The Essentials: free online classes presented by Black Women Photographers and The Everyday Projects.

Each class is 75 minutes long, including lots of time for Q&A, and is for emerging and experienced storytellers wanting to know more about navigating the photojournalism profession.

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 28, 2023:

“BREAKING INTO THE INDUSTRY + CREATING A LASTING CAREER” WITH MARIE D. DE JESÚS

Drawing on experiences that range from being a photographer for some of the highest-circulating newspapers in the United States to leading a photo team at a nonprofit news organization, Marie D. De Jesús shares insights into her path as a photojournalist and how she was able to reach these achievements. Marie has covered tragic events such as natural disasters and mass shootings as well as uplifting stories that reflect the resilience of humanity—in this class she will impart what she learned along the way.

“TACKLING EDITING—FROM ASSIGNMENTS TO PROJECTS” WITH SAIYNA BASHIR

Drawing on her assignment work for The New York Times and projects with National Geographic, Saiyna Bashir shares how she tackles one of the hardest parts of visual journalism: editing down your work to build a cohesive, comprehensive, poetic story. Through personal examples, she’ll delve into her process and share advice on how to get all the details right: from sequencing images to writing captions. While Saiyna goes over the challenges of editing your own work, she also shares tips on how to overcome those challenges and put your best images forward.

“THINKING OUTSIDE THE EDITORIAL BOX” WITH LYNSEY WEATHERSPOON

In this class, Lynsey Weatherspoon reveals how to diversify your income stream as an editorial photographer through commercial and corporate gigs. With clients such as MGM, Warner Brothers, GoDaddy, and WebMD, Lynsey discusses how to find and get clients, how to negotiate rates and usage, and how to build a comprehensive portfolio showcasing various genres. Through her success as an editorial photographer and beyond, Lynsey's class inspires you to stretch your limits and horizons.

SUNDAY - October 29, 2023

“BEYOND THE HEADLINES” WITH MARÍA MAGDALENA ARRÉLLAGA

Photojournalist María Magdalena Arréllaga, whose work has been published in outlets such as The New York Times, Le Monde, and The Washington Post, discusses how to cover news through an ethical lens and to look for the moments beyond the headlines — even on fast-paced assignments. María will also touch on both logistical and visual preparedness, such as what you need before heading out on an assignment and how to think about translating the story's narrative into visuals. She’ll also highlight vital aspects of storytelling: consent and challenging misconceptions and stereotypes through your work.

“JUGGLING PHOTOGRAPHY AND PARENTHOOD” WITH ZAKIYYAH WOODS

If you’re a visual storyteller as well as a caretaker or are considering having children, this class is for you! Zakiyyah Woods divulges all her knowledge on how to navigate busy schedules, childcare, and the rollercoaster that comes with being both a parent AND a successful photographer. She’ll touch on what has worked for her, such as how to handle last-minute assignments, and how parenting has changed her perspective and priorities as an artist.

“FROM PHOTOGRAPHY TO FILMMAKING” WITH JANET JARMAN

Photojournalist Janet Jarman explains how she has successfully incorporated documentary filmmaking into her repertoire to create impactful, far-reaching work. She’ll share her process of approaching long-term documentary work in terms of her vision, planning, support, and execution. With years of experience in both the photojournalism and filmmaking worlds, Janet shows how it’s possible to work within both genres.

“WORKING WITH AND IN COMMUNITY” WITH MAHEDER HAILESELASSIE

Photographer Maheder Haileselassie showcases how to incorporate the concept of community in your work and within the industry. In highlighting her project “Between Yesterday and Tomorrow,” Maheder reveals how to reflect on the history and identity of a community as a way to process present day realities. Beyond her own personal work, she’ll discuss her role in community-building within the visual media industry of Ethiopia and how she fosters growth and connection for a better tomorrow.

SEASON 3: ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE VIDEOS!

Class 1: “SO YOU GOT AN ASSIGNMENT, NOW WHAT: THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE” WITH ANNIE FLANAGAN

You’ve put in all the work to pitch, make connections with editors, and you’ve landed a commission. Now what? A prolific photographer with ample assignment experience, Annie Flanagan will share their know-how on what to do in preparation for the assignment (both logistically and photographically), how to communicate with editors, and stay safe in the field. They’ll also talk about the crucial side of assignment work that’s not brought to light enough: rates, budgeting, expenses, and contracts. And, Annie will give tips on how to maintain relationships with editors even after the assignment is over.

Class 2: “DO NO HARM: ETHICS” WITH CHERISS MAY

In this session, prominent photographer and adjunct professor at Howard University Cheriss May explores one of the most—if not the most—important aspects of making honest and compelling work: ethics. She’ll teach about the many layers of consent, avoiding stereotypical or sensationalistic approaches, establishing trust with people you photograph, and how to control the use of your images and how to have those conversations with editors. Cheriss will also showcase examples of social impact through photography and walking the line between activism and photojournalism.

Class 3: “NAVIGATING THE INDUSTRY” WITH M’HAMMED KILITO

While the various ins and outs of building a career in photojournalism can be overwhelming and bewildering, M’hammed Kilito, through his own experiences navigating the industry with grace and success, reveals how to get your work out there through applying to grants and contests, attending workshops and portfolio reviews, and reaching out to editors. He’ll also highlight creating community and a personal identity while supporting others in the industry.

Class 4: “SUPPORTING YOUR LONG-TERM VISION” WITH JAMES RODRÍGUEZ

Accomplished photographer James Rodríguez will unpack the difficulties around sustaining long-term projects by illustrating how to create a unified vision, how to build and maintain relationships with communities, and how to seek various avenues of funding and support for the same project over time—whether through assignments, grants, or outside sources such as NGOs, commercial work, fixing, and video assignments. In this session, James will divulge his tips and tricks for achieving success with ongoing projects and how to create continuity and avoid burn-out.

