About

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. Merriman’s work has always been rooted in the places he calls home, cutting his teeth as a newspaper photographer devoted to community storytelling and politics in Southwestern PA. Merriman has been recognized with regional, national and international awards and his work has appeared in publications across the globe.

After covering the September 11, 2001 crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Merriman committed to chronicling the U.S. military's War on Terror. He followed this story across the United States and into the conflict zones of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He also has covered life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba in 2002, India’s efforts to eradicate polio, the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave of Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution and subsequent unrest, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea in Ukraine, and uncertain future of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in 2015. That same year, he traveled the entire U.S. border with Mexico documenting issues on immigration. Merriman also works as a director and filmmaker having made recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India and South Africa. 

Working extensively in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, he focuses often on the intersection of economic, environmental, and political life. Recent coverage includes the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and the clean-up efforts and impacts on the people and community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a collective of photographers sharing their diverse visions of America. Currently Merriman lives outside of Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.