Thomas McCartney Photography

Jul 3

Grateful to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games for giving me access to photograph powerlifting from behind the scenes — the waiting, coaching, pressure, effort, and reset between lifts. Special thanks to Barrett An of Team New York and coach Christopher Hughes for allowing me into that space with ...Read more

Grateful to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games for giving me access to photograph powerlifting from behind the scenes — the waiting, coaching, pressure, effort, and reset between lifts. Special thanks to Barrett An of Team New York and coach Christopher Hughes for allowing me into that space with respect and trust. Barrett’s performance was not just about the weight on the bar; it was about focus, partnership, and the quiet moments that make competition possible. I built a short photo essay around Barrett’s day at Northrop Auditorium. Click the link to see the full photo essay with story captions: Under the Bar: Barrett An at the Special Olympics https://buff.ly/HaxtvBC Thank you again to everyone who made this access possible.

Jun 11

I recently sat down with Laura Cooper for my Witness project. Laura was the first woman tenured at the University of Minnesota Law School, but what struck me most was not only her legal knowledge. It was how deeply she understands immigration through both law and lived experience: Through citizens...Read more

I recently sat down with Laura Cooper for my Witness project. Laura was the first woman tenured at the University of Minnesota Law School, but what struck me most was not only her legal knowledge. It was how deeply she understands immigration through both law and lived experience: Through citizenship classes, refugee families, Minnesota’s civic institutions, and the people forced to navigate a system that often sees them only as a category. This piece looks at why people leave home, what citizenship means, how Minnesota was ready to respond, and what gets lost when immigrants are treated as abstractions instead of people. At the center of it is a simple truth: people come here to live, work, care for their families, and belong. Link in comments/bio. https://buff.ly/JSRMbXc

May 9

Five generations of one family have worked this tobacco farm in Cuba. They do not own the land. They cannot sell it. Ninety percent of their harvest goes to the state. And yet for Miguel, Michelle, and Michael, there is no other place they would rather live. My latest story from Viñales, Cuba: “T...Read more

Five generations of one family have worked this tobacco farm in Cuba. They do not own the land. They cannot sell it. Ninety percent of their harvest goes to the state. And yet for Miguel, Michelle, and Michael, there is no other place they would rather live. My latest story from Viñales, Cuba: “The Farm They Cannot Leave” Link in bio or https://buff.ly/dl8o7HI . . . . . #Cuba #DocumentaryPhotography #Photojournalism #Leica #HumanStories #RuralLife #VisualStorytelling #LatinAmerica #Documentary #LifeAndPeople

Apr 4

Events like this are often reduced to numbers—how many showed up, how big the crowd was. But that’s not what stayed with me. These images are about what it felt like to be inside it. Take your time with these. If you can, view them on a larger screen. Inside the Crowd: No Kings March, March 28,...Read more

Events like this are often reduced to numbers—how many showed up, how big the crowd was. But that’s not what stayed with me. These images are about what it felt like to be inside it. Take your time with these. If you can, view them on a larger screen. Inside the Crowd: No Kings March, March 28, 2026 https://buff.ly/GnR8qGC . . . . . #documentaryphotography #photojournalism #streetphotography #protestphotography #socialdocumentary #reportagespotlight #everydayeverywhere #visualjournalism #documentaryphotographer #reportagephotography #humanstory #onassignment #inthefield #NoKings #stpaulmn #minnesotaphotographer #witnesswork #inthecrowd

Mar 31

No Kings March — March 28, 2026 📍 St. Paul, Minnesota Inside the crowd at the Minnesota State Capitol. Most images from protests show the scale. This is what it felt like to stand inside it. Voices layered over each other. Bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder. Moments of anger, humor, and defianc...Read more

No Kings March — March 28, 2026 📍 St. Paul, Minnesota Inside the crowd at the Minnesota State Capitol. Most images from protests show the scale. This is what it felt like to stand inside it. Voices layered over each other. Bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder. Moments of anger, humor, and defiance colliding in real time. Nothing about it was distant. — The St. Paul rally served as the flagship event in a nationwide day of more than 3,000 protests across all 50 states, with millions participating and solidarity demonstrations held internationally.  — Full gallery: https://buff.ly/Iu5vrnq #DocumentaryPhotography #Photojournalism #Leica #ProtestPhotography #StPaul #Minnesota #VisualStorytelling #Reportage #NoKings #HumanStories