Author

John Partipilo

John Partipilo

Working as a photojournalist for 40 years, Partipilo has won awards such as NPPA Best of Photojournalism and nominated for two Pulitzers. His photography has also been featured in national and international publications. Most importantly Partipilo’s work is about people — people in their different environments and people in their different stages of life. That’s the heart of his work. To him people are so important, because they all have a unique story.

Trees lined up for distribution at Nashville's Earth Day celebration Saturday. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Earth Day 2022

By: - April 24, 2022

Earth Day, first celebrated in April 22, 1970, was rolled to April 23 in Nashville and photojournalist John Partipilo staked out the event at Centennial Park. Hundreds turned out on a beautiful day to pick up free trees that were being distributed, listen to live music and attend presentations from environmental and conservation organizations. Packets […]

A group of young people celebrating the coming of spring with the Hindu holiday Holi. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Nashville Hindus celebrate Spring with Holi

By: and - March 21, 2022

Members of Nashville’s Hindu community celebrated the coming of Spring over the weekend with Holi, a Hindu holiday also known as the Festival of Spring, the Festival of Colors or the Festival of Love. About 400 people gathered at Sri Saibaba Temple in Antioch, dancing and splashing each other with colored powder dye. Pink, blue, […]

Ira Tsykovska and her husband Bogdan Chornomaz, natives of the Ukraine, at their Nashville home. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Ukrainians in Tennessee worry for safety of family and friends

By: and - March 1, 2022

Ira Tsykovska’s iPhone kept alerting her with the familiar Apple text tone ring every few minutes while her husband Bogdan Chornomaz looked over her shoulder and worriedly read texts from their families and friends in Kyiv and Kharkiv, two of the largest cities in Ukraine. “The Russians have surrounded the cities but we are fighting them”, said […]

Nashville official Fabian Bedne signs the wedding license. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Metro Nashville official makes Valentine’s dream come true for couple

By: and - February 15, 2022

Metro Nashville official Fabian Bedne loves officiating weddings, so much that he wondered if it was possible to organize a free wedding on Valentine’s Day for the Latino community. The former two-term Metro Councilmember talked to Veronica Salcedo, founder of the Spanish-speaking news outlet Nashville Noticias, about his idea and she began making calls to Latino […]

Odessa Kelly, Democratic candidate for Congress in District 5, speaks Monday at a protest of new congressional district maps. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Crowd protests GOP-drawn congressional maps on MLK Day

By: and - January 18, 2022

Concerns over COVID-19 and lingering snow from a weekend storm halted several Middle Tennessee events traditionally held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor the late civil rights leader, but more than 100 people turned out in Nashville to protest new GOP-drawn congressional and legislative district maps. The Nashville Justice League, which is comprised […]

COMMENTARY
Two Amish men continue their routine of delivering milk, while an American flag flies at half staff. (Photo: John Partipilo)

The year in photos: Part Two

By: , and - December 30, 2021

In our second gallery of photographs that defined 2020, we share works by photojournalists John Partipilo and Karen Pulfer Focht on topics including the environment, families with special needs children and immigration issues. While 2021 wasn’t characterized by the same type of demonstrations that marked 2020, the year nonetheless had its share of demonstrations by […]

COMMENTARY
Gov. Bill Lee at a plant dedication Humboldt, Tennessee in March, pictured with plant workers. (Photo: John Partipilo)

2021: The year in photos

By: , and - December 28, 2021

Great writing and excellent photojournalism go together like peas and carrots, and the Tennessee Lookout has the good fortune to work with excellent writers and photographers. 2021 was a lesser sibling to 2020, our launch year. If the latter gave us the opportunity to cover Black Lives Matter protests, COVID test sites and bombings, the […]

Two Amish men continue their routine of delivering milk, while an American flag flies at half staff. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Biden inspects Western Kentucky tornado damage

By: and - December 16, 2021

President Joe Biden visited Dawson Springs, Kentucky on Wednesday as part of a tour of areas damaged by powerful storms over the weekend. Photojournalist John Partipilo was also in Dawson Springs, documenting the devastation. Former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, father of current Gov. Andy Beshear, hails from the small town, where 12 people died in […]

Dresden Methodist Church was destroyed early Saturday morning. (Photo: Rick Herron)

Slow recovery begins from West Tennessee, Kentucky storms

By: and - December 15, 2021

Formerly known to most Tennesseans as the home of the late governor Ned Ray McWherter, Dresden, Tennessee joins the roster of towns known by name nationally for the devastation caused by tornadoes: Xenia, Ohio. Greensburg, Kanas. Joplin, Missouri. Mayfield, Kentucky and now, Dresden. The north side of the town’s Main Street was flattened, including City […]

A house in Mayfield, Kentucky, photographed by John Partipilo on Dec. 12, 2021.

Tornadoes devastate West Tennessee and Kentucky

By: and - December 13, 2021

At least four people in Tennessee are dead after tornadoes ripped through northwest Tennessee and Kentucky early Saturday morning. The National Weather Service confirmed seven tornadoes touched down in Tennessee but haven’t confirmed if the same tornado damaged Tennessee and Kentucky. In Weakley County, Dresden was hard hit, as was Newbern in Dyer County. Tornadoes […]

Abortion rights rally in Nashville draws hundreds

By: - October 4, 2021

A rally by abortion rights advocates drew hundreds to the Tennessee Capitol on Saturday. The Rally for Abortion Justice was part of coordinated events in cities across the nation after a Texas law banning most abortions took effect. Photojournalist John Partipilo captured the event.  

From left, MarVelous Brown, Larry Jenkins and Marcus Chandler with the band "Brassville." (Photo: John Partipilo)

Tennesseans celebrate Juneteenth

By: , and - June 21, 2021

Tennesseans didn’t wait on President Joe Biden’s Thursday proclamation making Juneteenth a federal holiday to begin organizing celebrations marking the occasion. In the Nashville area alone, more than 45 events were held to celebrate a traditional holiday for Black Americans. On June 19,1865, U.S. Major Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Texas bearing a copy […]