George FREENEY Jr. is a Professional African American Photojournalist.

George FREENEY Jr. started his photography business in 2013 while still a student at the Art Institute of San Antonio, Texas. Starting as a freelancer, he quickly developed a reputation for capturing striking sports and corporate event photography. Over time, his passion for photography expanded into the areas of photojournalism and travel photography.

He paid his way through school working as a photography instructor and sales specialist at a local camera store in San Antonio, Texas. He provided one-on-one instruction for beginner to professional level students, developing and instructing curriculums for studio portrait lighting, digital asset management and workflows, and post-processing techniques in Adobe Lightroom. He also led photowalks for night photography in popular San Antonio locations, introducing new sales pipelines and increasing revenue opportunities.

In addition, he provided honest and insightful digital camera sales recommendations to customers in a high volume store, consistently exceeding monthly sales goals and contributing to a +30% increase in average ticket sales.

In 2015, he was selected from a competitive pool of global photographers and awarded a French Work Visa and hired for a unique opportunity as a Guest Photographer at Les Ecuries de Sauveterre, a horseback tour and bed and breakfast in southern France. He was responsible for capturing high-quality photos of guests during their stay on the property. To streamline the photography process, he developed new photo sessions and digital asset management workflows that optimized the guest photography experience. Additionally, he implemented post-editing techniques to enhance the quality of the images and printed them for resale to guests. His efforts enhanced the guest experience and ensured they had memorable and high-quality photographs of their stay at Les Ecuries de Sauveterre.

As a seasoned traveler, he approaches each photography project as an opportunity to capture unique and inspiring imagery that tells a compelling visual story. His work has been featured in numerous publications, exhibitions, and grants projects. He has collaborated with various photographers, universities, and organizations.

As a Docent Photographer with Columbia College Chicago and the Eyes on Main Street Organization, he worked with over 300 African American children, teaching them how to be storytellers in their communities using photography. This experience inspired him to develop the “insights STEAM” program, which provides children with the fundamentals of photography and teaches them how to express their creativity while utilizing technology.

His current focus is on his “Black STORIES Matter” project, which highlights the stories of enslaved African American descendants and their communities. This project has earned him numerous awards and recognition within the industry, including the use of Augmented Reality technologies to create unique immersive experiences.

He is a Docent Photographer and Photography Workshop Instructor for The Diane Dammeyer Initiative Youth Photography Project, which aims to promote photography as a tool of self-expression and give voice to youth. Assisted by alumni of the Columbia College Chicago Photography BFA and MFA degree programs, he instructs workshops covering basic photography techniques, including composition and creative observation. Through this program, he reached over 300 individuals in the Wilson, North Carolina community in partnership with Columbia College Chicago and the Eyes on Main Street organization.

He was honored to have been selected to participate in the 8th and 9th editions of the Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival in Wilson, North Carolina. This 100-day outdoor exhibition showcases the work of 100 photographers from 39 countries, curated by Jerome De Perlinghi, Ghadah Alrawi, and Carol Johnson. His photographs were displayed on storefront windows, walls, and buildings throughout the historic downtown area of Wilson, creating a vibrant gallery of large-scale images.

Being included alongside renowned artists such as Emin Özmen, Grace Ekpu, Peter Caton, and Corinna Kern was a great honor. Both of his images were published in the festival’s catalogs, which are archived at the American Center for Photographers in Wilson, North Carolina.

2014 – Featured Photographer RAW: Artist San Antonio “Splendor”, San Antonio, TX

2015 – FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2015, San Antonio, TX

2021 – Wilson Arts’ National Exhibition, Wilson, NC

2021 – Roco 6×6 2021 Exhibition, Rochester, NY

2021 – The Alexia Grant finalist, Syracuse, NY

2022 – “Beat Street” solo Photography Exhibition, Wilson, NC

2022 – 8th Edition Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival, Wilson, NC

2023 – 8th Edition Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival, Etel, Brittany, France

2023 – 9th Edition Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival, Wilson, NC