Each year, PhotoMedia recognizes a person in the photography industry who has best demonstrated exceptional artistic and business accomplishments, photographic passion, devotion to the industry, inspiration to colleagues and humanitarian achievements in the community.

For his success over the decades as a photographer, his ability to manage the work of a diverse array of photojournalists, and his daring thematic and technological innovations in the photography book publishing business, PhotoMedia is proud to name Rick Smolan our Photography Person of the Year for 2009. For more information about Smolan's impressive catalog of books and images, visit MyAmericaatHome.com.

Each year, PhotoMedia recognizes a person in the photography industry who has best demonstrated exceptional artistic and business accomplishments, photographic passion, devotion to the industry, inspiration to colleagues and humanitarian achievements in the community.

For her collaborative efforts to bring to light issues of social concern, as well as her establishment of the Julia Dean Photo Workshops in Venice, Calif., PhotoMedia is proud to name Julia Dean (at left) as our Photography Person of the Year for 2008.

Her recent socially conscious photo projects include "Child Labor and the Global Village: Photography for Social Change" (see childlaborphotoproject.org for more information) and "Documenting America's Social Challenges: Five Pressing Issues," a five-year project to be funded by an auction of photographic images each year.