Class 5: “BOOK-MAKING DEMYSTIFIED: FROM START TO FINISH” WITH GABRIELLA ANGOTTI-JONES AND SMITA SHARMA

Decorated photographers Gabriella Angotti-Jones and Smita Sharma, who’ve recently traversed the world of book-making, will demystify this process from start to finish. In this class, they’ll answer oft-asked questions, such as: When is the right time to make a book? How do you put together a book proposal? How do you find the right publisher, designer, editor, etc.? How do you fund and market a book? By setting long-term goals for your work, Gabriella and Smita reveal how this milestone in a photographer’s career is both possible and accessible.

Class 6: “THE HUSTLE IS REAL: SELF-PROMOTION AND SIDE GIGS” WITH JOSUÉ RIVAS AND TASNEEM ALSULTAN

While photojournalism can feel like a constant hustle, it can be an incredibly enriching career—and who better to teach this closing class than the dynamic, ever-evolving Josué Rivas and Tasneem Alsultan. Together they’ll tap into successful self-promotional practices in a constantly-changing social media landscape, diversifying your income by pursuing projects and work in addition to editorial clients, and how to stay forever motivated, inspired, and inspiring.

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021

SEASON 2: ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE VIDEOS!

Class 1: “Expanding Your Vision” with Yagazie Emezi

In this class, Yagazie Emezi will guide us through her personal projects and finding her own creative voice in photography. As she guides us through this aspect of her career, she will talk about the process of learning to trust her own vision, what others can learn from her journey, and how she then applies her personal style to assignment work. This class builds on Yagazie’s previous class in The Essentials, “Be Your Own Manager".

Class 2: “Managing Risk, Safety, and Trauma as a Journalist” with Alison Baskerville and Tara Pixley

This session discusses key elements of risk assessment, safety and security planning, and the management of bio/psycho/social impacts in the work of journalists, understanding those experiences and the realities of the job through an intersectional lens. By recognizing how identity, environmental, organizational, and operational variables impact our health and safety for every assignment, we are better prepared to enter any space or experience.

Class 3: “Demystifying Digital Security: Practical Guidance for Journalists” with Ela Stapley

From surveillance to identity theft, journalists face a range of digital security threats as they go about their work. Knowing what steps to take to better protect themselves and their sources is more and more important. From secure communications to protecting online data, this session will teach journalists practical tips that they can use to increase their security. If you have doubts about WhatsApp security or have ever wondered if it is safe to store your passwords in your browser, then this session is for you!

Class 4: “Building Your Career” with Sarahbeth Maney and Sarah Waiswa

Careers in photography have no roadmap, and a common question is, how do I get started? How do I make my first contacts in the industry, get my first assignment, work on my first projects? Photographers Sarahbeth Maney and Sarah Waiswa will use their own passion projects and reporting projects to walk you through the start of their careers and highlight some of their most important learnings along the way. Coming from different points of their career and different backgrounds, Sarabeth and Sarah will showcase what they were able to do with limited support and discuss what it was truly like to get their careers off the ground.

Class 5: “So You Got An Assignment – Now What? Working with Photo Editors” with Jehan Jillani and Olivier Laurent

When on an assignment, knowing what an editor expects of you can be challenging, especially early on in your career. Photo editors Olivier Laurent (The Washington Post) and Jehan Jillani (The Atlantic) will take a practical approach to explaining the barebones of how to make photojournalism a sustainable career, and will delve into strategies on how to work with photo editors, how to make sure your voice is heard, and how to turn in photos with the proper information.

MAY - JUNE 2021

SEASON 1: ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE VIDEOS!

Class 1: Building a Narrative with Kiana Hayeri

Kiana Hayeri is known for her visual storytelling that is intimate, personal, and lyrical. In this class, she will discuss how to build a narrative from start to finish, including how to pitch a story to an editor and how to break down a story while photographing on assignment.

Class 2: Anatomy of a Story with Andrea Wise

In this session, Andrea Wise will deconstruct a couple of published stories to demystify how stories come to be from the editor’s perspective. She will talk about story origination, including assignment work and stories pitched by photographers, getting ideas and budgets approved, creative planning/art direction, working visually in harmony with text, selecting and sequencing images, and laying out stories for publication. You will learn more about what visual editors do, how to get on their radar, how best to work with them on assignment, and how to maximize the chances of getting your pitches picked up.

Class 3: Honing Your Skills with Nicky Woo

Nicky Quamina-Woo has a career as both a commercial and documentary photographer. In this class, she will touch on the basics of portraiture lighting, marketing your work, and tailoring your portfolio to fit the client. She will review the portfolio of 1-3 students for the class to learn from, as well as show examples of successful images, investigating why each works (or doesn’t) from a lighting perspective.

Class 4: Finding Support for Your Projects – Grant Writing with Danielle Villasana

Danielle Villasana will share tips on preparing grant applications for new or ongoing projects. She’ll cover the do’s and don'ts as well as various funding organizations within the visual media industry.

Class 5: Be Your Own Manager – Finances and Self-Promotion with Yagazie Emezi

Yagazie Emezi will draw from her personal experiences of utilizing social media for self-promotion, managing finances as a freelancer, understanding contracts, and finding opportunities. She will speak to the challenges photographers regularly face, including setting a day rate and understanding usage and copyrights. Her session will be rooted in practical tools and strategies, and in understanding the overall value of one’s work.