Charles "Stretch" Ledford Email & Phone Number

Champaign, Il, Us

Champaign, Il

Urbana, Il

Ledford’s current projects employ novel digital distribution methods for original multimedia content to catalyze reflexive discussions among members of economically and technologically marginalized communities. Rooted in the photojournalistic tradition, his work combines 35mm DSLR video with film elicitation to explore and expand the points at which the visual, the sociological, and the journalistic aspects of storytelling intersect.

Greater New York City Area

• 'It's unreal': Man finds dog alive in rubble left by tornadohttp://www.today.com/news/its-unreal-man-finds-dog-alive-rubble-left-tornado-2D11624340• November 18: Nightly News: Midwestern tornadoes spawn stirring survival taleshttp://www.nbcnews.com/video/full-broadcast/53594896#53594896

Researched, produced and edited a video for Education Week's 2014 "Leaders to Learn From" series that told the story of the complex relationship of a school superintendent and a union leader who have worked together to increase the number of pre-k seats in the St. Louis School District.

Atlanta, Ga

• Heartwarming Reunion: Illinois Tornado Survivor Finds His Missing Dog Buried Alive Under Rubblehttp://www.weather.com/news/man-finds-missing-dog-illinois-tornado-rubble-20131118

London, United Kingdom

• Heartwarming moment a father-of-four who lost his home was reunited with beloved family dog after digging for 30 hours in tornado rubblehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2510283/Man-reunited-dog-amid-Washington-Illinois-tornado-rubble.html

• Jonathan Byler Dann's home was among the 400 lost to the tornado that ravaged Washington, Ill., on Sunday, but a discovery yesterday made for a beautiful silver lining. Maggie, Byler Dann's 11-year-old dog who was thought to have perished during the disaster, was discovered alive in the rubble of his home.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/jonathan-byler-dann_n_4303862.html

Tokyo, Japan

Greater New York City Area

• Illinois Tornado Victim Finds Lost Dog in Rubblehttp://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/19/illinois-tornado-victim-finds-lost-dog-in-rubble

Toronto, Canada Area

Contributing Producer for The Globe and Mail • "Last US State Poised to Drop Concealed Gun Ban" - Illinois has until July 9 to amend a law banning concealed guns after a court declared it unconstitutional. Freelancer Charles Ledford catches up with gun supporters associated with GunsSaveLife.com in Champaign, Ill., to talk about their work.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/news-video/getting-to-know-some-hard-line-pro-gun-activists/article12823509/

Washington, Dc

Washington, Dc

Contributing producer for BBC.com• "The Eye of Overtown" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22900002Born and raised in one of the poorest areas of the United States, Jovan "Bonna" Lamb admits that during his teenage years in Miami's Overtown neighbourhood he was "a young hoodlum becoming a thug".Now 35 and a self-taught street photographer, Lamb has created for himself the kind of success that eluded many of his peers.• "Handguns and Humor in the Heartland" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20906072 The mass shooting at a US school which left 20 children and six teachers dead has provoked a national conversation about guns. But in Illinois that debate was already under way.On 10 December 2012 - just days before the tragedy in Connecticut - a US federal court struck down the country's last remaining law banning concealed weapons.Lawmakers in Illinois were given six months to come up with an alternative piece of legislation.

Washington, Dc

• "Nothing Says Peace on Earth Like a Handgun for a Christmas Ornament" http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/nothing-says-peace-on-earth-like-a-handgun-for-a-christmas-ornament/266590/John Boch, the president of GunsSaveLife.com, isn't joking about his Christmas tree decorations. He and the members of the organization firmly believe more firearms in the hands of trained citizens are the route to a safer society. Based in Illinois, the nonprofit is dedicated to protecting the rights of gun owners and promoting education around gun safety. On the GunsSaveLife.com blog, Boch concurred with recent remarks from the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre, focusing on gun-free zones as the problem, not the solution to school shootings.

Everything

Instructor in photojournalism, multimedia, media convergence and all things good and proper in the world.

Designed and taught Professional Photographic PracticesDesigned and taught Advanced Digital Printing

Staff Photojournalist

Staff Photojournalist

Staff Photojournalist

M.A., Multimedia Journalism

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Journalism & Psychology

Activities and Societies: Photo Editor, The Daily Tar Heel

Ba, Journalism, Psychology

Activities and Societies: The Daily Tar Heel, Exalted Order of the Has Beens