by Renee Schaefer

Robert James Leonard spent 25 years traveling around the world covering auto racing for Stopwatcher magazine. A PSA Peabody medal award recipient, Robert started photographing this exciting sport in 1971. Eastman Kodak Company honored his auto racing photography, and his pictures have been on exhibit at Dover Downs International Speedway and Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway. The Eastern Motorsports Press Association named Bob their Feature Photographer for 1990-91.

Bob has received numerous national and international honors for his work in photography including two Photographic Society of America Service Medals, and the Fallon Memorial Award. PSA elected him an Associate in 1990 and a Fellow in 1996. He received his Artist distinction from the Federation Internationale de L’Art Photographique in 1991. Bob earned a PSA Proficiency distinction in photojournalism, an Excellence distinction in stereo photography, and his Master distinction in 2011. In 2014, he became just the 57th person in PSA’s 80-year history to receive a Gold Star medal for his work in the PSA Journal, and was elected an Honorary Member of the Society.

Bob is a writer, lecturer and judge on photography. His photographs have received over 980 awards in juried exhibitions. He has had over 800 photographs and 230 articles published in journals, magazines and books. He is a member of PSA, NSA, and several camera clubs in the Washington, DC area.