For photographers and visual journalists across the globe
#BlackWomenPhotographers #HireBlackWomenPhotographers
Welcome to The Essentials: free online classes presented by Black Women Photographers, The Everyday Projects, and PhotoWings.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the most recent season of The Essentials! We had hundreds of global participants join us, from Kenya to the Netherlands, Lebanon to India, Afghanistan to Mexico, and beyond. We are grateful to our teachers and partners for making this such a success! This year, we covered news beyond the headlines, thinking outside the editorial box, editing for an assignment and personal project, incorporating video work into your practice, and more!
Couldn't join us? No worries! All sessions were recorded and are now available to watch online!
English, French, and Spanish subtitles coming soon.
SEASON 4:
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.
Marie D. De Jesús (she/her) is the first Latina president of the National Press Photographers Association and director of photography for the Houston Landing. At the Landing, Marie's reporting has focused on the families of incarcerated people and how missteps in local county jails have impacted them. She was previously a staff photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle, where she focused on developing relationships with Houston's diverse immigrant and marginalized communities. Prior to the Chronicle, Marie worked for the Democrat and Chronicle, located in Rochester, New York, and the Victoria Advocate, in Texas. Marie was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the team category of Public Service and is a winner of the staff award for Public Service Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Follow Marie on Instagram at @mariedennise.
“TACKLING EDITING—FROM ASSIGNMENTS TO PROJECTS” WITH SAIYNA BASHIR
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM EST
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.
Saiyna Bashir (she/her) is a Pakistani photojournalist and National Geographic Society grantee currently based in Islamabad. She works on international assignments for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, and others. She also serves as a consultant photographer to Unicef, UNHCR, WHO, IMF, WFP, and other international NGOs. She has extensive training and workshop experience, has been on the selection committee of World Press Photo’s 6x6 initiative, and was a 2018 TEDx Speaker. She’s a contributor to @EverydayPakistan, Women Photograph, and Diversify Photo and is an alumna of The Eddie Adams Workshop. Follow Saiyna on Instagram at @saiynabashirphoto.
“THINKING OUTSIDE THE EDITORIAL BOX” WITH LYNSEY WEATHERSPOON
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM EST
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.
Lynsey Weatherspoon (she/her) is a portrait and editorial photographer based in both Atlanta and Birmingham. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, ESPN, and The Undefeated. The fingerprint of heritage can be found on assignments and personal projects featuring Black Lives Matter, Gullah Geechee culture, unsung players in the Negro Baseball League, and the last of a dying breed–a shoe cobbler. Her work has been exhibited at The African American Museum in Philadelphia and Photoville NYC. She is an awardee of 2018 The Lit List. She’s a member of Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, Authority Collective, and Women Photograph. Follow Lynsey on Instagram at @lnweatherspoon.
SUNDAY - October 29, 2023
“BEYOND THE HEADLINES” WITH MARÍA MAGDALENA ARRÉLLAGA
10 AM - 11:15 AM EST
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.
María Magdalena Arréllaga (she/her) is an independent photojournalist and visual storyteller based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her work focuses on social, political, and environmental issues in Latin America, looking at human responses through an ethical and empathetic lens. Through her work María seeks to come closer to our relationship with memory, identity, and the natural world, particularly to how it is being altered by human pressures, deforestation, and climate change, and how this affects us. María is an International Women's Media Foundation grantee, a member of The Everyday Projects, Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and Brazilian collective Agência Farpa. She’s a regular contributor to outlets including The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Le Monde. Follow María on Instagram at @mariamagdarre.
“JUGGLING PHOTOGRAPHY AND PARENTHOOD” WITH ZAKIYYAH WOODS
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM EST
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.
Zakiyyah Woods (she/her) is a freelance photojournalist and street photographer and FAA-certified drone pilot based in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. Her work focuses on the accurate representation of communities that have historically been at the center of parachute journalism. Zakiyyah graduated from Benedict College, an HBCU, with a B.A. in Mass Communications and will receive her Master’s degree in Engagement Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in December 2023. She was the first Summer ‘23 visual editor intern at WNYC/Gothamist and her work has also been published in The New York Times, Reuters, Business Insider, and Gothamist, among others. Zakiyyah is a member of Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, The National Association of Black Journalists, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Follow Zakiyyah on Instagram @lens.on.swivel.
“FROM PHOTOGRAPHY TO FILMMAKING” WITH JANET JARMAN
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM EST
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.
