Josh Morgan

University of Arizona

Josh Morgan’s passion for photos spread like wildfire — literally.

Morgan, 22, covered three major wildfires — known as Horseshoe 2, Wallow and Monument — that spread across Arizona last summer, when he was a University of Arizona student freelancing for the Tucson Weekly.

They were experiences he said he would never forget.

“I clearly remember the thick black smoke that blanketed the entire city — a glowing orange, really eerie,” he said. “Photography has become an extension of my mind’s eye.”

As residents were forced to evacuate, Morgan said, he drove to Springerville, Ariz., and parked his car where people were vacating their homes.

“I crawled out of the truck and made my way out to two brothers with their daughters on their shoulders,” Morgan said. “In the back you could see the extremely thick charcoal sky with bits of orange burning through smoke.”

Two years ago, Morgan sold his drum set to help buy his Canon 7D camera, knowing the significance that photojournalism had started to play in his life. He covered the shooting last year of Rep. Gabriel Giffords and realized the importance of documenting history.

“It’s not just taking photos, but about gathering information,” he said. “I was able to tell personal stories of people affected by this tragedy.”

Morgan said photojournalism has opened many doors.

“I’m shy, and photos pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Morgan said. “It’s a strange feeling trying to capture moments behind the fine lens of a camera.”

Morgan, who hopes to learn more about multimedia and visual storytelling, said he’s excited to wake up to something different every morning.

“I mean, I’m going into a wildfire,” he said. “Normal people don’t do that when they’re bored at home — well, that I know of.”

- Monique O. Madan