Michael Swensen lives on a farm in rural Kentucky, shown here with his dog Blue (Photo by Joe Timmerman)
Mt. Olivet, Kentucky — named after the biblical Mount of Olives — is a hamlet in the smallest county in Kentucky. Population estimates vary, from 155 in 2023 to a bit higher number in the 2020 census. Photojournalist Michael Swensen, based in tiny Mt. Olivet, gets big-time assignments. His work has been seen worldwide via The Associated Press, Getty Images, The Washington Post, and more.
How did Swensen, four-plus years from college graduation, break through?
Talent
Swensen was the 2020 photojournalism champion in the prestigious Hearst Journalism Awards.
TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2025 includes Swensen’s May 18 photo of tornado damage in Kentucky. TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2023 featured his image of Donald Trump visiting East Palestine, Ohio, after the Norfolk Southern train derailment.
DNA
Swensen grew up in metro Pittsburgh. His father, Jeff Swensen, based in Pittsburgh, is an independent photographer for leading news outlets. Both studied at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication. Last December, PetaPixel featured Jeff Swensen’s photos depicting staggering winter storms.
Independent photographers cover Trump rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, September 29, 2024, L-to-R: Dustin Franz, Maddie McGarvey, Jeff Swensen, and Michael Swensen
Work Ethic
When an assignment arrives, Swensen hits the road. Getty Images contacted Swensen after a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane crashed in Louisville. He was up at 5 AM on November 5, drove 85 miles to Louisville, and returned home after 10 PM.
On November 8, Swensen was in Lexington to cover the Kentucky vs. Florida football game for The AP (Kentucky won 38-7).
“This is what I signed up for,” says Swensen, referring to back-to-back assignments involving road trips.
Location 
Nick Farmer and his son, Aldo, harvest oyster mushrooms from a log that they inoculated (Photo by Michael Swensen)
In 2018, Swensen spent three months photographing Harrison County, Kentucky, as a grant recipient of Boyd’s Station, a nonprofit arts and journalism residency program/community gallery in Cynthiana, Kentucky.
After college graduation in southeastern Ohio, Swensen returned to Kentucky and made it his home; Mt. Olivet is about 22 miles from Cynthiana.
He likes the rural appeal of Mt. Olivet, which is out of the way but not out of reach. Highways criss-cross this region, dotted with distribution centers attracted by access to ground and air transport, including UPS in Louisville.
“I knew that living out in a rural area would have its challenges,” says Swensen, “but I was willing to take a risk to be in rural Kentucky, a place I love dearly. I also knew that Kentucky might be a good place to establish myself as a freelancer because it’s centrally located. I can be in a handful of midwestern cities within five hours.”
Mt. Olivet is 60 miles south of Cincinnati; Swensen photographed some Cincinnati Reds home games for The Associated Press.
The Washington Post assigned Swensen to photograph its in-depth story about political reaction to billionaires. The Post’s dateline: BROOKVILLE, Indiana, a two-hour drive from Swensen’s residence in Mt. Olivet.
The Washington Post print edition, December 12, 2025 (photos by Michael Swensen for The Washington Post)
An earlier Washington Post assignment to Swensen was closer, a 90-minute drive to Nicholasville, Kentucky, home of a horse farm that helps recovering addicts. The Post’s article, published on May 3, began with byline credit for sports reporter Chuck Culpepper and for Swensen.
Advice to Others
Swensen isn’t preachy or pushy, but shares advice via social media on how to grow as a photojournalist: look at lots of photography, stay current with the news, and always have camera equipment at the ready.
‘I knew that living out in a rural area would have its challenges but I was willing to take a risk to be in rural Kentucky, a place I love dearly.’
“Surround yourself with a creative and supportive community,” he says.
Ashley Farmer throws her son, Aldo, into the Licking River in Harrison County, Kentucky (Photo by Michael Swensen)
Swensen’s creative peers include artists, photographers, and supporters of Boyd’s Station, “a deeply supportive community that helps with access, collaboration, and lasting professional connections,” says USA Today Senior Photographer Jack Gruber, who co-founded Boyd’s Station and serves as its executive director.
“Michael Swensen,” says Gruber, “has become a go-to photographer for national news organizations and wire services seeking a trusted photojournalist, one who understands the region, earns the confidence of its people, and consistently delivers exceptional work.”
“Whether working in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky or beyond, distance is never a problem.”
What’s Next?
Swensen is working on a long-range project to photograph older men in rural Kentucky who meet regularly for coffee. This type of socialization, he says, helps to counter isolation and depression that afflict some men after retirement.
On December 18, The Associated Press wire service moved an in-depth article on small groups working to counter historic levels of social isolation. The AP’s report included Swensen’s photos from rural Henry County and Robertson County, Kentucky.
About the author: Ken Klein lives in Silver Spring, Maryland; he is retired after a career in politics, lobbying, and media including The Associated Press and Gannett in Florida. Klein is an alumnus of Ohio University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Scripps College of Communication. Professionally, he has worked for Fort Myers News-Press (Gannett), The Associated Press (Tallahassee), Senator Bob Graham, and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).