Photojournalist Karen Ballard, 35, has covered a lot of ground since she started shooting professionally 10 years ago. In 2000, the Louisville, Ky., native spent a month in Iraq as a staffer for the Washington Times, when Saddam Hussein was still in power. Since then, she’s returned to Iraq five times.

She documented Gen. Tommy Franks’ arrival in Baghdad that included a well-published picture of him lighting a cigar seated in Saddam Hussein’s chair. On another trip she photographed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s visit. She hasn’t returned to Iraq since she made the Saddam court photographs last summer.

Karen Ballard/Special to the Journal-World Tariq Aziz, deputy prime minister to Saddam Hussein, listens with fear in his eyes as he sits before an Iraqi judge during an arraignment procedure where he, along with 11 others, is facing charges of murder, torture and using chemical weapons under Saddam.

She’s spent nearly two months in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf.

Ballard has worked as Vice President Dick Cheney’s personal photographer.

In Washington she shoots politics, portraits, news and personalities.

Ballard’s work appears in magazines ranging from Time, Paris Match, Stern and Newsweek to Readers Digest and Wired.

Her photographs of Saddam Hussein and his associates were published in magazines and newspapers worldwide.

When Ballard asked if the Journal-World would like to publish her courtroom coup of Saddam, we jumped at the chance.

Photo Gallery: The Trial of Saddam Hussein Photographer gets exclusive access in Iraq KarenBallard.net

You can learn more about Ballard on her Web site: karenballard.net.