David Nelson - The Life Of A Journalist
David Nelson, Journalist, 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt
Around every corner there is a story, a moment worth capturing, and a continuation of humanities tale. It an age old cycle, from around table to within a pages of a newspaper, these stories are the inherency of the generations to come and yet for every story there is a holder, someone who feels the weight of sharing each in honesty and truth.
David Nelson is known through out Wabash and neighboring counties for his detailed photography and passionate storytelling in the medium of journalism. Though his artistic ability is feature through not just photojournalism but also nature photography, there is no denying that when he raises the camera to his eye he isn’t just capturing a photograph, he is telling a story. The question is what is his story? Who is Nelson behind the bylines?
"There's the public persona and there's the very private. When I have my camera And the private side, it's simply because I grew up, again, an only child, the only kid in the family for so many years. And even then with no siblings, you create your own little world that your imagination takes. Growing up was either on the ball field or in an art studio of some kind. I took all the art classes you could imagine, but I also played baseball and that was a nice outlet for a while until I think that ran its course and I didn't find the solace and comfort on a ball diamond that I could being creative."
Nelson has been a journalist for 33 years with more than 4,000 bylines from championing the arts, a personal passion, to bringing the hard news, but his career came by happenstance.
"Before my senior year of college, I got a call from an editor at a newspaper and I couldn't figure out why he was calling me. He said he was interested in having me come in and serve as an intern. And I said, I think you got the wrong guy, because at this point I wasn't a journalism major, but he said that one of my professors said that I wrote well. I ended up going for the interview, got the job, and quite literally turning into a cub reporter overnight."
David Nelson, Journalist, 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt
There is a depth to Nelson's work that has come with molding a voice that would bring a tone to his writing making it unmistakable by his readers. Developing his craft through on the field training he has been able to craft a story that raises off the paper, but the true magic comes when he uses a single photograph to tell the story and continue the narrative beyond the words.
"I remember my first newspaper job, my desk was next to the photo desk. And the guys in the photography department, just, I really thought they were cool. There's something about them. And they all were just, they kind of had that, they just had a vibe to them. They had a swagger. And I thought they were really cool. I'd watch what they did and i'd see them a lot because back then the reporter photographers went on assignment together. A lot of the times I'd ride with them and got to know them. The photographer desk in the area was next to mine. like I said, I really watched them and I learned a lot. I ended up getting gifted an old 35 millimeter Canon camera and I just started taking pictures for the heck of it. And I would ask the photographer's questions. What is all comes down to is, I've learned to tell a story with a single image."
Nelson has brought his artist background to his photography within his career but there is always more to someone who chooses to put other people's stories before his own. Like most photographers, the habit of taking photograph and seeing beauty has sparked another avenue for his storytelling that has brought a byline of encouragement.
" And Greetings from the Trail, which is a sort of a regular occurrence on my Facebook page, came about a number of years ago because I had to be on social media sense my job required it. I thought, well, how can I bring something different to this? There is a lot of negativity on social media and I wanted to bring something more encouraging or up lifting. So I just started doing these 'Greetings From The Trail' posts. My early incarnation of it was they were just snapshots of my hike. But then I was able to get some shots that resonated with people and the thing just took off. I started taking that more seriously and so what I do is challenge myself each time I go hiking. I want to have one decent photograph and, fortunately, I've been able to do that.
You can now find Nelson’s nature photography in the Visit Wabash County Welcome Center or you can go to the Wabash Museum for purchasing. Soon his art will be featured in a permanent exhibit within the Wabash Museum for all to enjoy, bringing to light his eye for beauty and well deserved legacy.
Sitting down with David Nelson in this episode was not just an inside look into the industry of journalism but a revealing truth of mans desire to create art, all the while building our local communities and uphold the people within them.
Thank you David for being an advocate for our communities and sharing our stories, there is legacy of a great artist being built right before our eyes. Thank you for being a voice, bringing hope, and creating art for all of us to enjoy! Man
Episode:
https://youtu.be/y-zO823zaU0
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XkgQKEutFoub8UjqltVCS
https://podcasts.apple.com/.../here-in-my-time/id1858774701
Learn more about David Nelson:
https://www.facebook.com/david.nelson.556264
Do you know someone who's story should be told here in the podcast? Head over to https://www.hereinmytime.com/share-your-story and nominate a guest! I am always looking for the next lead!
