Daymon J. Hartley

Daymon J. Hartley has a saying that there are times in our lives when we are so moved by an issue or a situation that we experience an “inability of inaction” when standing on the sidelines of injustice or staying silent in the face of human suffering simply aren’t options.

For nearly 50 years, Daymon has been unable to put down his cameras and take a break.

He has faithfully and fiercely covered the news without fear or favor throughout his career as a photojournalist, mostly notably at the Detroit Free Press.

In pursuit of telling the stories of underserved, marginalized and oppressed people, Daymon has consistently put himself in the center of the action and the danger to capture images from the streets of Detroit and the neighborhoods of Ferguson, Missouri, to war zones in Central America and the Middle East.

He has covered big and small stories and produced thousands of memorable photographs. But his unwavering dedication to justice and his relentless drive to use photojournalism to speak truth to power and bring power to the people have made the greatest difference.

“What makes Daymon such a fine photojournalist is his passion to use journalism to right the wrongs of society,” said his former boss retired Free Press Deputy Photo Editor Marcia Prouse. “It is one of his most admirable attributes. He is relentless and selfless in doing so, whether it’s to work the long hours or put himself in harm’s way—all in the name of telling true and complete stories.”

His attraction to intense and dramatic situations, coupled with a police and fire scanner and several TVs playing local news all at once usually put him on the scene of breaking news stories ahead of other journalists. One of those stories—the Buhl Building fire and rampage—landed him a job at The Detroit Free Press and made him a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 at the age of 37.

Daymon’s instincts, tenacity and global network of sources who ushered him into situations that other journalists couldn’t get into earned him dozens of awards.

But more than accolades, his photos are a testament to his purpose.

“Daymon somehow has this impulse that never ceases, almost a need to push the world toward justice,” said former Detroit Free Press reporter Ruth Seymour. “One small nonstop guy, always hurling himself against morally wrong realities.”