John Doman, a Pioneer Press photographer for decades, was gifted in capturing the essence of a moment and displaying humanity in a photograph through his curiosity and compassion. “I think the thing that made John so special with his work is how he connected with people,” said Jerry Holt, a former photographer for the Star Tribune and friend of Doman’s. “John had that gift about him.” Doman died Nov. 2 of cancer and pulmonary fibrosis in St. Paul, at the age of 79. A well-known and respected photojournalist in the Twin Cities, he also worked at the Ohio Press and the Miami Herald. Photos and mentorship Doman, who was born on July 19, 1945, in Cleveland, was drawn to photography because he felt he could do it better than anything he’d ever done, according to his partner Janet Hostetter. The lonely glow of Mickey's Dining Car lights up Ninth and St. Peter streets at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 1985. The original caption for this noirish photo of the downtown St. Paul institution called it a "vehicle" that always runs but never moves. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Sparky VI, and her trainer Krista Webber, give a hand --or flipper -- to fans at the end of the Sparky Show at Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. The show marked the 50th anniversary of the Sparky the Sea Lion Show, a St. Paul tradition that began in 1956. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Fans swarm Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington after the Minnesota Vikings lost 10-6 to the Kansas City Chiefs in their final game at the stadium on Dec. 20, 1981. Game temperature was 10 degrees and a wind chill of minus-8. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Sebastian Cennell, left, collpases backward attempting to pull his sixth-grade pal Caleb Ilha up and out of the snow in February 2014. In honor of the Olympics, Emmet Williams Elementary School physical Education teacher Dave McCarthy took his sixth-graders snow shoeing for the first time around the school in Shoreview. (Pioneer Press: John Doman)Bob Duerr handles a 6-foot Australian carpet python that's getting too close to his ear Tuesday, Sept. 1, 1998, at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights. Duerr doesn't recommend "snakes or any others wild animal as a pet unless a great deal of research is done on the animal." (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Downrtown St. Paul resident Nancy Nelson awaits her bus to work on Cedar Street in St Paul as the morning snow builds on Feb. 17, 2014. (Pioneer Press: John Doman)Minnesota Vikings receiver Randy Moss, left, puts his arm around grieving Vikings head coach Dennis Green who sobs openly during a news conference following the early morning death of Vikings player Korey Stringer during the team's training camp in Mankato, Minn. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2001 Vikings receiver Cris Carter is at right. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)St. Paul K9 Officer Amanda Heu looked through a mail chute in order to see if a suspect was in his East Side St. Paul home-- as a team of St. Paul police officers attempted to arrest a wanted family violence offender in October 2013. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Dave Winfield, left, and Kirby Puckett share a laugh after being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., on May 5, 2001. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Police officers from St. Paul and North St. Paul console one another in front of the North St. Paul apartment where officer Richard Crittenden was fatally shot while responding to a call about a domestic disturbance Monday morning, Sept. 7, 2009. Crittenden, 57, was a nine-year veteran of the North St. Paul Police Department. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Fishing guide Terry Tuma of Lakeville holds up the 10-inch sauger caught by Gov. Arne Carlson, right, on the state's opening day of fishing Saturday, May 9, 1998. Carlson, who had been skunked every opening day since becoming governor in 1991, caught it after 2 1/2 hours of fishing in the Mississippi River south of Red Wing and released it soon after. A Goodhue County sheriff's boat came up just before 11 a.m. and Carlson was asked, "How's the fishing?" Carlson replied, "Yeah, we caught our limit," and the boats erupted in laughter. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)While quarterback Tommy Kramer cranks up for a fourth-quarter pass Sunday, the scoreboard at Metropolitan Stadium issues a plea for restraint as the Minnesota Vikings play their final game at the stadium in Bloomington on Dec. 20, 1981. (John Doman / Pioneer Press).Winds whip the steam from the District Energy plant across the St. Paul skyline Feb. 19, 2013. (John Doman / Pioneer Press) Bernie Winterfeldt takes his mother, Mary Peters, for a stroll on a pristine early fall morning along the walking paths at Phalen Regional Park in St. Paul on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Erich Butterbrodt, 5, of Hudson, Wis., feeds bread to gulls at the city park on First Street, close by the St. Croix River in Hudson, in December 1998. He was on an afternoon stroll with his younger sister, mother and grandmother on a very warm December day. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Insistent young fledgling barn swallows scream out for more flying insect meals from their elders. The fledglings are not yet flying, but have left the nest and are still getting fed by their mother--on the front porch of a St. Paul home on July 7, 2013. (Pioneer Press: John Doman)Matthew Lawless, 4, who was having trouble staying up on his snowshoed feet on a Sunday afternoon in January 1998, sends out his first call for help to his mom, Kristi Lawless. The Lakeville family tried out snowshoeing at the Minnesota History Center during the Winter Adventure Family Festival in downtown St. Paul. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Cris Carter's touchdown catch in November 1998, over the Saints' Alex Molden, was the 77th of the receiver's Vikings career, a team record. (John Doman / Pioneer Press) 11/3/98Sophomore cross country runner Kieran McDonald takes a much-needed water break during practice at Highland Park High School in St. Paul on Tuesday morning Aug. 20, 2013. (Pioneer Press: John Doman)The Jonathan Paddleford steamboat may not be ready to stoke up until spring, but winds whipped the steam eminating from the District Energy plant horizontal as 7-degree weather and 22 mph winds pushed the windchill down to about minus-15 on Harriet Island in February 2013. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)A pedestrian struggles past the statue of F. Scott Fitzgerald in Rice Park in downtown St Paul on a snowy Monday morning, Feb. 17, 2014. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Twins Justin Morneau (33) runs onto the field to join his teammates along the first base line for pregame introductions as the Twins face the Los Angeles Angels during Opening Day 2012 at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday, April 9, 2012. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)An aerial view of St. Paul's old High Bridge, photographed on July 23, 1984. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Pianist Steve Gores entertains customers in 2007 at the Menards home-improvement store on University Avenue in St. Paul. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Minnesota Vikings kicker Gary Anderson leaves the field after the NFC championship game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on Jan. 17, 1999. Anderson missed his first field goal of the season, a 38-yard attempt that missed to the left of the goal post, late in the fourth quarter. That sent the game into overtime, where Falcons kicker Morten Andersen kicked a 39-yard field goal to give Atlanta a 30-27 overtime win and their first Super Bowl berth. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Andy Richardson is knee deep in leaves as he dumps leaves from his eastside St. Paul home Nov. 22, 2013, at the Ramsey County Frank and Sims Yard Waste Site in St. Paul. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Doua Neng, 11 cools off with an impromptu garden hose shower in front of his Jessamine Lane home in St. Paul as temperature gauges inched close to 100 degrees Tuesday afternoon July 3, 2012. (Pioneer Press: John Doman)St. Paul Saints pitching prospect Ila Borders joins teammates in wearing a handlebar mustache as she signs autographs at an 1857-style exhibition game of "base ball,'' at Murphy's Landing in Shakopee, Minn. on May 18, 1997. The Saints played a few innings of an old-fashioned baseball game against the Murphy's Landing Quicksteps in a game that followed the rules of the 1850's. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Dawn breaks over the right field wall at Midway Stadium during the Saints' game against the Sioux Falls Canaries on Sunday May 8, 2005. The Saints started their 5:30 AM Mother's Day game under the lights against the Canaries and finished in daylight. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Show Caption1 of 29The lonely glow of Mickey's Dining Car lights up Ninth and St. Peter streets at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 1985. The original caption for this noirish photo of the downtown St. Paul institution called it a "vehicle" that always runs but never moves. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)Expand His passion for taking pictures showed in his assignments, colleagues said, even the less exciting ones. He was a leader in the newsroom and helped other photographers grow. Many said he had a knack for interacting with people, which contributed to his work. Susie Hopper, former photographer at the Pioneer Press, said Doman influenced change in the industry with his ability to go outside the norm to find the best photo. “Things really started to change because of photographers like John,” Hopper said. “He could see pictures within pictures. He understood storytelling before people even called it that.” Brian Steffens hired Doman at both the Miami Herald and Pioneer Press, saying he was able to immediately connect with new colleagues and always approached assignments in a unique way. Doman found humanity in photographs. “He came back with people pictures, people who were surviving, who were making their way through whatever challenges they had and I always admired that about him,” Steffens said. “That kind of set him apart from some photographers.” Hopper and Steffens said Doman was supportive and willing to help others in the newsroom. He found their strengths and pushed them to go out of their comfort zone. Jim Gehrz, former Pioneer Press photographer, said Doman had the ability to capture the essence of a photo and mentored him to see things differently. “He taught me that you don’t really see pictures with your eyes, you see them from the heart,” Gehrz said. “That was probably one of your most important pieces of equipment, not a camera, not a lens or anything like that, but your personality and your heart.” Beyond photography Traveling was always a part of Doman’s life, whether for sports games, other assignments or with family. He loved sports, history, trivia and books, always recommending his favorites to his colleagues. Jeff Wheeler, a photographer at the Star Tribune, said Doman challenged the stereotype that photographers aren’t very literate through his love of books, and his Scrabble skills. “He was playing Scrabble with a couple of reporters and the reporter was sort of taken aback at losing to John because here’s a pencil losing to a photographer,” Wheeler said. “John was like ‘Yeah, I’ve beaten better reporters than you.’” Hostetter said he always lived life to the fullest, such as finding all the best restaurants across the country. He also knew how to have fun. “We had to photograph the opening of the Vespa Scooter store in downtown Minneapolis, and I walked in and John’s already there and he’s on the scooters making out like he’s going 100 miles an hour,” said Bruce Bisping, a former Star Tribune photographer. “I looked at John and said ‘John, what are you doing?’ and he said ‘I’m having fun.’” Doman is survived by his partner, Janet Hostetter; daughters Emily Stelter and Sarah Flygare; sisters Christine, Georgie and Katy; and five grandchildren. He was preceded by his parents, John Martin Doman Jr. and Jean Marie Long. Life celebration will be held at 2 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Bad Weather Brewing Company, 414 W. Seventh St., St. Paul. Related Articles All Obituaries | Quincy Jones, music titan who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, dies at 91 All Obituaries | Family of 83-year-old St. Paul man killed in hit-and-run: ‘We will forgive you. … Please turn yourself in’ All Obituaries | Phil Lesh, founding member of Grateful Dead and influential bassist, has died at 84 All Obituaries | Rocker Paul Di’Anno, Iron Maiden’s original vocalist, dies at 66 All Obituaries | Obituary: Jerry Fearing, prolific cartoonist for the Pioneer Press and illustrator, was mentor to other artists