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As a documentary photographer with a knack for capturing compelling images of war zones and humanitarian crises, Chris Hondros realizes the power his images have in persuading people to offer time and money to help his subjects. When that happens -- as it did when he photographed a young Iraqi girl seconds after her parents had been killed in a checkpoint shooting last year -- it pays to have a Website with his contact information that can easily be found with a search engine. "Since I work for Getty Images as a full-time staffer, I don't do assignments, but I find that it's important that people are able to find examples of my pictures online," says Hondros. "Quite often I hear from people who want to donate money to one of the families I've photographed, or even adopt specific children." Recent visitors to his site have been greeted by an image of an exultant Liberian militiaman (above) that virtually jumps off the computer screen. The photo, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2004, anchors Hondros's photo essay on the Liberian civil war. Hondros -- who also uses his site to link to written essays on photography and promote his speaking engagements -- says the only downside to having a Website is keeping it updated. "There's so much on a photo Website that only you yourself can sort out," he says. "It's like having an enormous box of receipts to sift through before you send your taxes off to an accountant."

URL: www.chrishondrosphotography.com
Launched: January 2002.
Designed by: Eric Schofield of Desktop Consultants, Raleigh, North Carolina
Web Philosophy: "I tried to create a simple, easy-to-navigate showcase of some of my work. I purposefully avoided anything flashy or elaborate, like Flash or Java apps; just pictures, a black background, white text."

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