When we talk about immigration, gun violence, marginalized people groups, or any other hot topic, we often deal primarily in numbers. It’s easy to forget that behind each statistic is a person and a story. Today we chat with Paul Calhoun, a photographer passionate about restoring humanity to the issues of our day through the use of photography. What happens when we live out of curiosity, when we start really listening and paying attention to the stories all around us?  

Guest Appearances

Paul Calhoun has been a photographer for 35+ years and currently works as an assistant professor of art at Concordia University Wisconsin. During his work as a community organizer in Colorado, his wife gifted him with a camera, beginning his enduring love for the art form. Today, Paul uses photography to capture untold stories of marginalized people and much of his work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Throughout his decades of work, he’s been supported by numerous grants including ones from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

Key Topics

• Embrace a spirit of curiosity about people: surround yourself with people who have different stories and experiences than you and be willing to listen. 


• Once you get to know people, stereotypes and resentments disappear.


• Photography can help dispel stereotypes. Really good photographers “pay attention.”


• Images have the power to change people’s lives; Paul uses his work to promote empathy and understanding.


• Both people at the border and migrant workers are human and we’re called to embrace people in our own ways.


• From Paul on venturing into new areas and unfamiliar communities/neighborhoods: “Get out in the world—it’s not all threatening.”


• The phone often acts as a barrier/challenge to face-to-face communication.


• Direct contact with people is a “bigger life to live.”


• Understanding others ultimately helps us understand ourselves better.


• We all typically want the same things out of life: to be loved and to feel as though we belong.

A Few Mentioned Items

• To learn more about Paul Calhoun and his photography, visit his website.


• Paul’s son, Ben Calhoun, on This American Life, sharing about the supermarket incident.


• Noise rock music


• Czech beer

Do you have thoughts or personal experiences regarding photography or other art forms as a means of humanizing issues that you would like to share with us? We’d love to hear from you. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your feedback on this episode.

Paul Calhoun: The work that I’m doing is to promote some empathy and some understanding of why these people are here. They’re not here to break laws. Although, some of them are breaking the law, some of them are undocumented people. They come here to work. When I initially started this project, which was three or four years ago, I went to the farmer. It’s a huge farm, and he employs a lot of people. I had to ask him whether I could photograph on the farm, and he said, “I want you to.” He said, “I want people to know that without these people, we don’t eat.” I think that’s pretty much true…they’re doing work that nobody else wants to do.