WHEN EVERY DAY IS CAPTURED AS HISTORY

Jim Thompson’s 35 years as a Journal photographer are captured in a few of his favorite works.

In 35 years, photographer Jim Thompson has seen many moments. Often, he had the quick reflexes to push down the shutter and capture a piece of history, whether big or small.

“It’s about seeing history in the making,” Thompson says. “Every day is history. Even if it’s not death and destruction, to each person it’s a part of their history.”

Thompson retired from the Journal on June 30.

He arrived at the Journal in 1986 from Portland, Oregon.

When he was growing up, photography was always at the forefront of his life.

In 1971, while in high school, he took a darkroom class and then began to create photos for the yearbook.

At Oregon State University, Thompson went the fine art photography route.

He would end up at a biweekly paper in Beaverton, Oregon. It was there he would also become a stringer for the Associated Press.

While in Albuquerque, Thompson photographed daily life and focused on the details.

“When I shoot sports, I like to show people what they didn’t see at the game,” he says. “We are looking at sports through a telephoto lens and we see the world frame by frame.”

As the next chapter begins for Thompson, there are a few moments that stick out in his mind.

“Oklahoma City. After I came home, I woke up my kids and hugged them,” he says, referring to the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which killed 168 people. “A lot of children were lost in the blast. I’ve been through everything and photographed a lot. That affected me the most.”

St. Pius’ Haley Rizek crawled to the finish line of the 2018 Girls 5A State Hurdles after clipping the last hurdle and falling just a yard short of the finish line. She finished in fourth place after leading the whole way.

ABOVE: Shawn Hudson of Colorado Springs crosses the street on his way to participate in the Grand Entrance at the 29th Gathering of Nations Pow Wow at the Pit in 2012.

LEFT: Christopher Pera keeps an eye on his 92-year-old great-grandfather Guadalupe Rael as they make their way up Tomé Hill for 2007’s Good Friday pilgrimage.

John Vincent, a patient at the Inpatient Hospice Unit at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, holds his dog Patch close.

Gilbert Torres comforts his wife, Ursula, after 2007’s Ojo Peak fire ripped through their property in the Cibola National Forest

Angels first baseman #8 Nikko Ruiz makes the catch, but the runner from the Mets, No. 4 Anthony McKenna, is safe.

Johnny Tapia celebrates his win over Danny Romero in Las Vegas on July 19, 1997.