Leigh Hanlon brings Pens & Lens nearly 25 years of experience in writing, editing, photography and public relations.

A Denver native, Hanlon began his career in the West, working as a photojournalist and copy editor at newspapers in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Illinois.

"I learned a lot about journalism in those early days, but the most valuable lesson came from a no-nonsense editor who schooled me about a murder story I screwed up," Hanlon recalls.

"He told me to forget all that fancy journalism school stuff and adopt Gene Autry's Cowboy Code, a set of Old West-inspired rules for treating people fair and square. I know it sounds corny, but ever since, I've done my best to follow that code in my professional and personal life."

Since those early "Wild West" years, Hanlon has worked as a copy editor at Crain's Chicago Business, a web editor at a Chicago dot-com, and served as executive editor for Lerner Newspapers for five years. Recent projects include web design, production, management and publicity for HankFest; He shoots photos for the Chicago Tribune's Redeye and Metromix; he also served as writer, editor, web designer and e-Book creator for RockNRollHalloween.com.

Hanlon co-founded Pens & Lens in 2003.