Ash Ponders on The Intercept for Migrants

IT’S CONSUMED OUR LIVES”: VOLUNTEERS STEP IN AS BORDER PATROL DROPS MIGRANTS OFF IN TINY ARIZONA TOWNS

Ryan Devereaux and I went to Ajo again to learn more about how CBP’s recent choice to simply abandon migrants in rural desert towns.

I’ve been to Ajo dozens upon dozens of times over the past couple decades and I learn new things each and every time I go. This was no exception. I was glad to work with a writer who has significant understandings of the realities in the area and deep appreciation for my experience too.

This story also ended up on The Intercept’s podcast Intercepted. With a very subtle and well done composite of my photos by Elise Swain.






Ash Ponders in the San Francisco Chronicle for Giants

The Chronicle had me head to the first practice before Cactus League Spring Training began. Covid restrictions were strict! Couldn’t get within 100’ of any players, nor on the field or even up against the netting. A tricky ask. Adding to the fun, I was trying to cover several stories at once. I always like that kind of gig, gives me more opportunities to get loose and make good photos.


Ash Ponders in San Francisco Chronicle for Kamala Harris

Harris makes history as first woman to be U.S. Vice President

A while back the San Francisco Chronicle put me in the press pool for the then VP-Candidate Kamala Harris on her tour through Arizona. It was my first assignment for the Chronicle, but it wasn’t attached to any breaking news, just to fill their archive with images of Harris for the coming years. Some of those images came out in a beautiful photo retrospective the Chronicle put out to celebrate Harris’ ascendance to the the Vice-Presidency.



Ash Ponders in National Geographic for Oak Flat

Sacred Native American land to be traded to a foreign mining giant

I’ve been pitching on this story in different iterations since late 2019, along with my coopmate Caitlin O’Hara—check out her stories from 2019 and 2021. Recently there have been a number of news pegs, so my pitching has gotten a bit more urgent. National Geographic licensed some of my images to give their article a visual sense of place. I really love Doug Main’s writing so it was a treat to have my images paired with his words again.

Phoenix based; available for work in Latin America and the US Southwest.
+14808334800
ashponders@gmail.com
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