Stephen Lam is a staff photographer at the Chronicle, recognized for his versatility and strong visual sensibility across breaking news, sports, features, portraiture, culinary, and long-form storytelling. Before joining the Chronicle in 2021, he spent over a decade as an independent photographer in the Bay Area, with work published by Reuters, Getty Images and Der Spiegel.

At the Chronicle, he often leads visual coverage of major national stories, from civil unrest to natural disasters. In 2026, he was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting for a series examining how insurance practices harm California wildfire survivors. He also contributed to four Pulitzer finalist teams, including one for feature photography in 2023. Born in Hong Kong and fluent in Cantonese and English, Stephen draws on his cross-cultural perspective to connect with communities and deepen his work.