NEW YORK , May 20, 2009 – NYTimes.com launched Lens ( http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/ ), a new blog dedicated to distinguished visual and multimedia reporting through photographs, videos and slideshows by New York Times photographers and outside photojournalists. The blog draws on The Times's pictorial archive and serves as an interactive platform for discussions and contributions from photographers, including aspiring photojournalists and students. David Dunlap, James Estrin and Josh Haner are the lead contributors for Lens.

“Photographers love to talk with other photographers and share their comments; Lens will enable our audience to better communicate, appreciate and comprehend visual journalism and develop a closer relationship to The Times,” said Michele McNally, assistant managing editor and director of photography, The New York Times.

Lens serves as a forum where readers can view and discuss photojournalism. It provides readers with a better understanding of how New York Times photographers approach assignments in a variety of subject areas, such as arts and politics.

In addition to original photographs from Times photographers, Lens includes:

• Insight and reviews from Times journalists and photojournalists on their assignments, techniques and processes.
• An online community where readers can connect with Times photographers and send in their own work for possible inclusion in a reader gallery.
• Special projects for which aspiring photojournalists and students may submit their works to be featured.
• Images from The Times's photo archive, which houses millions of images dating back to the early 20 th century.

David W. Dunlap was an editor on The New York Times picture desk from 1976 to 1981. Since that time, he has been a reporter, covering New York 's built environment for the metro desk, the Real Estate section and the City Room blog, with an emphasis since 2003 on the World Trade Center redevelopment. His photos have appeared on City Room and in several books: "The City Observed: New York " (1979), "On Broadway" (1990) and "From Abyssinian to Zion " (2004).

James Estrin joined The New York Times as a photographer in January 1992 after freelancing for the newspaper since 1987. Before joining The Times, he had been a freelance photographer contributing to Life, Time, Newsweek, Forbes , U.S. News and World Report, People Magazine, Paris Match and hundreds of other periodicals and books worldwide.

Josh Haner, photographer, picture editor and multimedia/visual journalist, joined The New York Times in 2006. His photographs have appeared in numerous publications, including Newsweek and Fortune. In 2002, Mr. Haner worked as the photo and technology coordinator for the America 24/7 project, based in California , which became a New York Times best-seller in 2004.

About The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites , including NYTimes.com , Boston.com and About.com . The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

Contacts:
Stacy Green, 212-556-7078; green@nytimes.com
Ivy Li, 212-556-5296; ivy.li@nytimes.com