Artist Portfolios

John Gaps III

John Gaps III is a professional photographer, published poet and the host of Power Shots, a digital photography television show on the MediaCom network. For 15 years he was a staff photographer for the Associated Press, covering the top news events around the world including war, insurrection, natural disasters, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, 10 Super Bowls and six Olympic Games.

He lives in Des Moines , Iowa and is currently a staff photographer for The Des Moines Register. He is married to stain glass artist Robin Paul. His four children by a previous marriage include John Henry, 26, Ethan, 24, Sarah 23 and Emilia, 16.

He was the 1980 College Photographer of the Year in Iowa and was Iowa Newspaper Photographer of the Year and Nebraska Newspaper Photographer of the Year five separate times.

In 1993 he was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize in feature photography as part of an AP entry on the famine in Somalia . In 1994 he was wounded by a sniper while on assignment in the Occupied Gaza Strip.

In 1997 his book of poetry and war photos titled, "God Left Us Alone Here: A book of war," was published and brought praise from then First Lady Hillary Clinton who wrote, “Your poetry and photographs in “God Left Us Alone Here” have haunted me. I've carried the book with me, daring to look, from time to time, holding my breath as I open the pages.”

He has served as Director of Photography and Director of Community Publications at the Register. While Director of Photography the Register won the Sigma Delta Chi national championship for feature photography in 2002.     

Images available 24" x 36" or 48" x 72".

top of page