In the almost 17 years Scott Bryant has been the staff photographer for the Statesboro Herald, he has shot thousands of photos in every corner of Bulloch County and beyond. But before he shot a single frame of any one of those photos, he asked: “What’s the story this image is trying to tell?”

And no one has told the stories in our community more thoroughly, imaginatively, emotionally or humanely than Bryant.

“My role at the Statesboro Herald is to be a witness on behalf of my community,” he said. “I take that role seriously and I always try to conduct myself in a way that makes me a credible witness.”

Whether it’s the Kiwanis Fair, the first day of school or a family in the midst of tragedy, Bryant’s photos tell the multitude of stories that shape our community every day.

Now, we want to share many of the stories Bryant’s photos told in 2023.

“My Places, My People” will feature more than 100 photos Bryant took during the past year. The 60-page pictorial keepsake is a remarkable chronicle of a year in the life of our community.

Through photos, you will see the story of the amazing athleticism and sheer power of Portal football player Amir Jackson; the sadness and hope of a family that just lost two children and a sister to tragedy; a fun-filled adventure at Splash in the Boro.

You may find part of your own story in one of the photos and everyone will find a story they recognize in many of the images.

As we went through the initial process of looking through the hundreds of photos Bryant took during the past year, I thought about the many photographers I have worked with in my now 40-year journalism career. The really good ones, of course, have a passion for photography, but they also demand more from themselves in pursuing that passion.

Bryant said he was attracted to photography at a young age and began focusing on photojournalism specifically when he decided to attend Western Kentucky University.

“(At Western Kentucky) I could see a way to use photography as a way to explore people and tell their stories,” Bryant said. “I was immediately sold, pretty much. I'm actually still doing what I went to college for.”

Bryant believes good photography creates an immediate bond with its viewer.

“Photographs are unique in the way they communicate,” he said. “Words, video and audio are all linear in nature. Experiencing one word, or image or sound after another is how we extract meaning from that type of media. A good photograph, on the other hand, makes you think or feel something instantly. That instant connection creates a curiosity to engage with the rest of our content.”

I asked Bryant to pick two images you will find in the picture book and explain the story he was trying to tell with each photo. In the photo above, Southeast Bulloch High School senior Eric Lim has just found out he had been named Bulloch County’s STAR student and was with his STAR teacher Joey Harvey, who taught him while he was at Brooklet Elementary

“What photos do best is to convey or evoke emotion. And it's important to create an emotional connection to a story,” he said. “Often, receiving an award can be exciting. That's a reaction you can see and photograph. The Bulloch County Schools STAR Student/Teacher awards luncheon is something that comes to mind. In my opinion, seeing the face of his proud teacher creates an emotional connection to the story, and that's what I'm always searching for and trying to anticipate.”

In this photo above, Bryant was assigned to take a photo of Andi Johnson from On Target Martial Arts for the cover of our monthly Moments magazine. So, he began looking for the best “angle” for the shot.

“A photojournalist brings value to their community when they go beyond the obvious,” he said. “It might be seeking out vantage points or finding angles that help people see things in new ways. Sometimes it's by adhering to photojournalist Robert Capa's advice, 'If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough.' Risking a kick to the head was reasonable, to me, so I could make a real in-your-face photograph of a martial arts instructor.”

And these are just two of the photos telling the story of our community in 2023 that you will find in "My Places, My People."

Also, since the mission of the Statesboro Food Bank speaks to the generous humanity in our community, $5 from the sale of each book will be donated to the Food Bank.  

My wife and I have lived in Bulloch County for 21 years now. Our three sons grew up here, were educated here and now are building careers and lives of their own.

But this is home to them and to us.

All of us.

You will see your home, your community, in every page, every photo of "My Places, My People."