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Brian Kratzer

@kodakratz

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Visually literate versus literal visuals. Director of Photography @comissourian Director @mophotoworkshop Prof. @mujschool

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It’s been a month since Brian Kratzer passed. I think it’s important to continue to speak about him, remember him, and honor what an amazing person he was, even though I can’t quite find the right words to do so.

Brian was such an amazing person, who changed many of ours lives for the better. He instilled so much passion in everyone he taught, mentored and worked with. He was always excited about a good photo, and of course he couldn’t wait to talk about it. Sometimes, he would be so excited about an assignment that day that he would call me to talk about it on his way to work, even though he would be in the building in 10 minutes. He inspired us to do keep doing better, to keep going, and he believed in us. I truly would not be where I am today without Brian’s guidance and support.

Outside of being our professor, DOP and mentor, he was just an amazing person. Somehow every time I stopped by his office to say goodbye after a long shift, I’d find myself sitting at his desk, 30 minutes into a conversation about anything and everything. He always made us laugh, always lit up a room when he walked in, and was always excited to see us. I feel so honored to have been lucky enough to be one of his last students. Brian was much more than just a professor, to many of us he was like a second dad.

There are so many talented, passionate, and dedicated photojournalists in this world because of Brian. His legacy will continue through us and our work, and we will continue to remember and honor him.

You are so missed, photo dad 💙📸

Fun fact: Brian was very much a swiftie and we often talked about the fact that I’m not… somehow I ended up on multiple taylor swift assignments while on staff.

Hearst Awards Ceremony 2026

San Francisco!

San Francisco Chronicle with the Hearst 2026 photo group.

There was a bad storm and everyone was bunkered downstairs with the tornado sirens were going off, meanwhile Brian was taking advantage to steal a piece of cake.

@jackiesbell last critique. We didn’t know at the time but it would be Brian’s last critique as well.

Brian loved to have the police scanners on at the photo desk- Rightfully so, because they were always the most intere

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A few more photos from Game Day, Mizzou Football vs Troy, on Sept. 19, 2926. #Band141

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I’ve been talking all week with people who knew Brian Kratzer. The thing that kept coming up was how much of a cheerleader @kodakratz was for all of us — how well he talked behind all of our backs. I looked back at emails and texts we had exchanged over the last 15 years, both as his student and as an adult with a freelance career of my own. He’d see pieces I published, or work I was doing, and send me a “good job, kiddo” kind of note. Brian always knew what we were doing — he was always keeping tabs, cheering us from afar, or sending words of encouragement. It’s wild to think of how many people he probably did this for, for all the people he educated over the years.

Many people jokingly called Brian “Party Kratz,” because he was always down to have fun and have a beer with us college kids. I don’t think I realized how young he was when I was a student, but he was only a few years older than I am now. My friend Sarah Hoffman reminded me of how he used to have to leave hangouts because he couldn’t miss bath time with his kids, and how it became a little something we’d tease him about. This broke my heart remembering now, since I am now a mother of three and know how important bath time is and how important it is to be there for those small but grounding moments.

I think Brian was also a fatherly figure to many of us college kids. He was probably one of the first dads I encountered besides the parents of my friends and my own, and he modeled fatherhood in such an important way – showing that you could still be tender and present and still have a passion for your work, the journalism work. The last time I saw him was just this past April, when he rescued me and others from a rainstorm during the POYi awards, and we bonded over our love of minivans.

The fact that tributes keep pouring in about Brian isn’t surprising. He was such an encouraging man with such a passion for his craft. He has a roster of students who continue the legacy of his work — documenting with heart and determination. It was so easy to catch the fire of his passion for photojournalism, and we are all so lucky to be able to carry that torch that he helped spark in us.

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Had fun attending @jackiesbell last class on Wednesday. Congratulations Jackie on your retirement from the Mizzou Photojournalism program. Thanks for being a great teacher and mentor to so many students over the years!

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20260506 | Jackie

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Did someone say 2016?
22 years old. The year of sorority functions, working for Mizzou Publications (rip) & Student Center marketing, going to Roxy’s every Thursday for $5 bottomless, Missouri Photo Workshop volunteering week, 360° photos in the Missourian newsroom/ photo bubble, Vagina Monologues, Snapchat filters, tapestries everywhere with tumblr aesthetic, & too dark lipstick. Take me back 😭

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add me on LinkedIn ig

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Who up juggling they gourd?

~mpw.77~

📸: @hannahjanemedia @yong.lx

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A big thank you to our wonderful photo-j faculty for meeting with our new students to get them ready for their next few years.

We are so glad the event was a success and can’t wait to do more this year! Keep your eyes peeled for our next event 👀

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there’s no one who compares with you

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What does dementia care look like in rural America? That’s the heart of the question my masters professional project set out to explore. In looking to answer that question, I found the Engstrom family. Getting to spend several intensive months with this family in southeast Kansas shaped me and pushed me as a storyteller. I have been wanting to share these images for some time, and a small handful from my last visit will have to do for now.

These images show the difficult transition of moving from the generational farm into a nursing home. The first slide shows Larry’s wife, Donna, still caring for him at the care facility. I hope to share more of their life on the farm and how the family unit helped to care for Larry who lives with Lewy-body dementia.

Still working on making the projects true form, a photo book titled “‘Do what you have to do’; care + commitment in rural Kansas”, accessible to have and to hold by others.

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Just over two months ago I successfully defended my project and research (last slide shows the mean, lean, committee machine) so it felt right to show some of these images on here. Forever indebted to the lessons learned and connections formed while at @mujschool and across the road in the art school dark room.

There is much more work and research I hope to share one of these days when I periodically come up for air out here in Utah.

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Congratulations to @owen_ziliak, BJ ’24, who won second place in the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship, which was held June 1-6 in San Francisco. Ziliak also won a special award for Best Portfolio.

The Chicago native advanced to nationals earlier this year after winning first place in Photojournalism I: News and Features, one of a series of monthly competitions conducted by Hearst Journalism Awards.

Ziliak graduated summa cum laude from the J-School in May, majoring in photojournalism and minoring in political science and religious studies. He’s now a Pulliam Fellow on the Arizona Republic’s visuals staff. To visit Ziliak's website, click link in bio. #MissouriMethod #MizzouMade #Photojournalism @MizzouChicago @Mizzou @reapclimatecenter @Baybeehives @azcentral.

Gallery: (1) Owen Ziliak photographs a beehive at the REAP Climate Center in Alameda, California, during the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship. (2, 3) Quotes from Owen Ziliak. (4) Owen Ziliak navigates the REAP Climate Center in Alameda, California, during the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship. (5) Owen Ziliak, left, and David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism. (6) Owen Ziliak won a $7,500 scholarship for placing second in the photojournalism championship and a $1,000 scholarship for Best Portfolio. 📷 @erinlubin (1, 4)

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