UNITED STATES

Gary O'Brien has been a staff photographer at the Charlotte Observer since 1988. Previously, he was a staff photographer at The Mesa AZ Tribune, and The Arizona Daily Sun. O'Brien received his BS in photography from Northern Arizona University in 1979. In 1993 and 1994 he was awarded the North Carolina News Photographers' Association Photographer of the Year award, and in 1994 was recognized for third place Feature Single in the University of Missouri Pictures of the Year competition.