Jim worked as a photojournalist and IT Manager for The Messenger Newspaper in Madisonville, Kentucky from  1995 until 2013.

Prior to his that he served as an photojournalist for the United States Air Force for 24 years, where he traveled the world

Jim’s professional photographic career began in 1971 after he graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, when he joined the United States Air Force.

He spent 24 years as a photojournalist, working most of them as part of Combat Camera, where he traveled the globe, visiting over 66 countries while on assignment, documenting military operations around the globe. Assignments have taken him, from the Great Wall of China to the Pyramids in Egypt, to Space Shuttle Landings in the California Desert and much more between 1971 and 1995.

He and his unit were responsible for implementing the first Electronic Imaging Center where they were on the forefront of the Digital Photography Era by testing and using the very first generation of digital cameras ever produced, and he finished out his career in the military as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Electronic Imaging Center at March Air Force Base in California.

After retiring from the Air Force, Jim moved back home here to Madisonville, Kentucky and went to work for The Messenger Newspaper in 1996, where he was instrumental in the newspaper making the move from analog production to digital and was hired due to his experience in the Air Force.

He spent 17 years as a staff photojournalist at The Messenger where he covered assignments all around Western Kentucky and his images graced the pages of the paper and told the stories of what went on in our community until he retired from there in 2017.

During his 50+ years Jim has won many awards with his photography in competitions such as 1^st places in various Military Photographer of the Year and Air Force Photographic Contests, National Press Photography Association, Kentucky Press Association and other state and regional photography contests.

Currently he is retired and photographing the things he loves most, which are his family and trains!

military operations as a member of Combat Camera.

Now he’s retired and pursuing his own personal photography projects and freelancing. For information on availability for freelance assignments contact:

Jim Pearson
4665 Earlington Road
Madisonville, Ky 42431