BROOKS INSTITUTE VISUAL JOURNALISM ALUMNUS PUBLISHED IN TIME MAGAZINE AND MSNBC.COM

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - (December 3, 2007) - For the thousands of folks affected by its fury in late October, the Malibu fire was one of the state’s most devastating blazes costing $1.2 million in damages to homes and businesses. For Brooks Institute Visual Journalism alumnus Grant Morris, the blaze was a photographic opportunity of a lifetime and one that lead to national publishing exposure.

Morris was able to capture the fear and anxiety of local residents in the fire danger zone in a tell-all photo which he provided to Zuma Press. Time Magazine located the image at Zuma Press and published the photo in a two-page spread in its November 26, 2007 issue which covered the Malibu fires.

Morris remembers being awoken by fellow alumnus Alex Manning informing him of the fire. One of the fires had already burned the famous Kashan Castle, home of the world re-known philanthropist, Lilly Lawrence. Although Morris was in the midst of Finals Week, he and Manning immediately packed their equipment and headed to Malibu to shoot for his photo agency, Zuma Press.

"I saw this group of people standing across the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) from where we were; we just went over and started shooting," recalled Morris. "I saw a moment which captured what I believed the group of people watching the fires was thinking. They were watching flames come over a hillside across the street from where they lived, wondering what would happen next."

When Morris returned home he immediately transmitted his photos to Zuma Press where they were immediately picked up by Time Magazine and MSNBC.

Morris added, "Going into the fires I tried to remind myself that these people could potentially lose everything they had and stand there helpless while it burned away. I had to put myself in their shoes and realize that any other day, it could be me in their position. It was thinking like this and putting myself fully in the situation that led me to shoot this photo."

Morris was raised in Hourma, a small town southwest of New Orleans. He attended Nicholls State University, where he discovered his calling as a photojournalist. Working for the student publication, The Nicholls Worth, Morris had his first adrenaline rush. In a case of the right place at the right time, Morris witnessed a carjacking in the school parking lot and documented the event with his camera. "When I learned of the news I ran to the parking lot with my adrenaline flowing. This feeling became addictive and then I knew I wanted to pursue this as a career."

Morris began studying Visual Journalism at Brooks Institute in 2005. One year later, he returned to Louisiana to serve an internship. He returned to Brooks but was offered another internship with the Topeka Capital Journal in Kansas. His experience and education led him to his current photo agency and wire service, Zuma Press.

About Brooks Institute
Brooks Institute celebrates more than 60 years of educating students in the visual and media arts. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California, the school offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in fields including Professional Photography, Visual Journalism, Film and Video Production and Graphic Design, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography. Brooks’ graduates are visible nationally and internationally, working for distinguished organizations including National Geographic, Smithsonian, Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets, including Hallmark Publishing, Cousteau Society, HBO, Kodak and other industry leaders in the visual media arts fields. For more information about Brooks Institute and the school’s programs, visit www.brooks.edu, or call 805-966-3888.