no longer exist. I was project producer for “A People Torn: Liberians in Minnesota,” which a Digital Edge Award for Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling. a regional Emmy, an EPpy for Best News Special Feature. “13 Seconds in August,” where I was the video producer, won a National Headliner Award for Journalistic Innovation, an EPpys for Best Special Feature on a Web Site and a regional Emmy. Other multimedia projects won POYi, Best of Photojournalism and Emmy Awards.

Need editing help?

Need someone to photo edit single story or a project? I’m happy to help. Looking for a full-time editor? Email me at regina.mccombs (at) gmail.com or look me up on Twitter and Instagram and most everywhere as @reginajmc.