Photos of the year 2021: Curtis Compton

If it’s sports – baseball, football, soccer, golf, basketball – visual journalist Curtis Compton can be found nearby. During 2020, COVID-19 seriously curtailed sports, but as 2021 unfurled and the use of COVID vaccines grew, some of the restrictions ease. Compton’s work reflects both of these worlds.

Compton is an award-winning visual journalist who has been with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for nearly 30 years. He joined the AJC as a photo editor in 1993 before returning to the field as a staff photographer. Previously he worked for the Gwinnett Daily News, United Press International and the Marietta Daily Journal. Compton is an avid sports photographer, but his skill isn’t limited to sports. He was the principal photographer for the AJC’s Emmy-award winning “Bronco Goes to Camp,” a documentary about a local heart-transplant patient who was going to summer camp for the first time. He has won a World Hunger Award for his coverage of the famine in Sudan and has documented the Iraq War, highlighting the efforts of Georgia-based troops. This year, he chronicled the Braves through their World Series-winning season. His images have been featured in New York Times and CNN photos of the year.

Browse Curtis Compton’s photos of the year

ExploreMore AJC top photos and stories of 2021

Atlanta leaders eye trails as part of solution to city’s traffic woes

The 535-mile expansion plan, known as Trails ATL, aims to make the city more walkable, bringing 10-minute access to trails for 95% of city residents by 2052.

Breakdown: Three days in May

Season 11 of the AJC’s Breakdown true crime podcast starts soon. It begins with a Georgia couple, a newborn—and a discovery that triggers a living nightmare.

Atlanta airport flyers, staff celebrate freedom — from travel headaches

Despite hundreds of thousands flying through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Fourth of July weekend, airport staff and travelers experienced few issues.

The Latest

Credit: n/a

Breakdown: Three days in May

A.M. ATL: Checkmate for good

Atlanta airport flyers, staff celebrate freedom — from travel headaches

Featured

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC

Unemployment in Georgia is down, but so is the labor force. Why?

Georgia’s labor force has declined by nearly 30,000 compared to May last year. Here are some reasons why.

Georgia appeals court rules election boards must certify results

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that election board members are required to certify election results even when they have concerns about fraud or errors.

Atlanta crypto biz owner caught up in fraud says it’s ‘like living in a James Bond movie’

Prosecutors say North Korean IT specialists are 'infiltrating' tech companies in the U.S. as remote workers to steal money from businesses and funnel it back to North Korea.