The Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made exceptional contributions throughout their careers to photojournalism in the state of Missouri. The commemoration and celebration of these photographers and their work serves as an educational space to venerate these pioneers of visual storytelling and showcase their images for all photojournalists.
Founded in 2005, the Hall of Fame was initially located in Washington, Mo., for a decade before moving to the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. To explore the biographies of inductees and view examples of their work, please visit www.photojournalismhalloffame.org.
Inductees are recognized for achievements in one or more of the following areas: excellence in photojournalism, long-term service to Missouri publications or media outlets, leadership in education, advancements in technology, commitment to ethical values and integrity, and meaningful contributions to their communities.
Raymond Corey
Raymond Corey was born in 1936 in Kansas City. At 16, after his mother’s death and with little contact with his father, he was on his own. He found work with the Associated Press in The Kansas City Star building, transmitting and receiving photographs. The experience sparked a lifelong love of newspapers and photography.
Though he never finished high school, Corey learned from AP staff and, with a borrowed camera, began shooting sports and news events. In 1959, he became a photographer for the Coffeyville Journal. Four years later, he joined The Kansas City Kansan, earning a National Press Photographer’s Association Award for a photo of a bank robber’s arrest.
In 1965, Corey joined The Kansas City Star, where he covered major events including the 1968 race riots, President Truman’s 1972 funeral, and the 1974 teacher strikes. He retired in 1979 but continued freelancing until his death in 1995.
Torsten Kjellstrand
Torsten Kjellstrand has spent his career telling stories that challenge stereotypes in America’s rural, Native American, and immigrant communities. He now applies these lessons as a professor of practice in the Pacific Northwest, training future photojournalists.
A native of Sweden, Kjellstrand attended the University of Missouri in 1991, focusing on photojournalism. While working as a teaching assistant for Bill Kuykendall’s Fundamentals of Photojournalism course, he discovered a passion for teaching alongside his work as a journalist.
After graduating, he joined The Dubois County Herald in Indiana, where he honed his commitment to rural storytelling and won Newspaper Photographer of the Year in the Pictures of the Year International contest. He later worked at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane and The Oregonian in Portland, earning multiple awards. His career includes a Fulbright Scholarship to study comparative literature in Sweden, a John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford, and freelance work in New York before joining the University of Oregon faculty in 2013.
Tammy Ljungblad
Tammy Ljungblad has dedicated more than 35 years to capturing powerful images for The Kansas City Star, telling stories readers won’t see anywhere else. Her career has grown alongside both the community she covers and the evolving tools of her trade, transitioning from film to digital photography and video.
Since joining The Star in 1989, Ljungblad has been known for her careful, accurate, and empathetic approach. She gains the trust of subjects, ensuring their stories are depicted fairly, whether working alone or with reporters. Early in her career, she contributed to the team that produced The Star’s 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on failures at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Over the years, Ljungblad has chronicled Kansas City at its highest, such as Super Bowl and World Series victories, and at its lowest, including investigative coverage of a children’s residential mental health treatment center. Her skill, dedication, and integrity continue to strengthen The Star’s visual storytelling.
L.G. Patterson
L.G. Patterson discovered photography at age six in Liberty, Missouri, when he watched an image emerge in a friend’s darkroom. Fascinated, he asked for cameras every Christmas until he finally received one, and by his teens was photographing school sports for a local shopper. Though unpaid, he was supported with photo paper and darkroom access by community mentors—encouragement that set him on the path to a lifelong career.
For nearly 50 years, Patterson has covered Missouri’s and the nation’s biggest news and sporting events. He began at the Columbia Daily Tribune before moving into freelance work as a photographer and picture editor for Mid-Missouri magazines, as well as shooting for clients including the Associated Press, Major League Baseball, and Columbia’s Roots ‘N’ Blues ‘N’ BBQ Festival.
Known for capturing the spirit of a story, Patterson also teaches as an adjunct professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, his alma mater.
Orlin Wagner
Orlin Wagner has been a photojournalist since 1968, building a career that spans industrial photography for Cessna Aircraft, sports championships, and major tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing.
A University of Kansas graduate, Wagner first gained recognition as a reliable freelance photographer in the Kansas City region, contributing to the Kansas City Times and The Star for more than 20 years. He also worked on contract for the Associated Press, becoming the AP’s primary photographer for smaller towns and communities. Known for his patience, intuition, and ability to be in the right place at the right time, Wagner consistently captured images that perfectly told the story.
In 1997, he joined the AP staff, assisting newspapers with major stories, mentoring fellow photographers, and offering guidance to emerging photojournalists. Earlier, he served as an associate faculty member at Baker University and as the KU Jayhawker yearbook advisor. Since May 2021, Wagner has enjoyed retirement, family time, and occasional photography trips to Africa and Alaska.
