Chris Arnade

Chris Arnade is a photographer and writer, best known for his social documentary photography work that focuses on marginalized communities throughout the United States. His work has been published in revered publications such as the New York Times, Atlantic, Guardian, Washington Post, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and others, including The Atlantic and NPR. He has a Ph.D. in particle physics from Johns Hopkins University and worked as a bond trader on Wall Street for twenty years before retiring in 2012.

Arnade's journey from Wall Street to the streets began in 2011 when he first started documenting addiction in the Bronx. This led him to travel to small towns and cities across the country, interviewing and photographing individuals from often overlooked poor and working-class communities. His empathetic approach to storytelling, coupled with his aptitude for capturing striking images, garnered attention on social media and led to features in various media outlets, particularly The Guardian.

Beyond documenting addiction, Arnade has also made a name for himself through his interviews with diverse groups of Americans, including Trump supporters and sex workers. His work has sparked conversation and controversy, earning him appearances on platforms such as C-SPAN and the BBC. A testament to his dedication to giving a voice to the voiceless is his book "Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America." Politically identifying as a socialist, Arnade has developed the "McDonald's test" as a measure of an individual's attitude towards privilege. Despite some criticism from his fellow journalists, Arnade continues to use his lens and pen to tell the stories of those often left out of the national narrative.