Nick Oza started photographing weddings in his native India to make money to come to the United States. With each couple he met, he began to feel the impact of the photographer's role in a wedding. "It's such a happy moment, and people spend a year or more to organize a wedding," Nick says. "It's amazing to be able to capture the story of the day and the family gathering. For many families, the only time they meet is gathering for a wedding. I draw my attention to what people are feeling and try to capture that." Nick has been a photojournalist with the Macon Telegraph since 1997 and in that time has won numerous awards, including being named Georgia Photographer of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 by the Georgia Press Association. In 2003, Knight-Ridder, which owns the Telegraph, sent Nick to Iraq as a war correspondent. Nick was embedded with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, from January to April. He was also awarded the best portfolio by the Georgia Associated Press in 2002, 2003 and 2004,2005. Nick is known, and often envied, among his peers for being able to find artful, unusual shots in even the most mundane circumstances. He's also admired for his ability to connect with people. When The Telegraph encounters a sensitive story where the people involved are likely to be emotional and perhaps uncooperative, the paper sends Nick. "It's my passion," he says. "I have a gift with people. I can go into any situation and work it out." Nick is also especially adept with lighting, but he most loves working with natural light. "I like to keep it as simple as possible and go for the moments, because the moments are what tell the story of the day."
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