Scott Strazzante was inspired to become a photojournalist by an exhibition of the work of former Chicago Tribune photographer Paul F. Gero at a Ripon College gallery show in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1984. In 1987, Strazzante started his career by covering his south Chicago neighborhood and the surrounding area for The Daily Calumet and moved in 1988 to The Daily Southtown, where he was almost exclusively a sports photographer for 10 years. Strazzante moved to the Joliet Herald News in 1998 where, over the course of three years, he was recognized twice as Region 5 Photographer of the Year, the Southern Photographer of the Year, and the POYi Newspaper Photographer of the in 2000. In 2001, Strazzante joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune where he now works on long-term projects as well as covering general news and sports. While at the Chicago Tribune, Strazzante has been named Illinois Press Photographers Association Photographer of the Year twice (2002 and 2004). Most recently his work won 1st Place in the Sports Portfolio and Olympic Picture Story categories of the 2004 POYi and Honorable Mention in the NPPA BOP Newspaper Photographer of the Year category.