Janet Jarman works as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker with a focus on immigration, public health challenges, water resource problems and solutions, and human rights. Janet’s work has been published in The New York Times, GEO, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Der Spiegel, 6Mois, The Wall Street Journal, and others. Her photographs have been featured at Visa Pour l’Image and have received awards in Pictures of the Year International, American Photography, PDN Photography Annual, POY Latam, Latin American Fotografia, Communication Arts, and the Best of Photojournalism. In addition to editorial assignments, Janet has produced various long-term photo and multimedia projects. Her most recent project, “Birth Wars,” includes a feature-length documentary film and a forthcoming book supported by The MacArthur Foundation. Follow Janet on Instagram @janetjarman.
“WORKING WITH AND IN COMMUNITY” WITH MAHEDER HAILESELASSIE
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM EST
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.
Maheder Haileselassie (she/her) is an Ethiopian photographer and visual artist born and based in Addis Ababa. Her works are inspired by the history, memory, and experiences of her own life and of the people she engages with everyday. She is one of this year’s Contemporary African Photography winners and has been shortlisted for the Grand Prix Images Vevey award and PhMuesum grant. Maheder’s work has been exhibited at numerous venues, museums, and festivals around the world, and she’s attended the World Press Photo Masterclass and The New York Times Portfolio review. She has collaborated with institutions such as the Frobenius Institute, The University of Cambridge, The Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, and the Goethe Institut on projects that look at the intersection of photography, history, anthropology, and architecture. She’s also the founder of the Center for Photography in Ethiopia, a learning platform for emerging photographers, and is a member of @EverydayAfrica. Follow Maheder on Instagram @maheder_haileselassie.
SEASON 3:
ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND SPANISH SUBTITLES AVAILABLE ON THE VIDEOS!
This season was made possible with support from PhotoWings.
“SO YOU GOT AN ASSIGNMENT, NOW WHAT: THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE”
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.
Annie Flanagan is a photographer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their photographs are rooted in the documentary tradition, frequently exploring themes of gender, memory, and people’s relationship to place. Their select clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, ESPN, and The Players’ Tribune. Annie holds a Master of Science from Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Follow Annie on Instagram at @annieflanagan.
“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.
Cheriss May is a lauded portrait photographer and adjunct professor at her alma mater, Howard University. Her passion radiates through her aptitude to connect to the soul of those she photographs. Cheriss’s work centers on the intersectionality of race, culture, and politics—from the White House to Capitol Hill, and everyday life in communities across the country. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and has been published in O Magazine, The White House website, People, ABC News, The Today Show, among other publications. Her work is featured in the permanent collection of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, PA, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY. Originally from Kansas City, MO, Cheriss is based in Washington, D.C., and is a member of Black Women Photographers. Follow Cheriss on Instagram at @cherissmay.
“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.
M’hammed Kilito is a freelance documentary photographer based in Rabat, Morocco. His work focuses on capturing narratives that help understand the relationship between groups or individuals and their environments by covering issues related to cultural identity, the sociology of work, and climate change. Currently, M’hammed is completing the two-year VII Mentor Program. His latest project “Before It’s Gone” has been shortlisted for the Leica Oscar Barnack Award and won the first prize at Kranj Photo Festival. M’hammed was also selected by Ateliers Medicis and the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) to take part in the French National Photographic commission: “Regards du Grand Paris,” and was designated as North African Regional Coordinator for the 2022 World Press Photo Contest. In 2020, M’hammed was chosen by the British Journal of Photography as one of 18 emerging photographers from across the globe to watch, was the winner of the 6x6 Global Talent by World Press Photo, became a National Geographic Explorer, received The Photography Prize of the Fondation des Treilles, and won the CAP Prize. That same year, he co-founded KOZ, a collective of four Moroccan visual artists working on long-term projects and sharing a passion for storytelling. Follow M’hammed, also a member of @EverydayMiddleEast and @EverydayAfrica, on Instagram at @mhammed_kilito.
“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.
James Rodríguez is a Guatemala-based documentary photographer and filmmaker focusing on post-war processes, human rights abuses, migration, land tenure, and social conflicts in Mexico and Central America, but particularly in Guatemala, where his long-term project stems back to 2004. James, who holds a B.A. in Cultural Geography from UCLA, is represented by Panos Pictures and is a proud community member of The Everyday Projects, Diversify Photo, and Frontline Freelance Mexico. Currently working on a separate long-term project in the Yucatan peninsula funded by the Mexican National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONCA), James has worked for publications such as National Geographic, Le Monde, The LA Times, The New York Times, NPR, Vogue, and The Guardian, among others. James also collaborates regularly with NGOs, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, UNDP, CARE, Justice in Motion, Rotary International. Follow James, also a member of @EverydayLatinAmerica, on Instagram at @mimundo_org.
