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Melissa Lyttle: A Strong Vision

Melissa Lyttle, JM 1999, a staff photo-journalist for the St. Petersburg Times and the founder of the popular Web site “A Photo A Day” and Geekfest, has been appointed to the National Press Photographers Association’s board of directors by NPPA president Sean D. Elliot.

Lyttle fills one of the three board seats that are appointed by NPPA’s president, while the other members of the board are elected to their terms.

“Melissa is exactly the kind of person I want on our board,” Elliot said when he made the announcement. “She is smart, talented, connected throughout the industry and, most importantly, passionate about visual journalism. If she can infuse even a fraction of her energy and passion into this organization then we will all benefit from her involvement.”

“I’m excited to have an opportunity to bring my passion for photojournalism and a desire to continue strengthening the photojournalism community together for the NPPA,” Lyttle said. “I’m looking forward to bringing some new ideas and energy to the organization.”

Lyttle started “A Photo A Day” about 10 years ago when she and friend exchanged photographs, one a day, to get feedback on each other’s work. The idea expanded to an eMail listserv that has grown to over 1,500 members. Her photography has been recognized by NPPA’s Best Of Photojournalism contest, Pictures of the Year International, SPJ’s Sigma Delta Chi awards, FSNE, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the Southern Short Course, the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, the Alexia Foundation for World Peace and Understanding, and others.

A Florida native, Lyttle started her career at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She joined the St. Petersburg Times in 2005 and worked out of its Tampa bureau before joining the downtown staff.