Paul Wellman

We knew it… You knew it… but now the rest of the country has officially recognized Santa Barbara Independent photographer Paul Wellman as the best alt-weekly shutterbug around. The Indy table erupted into cheers at this weekend’s Association of Alternative Newsmedia conference when Wellman’s win as top photographer among papers with a circulation under 50,000 was announced. Wellman, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and National Geographic, tirelessly covers all manner of story from every corner of Santa Barbara County. “I’m stoked,” he said. “Totally surprised and totally stoked.” (Read more at independent.com/paulwins.)