“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.
Gabriella Angotti-Jones is a documentary photographer based in Los Angeles, California. Gabriella uses her editorial background to inform her imagery, focusing on found light, intimate storytelling moments, and graphic compositions. Her documentary work focuses on the intersection of race, identity, and environmental justice. She was previously a staff photographer at the LA Times, and has worked at papers across the country, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Tampa Bay Times, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and The New York Times. Follow Gabriella, also a member of Black Women Photographers, on Instagram at @ga.briella.
Smita Sharma is a Delhi-based photojournalist who has documented gender issues, sexual crimes, and human trafficking in the Global South through long-form visual narratives. She is a TED fellow and an IWMF reporting fellow. Smita is committed to representing people with dignity, and her visceral images have been published in a range of outlets, including the New York Times, BBC World, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and National Geographic Magazine. Her work has also been exhibited and shown globally, including at the UN Headquarters in New York. She is the recipient of awards from Amnesty International, the Las Fotos Project, One World Media, and the Fetisov Journalism Award. Follow Smita, co-founder of @EverydaySoutheastAsia, on Instagram at @smitashrm.
“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.
Josué Rivas is an Indigenous Futurist, creative director, visual storyteller, and educator working at the intersection of art, technology, journalism, and decolonization. His work aims to challenge the mainstream narrative about Indigenous peoples, co-create with the community, and serve as a vehicle for collective healing. He is a 2020 Catchlight Leadership Fellow, Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellow, founder of INDÍGENA, co-founder of Indigenous Photograph, and Curator at Indigenous TikTok. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Apple, Nike, and Converse, among others. Josué is a guest in the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, and Molalla tribes, all located in the area of Portland, OR. Follow Josué on Instagram at @josue_foto.
Tasneem Alsultan is a visual storyteller, investigative photographer, and global mentor whose work focuses on social issues in the Arab Gulf region and challenges stereotypical perceptions of the Middle East. She is a regular contributor to National Geographic, and The New York Times. Her passion for photography developed through photographing weddings and love tales, which she still does today. Her work has been published in numerous publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart weddings, and featured in more than 20 exhibitions worldwide. Tasneem became the first Arab female Global Ambassador for Canon in 2018. In 2019, she became a Catchlight Leadership Fellow, was voted the “Princess Noura University Award for Excellence” in the Arts Category, and received honorable mention for the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism. In 2020, she co-founded Ruwa Space, a platform to support visual creatives and offer education and consultation across the Middle East and North Africa. She’s a member of Rawiya women’s Middle Eastern photography collective. Follow Tasneem, also a member of @EverydayMiddleEast, on Instagram at @tasneemalsultan.
SEASON 2: OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021
“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".
Yagazie Emezi is a Nigerian artist and self-taught photojournalist focused on stories surrounding African women and their health, sexuality, education and human rights. Having worked extensively across Africa, Yagazie also covers stories on identity and culture, social justice, climate change and migration. Her art practice uses photography and sculpture to construct visual critiques of Nigeria's socio-political state and the roles media play in it, pulling from history and current events. You can follow her @yagazieemezi.
“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.
Tara Pixley (she/her) is a visual journalist and educator with 20 years of experience as a freelance photographer and photo editor for news organizations such as the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, and many others. She is currently an IWMF NextGen Fellow in journalist safety and risk assessment and a professor of journalism at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Tara was a Knight Visiting Fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation of Journalism, an inaugural awardee of the World Press Photo Solutions Visual Journalism Initiative, and holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of California San Diego. You can follow her @tlpix.
Ali Baskerville (she/her) is a documentary photographer and a media safety trainer and advisor with a focus on freelancers. A former-soldier-turned-photographer, Alison is able to blend her military experience with her career as a conflict photographer to translate into realistic safety training for the media community. As a photographer she uses her experience to comment on, document and question the military experience that aims to make work reflecting on important contemporary issues such as social inequality, military occupation, gender identity and safety as well as the long-term consequences of emotional trauma through conflict. You can follow her @ali_baskerville.
“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!
Ela Stapley is a digital safety expert and trainer working with journalists around the world to help them be safer both when online and when using technology. She is part of the Emergencies team at the Committee to Protect Journalists where she supports journalists on a wide range of issues ranging from device security to online harassment. Ela also leads the online harassment initiative at the International Women's Media Foundation where she works with journalists and other organisations to find solutions to violence online. Ela is a former freelance journalist and holds an MA in International Journalism from Cardiff University, UK.
“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.