Photo: Donald G Vinton / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Reid Blackburn's story moves me more than any award ever could. A young photojournalist shooting the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption for The Columbian, National Geographic, and the U.S. Geological Survey, he was caught in the blast at Coldwater Camp and died at just 27. I think often about the conviction it takes to point a lens at danger in service of the truth. He gave his life trying to capture history in a single frame. To me he represents the quiet, fatal dedication at the heart of real journalism, and he deserves to be remembered.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Reid Blackburn
- Name (Japanese)
- リード・ブラックバーン
- Reading
- りーど・ぶらっくばーん
- Born
- August 11, 1952 – May 18, 1980
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Dragon
- Origin
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- photographer / photojournalist / journalist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Linfield University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid%20Blackburn
Frequently asked questions
When was Reid Blackburn born?
August 11, 1952 – May 18, 1980.
Where is Reid Blackburn from?
Reid Blackburn is from Washington, D.C., United States.
What does Reid Blackburn do?
Reid Blackburn works as photographer, photojournalist, journalist.
Photographer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.