Dr. Douglas Kiburz, second from right, dressing in personal protective equipment before performing a double knee transplant on a patient at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia, Mo., on Wednesday. Photo by Alex Kent/MPW.75

Finding Support in the Field

By Bailey Stover

Freelance photojournalist Alejandra Rubio’s Hispanic and Yavapai- Apache heritage is a visible part of who she is. She has photographed

Native American communities for organizations such as The New York Times, NBC and USA Today.

“They took me to some places that I had never even thought of going to,” Rubio said. “But I’m afraid that’s all that they’re going to recognize me for,

you know? And I don’t want that. I want to do other things.”

Rubio has also covered the Black Lives Matter movement, Reopen Nevada protests and cannabis cultivation. She is affiliated with the Indigenous

Photograph, Diversify Photo and the 400 Years Project, which tells stories of Native communities. The Indigenous Photograph database

aims to elevate the work of Indigenous visual journalists. When Rubio can’t take an assignment, she connects editors with other members of the

organization.

Diversify Photo is “a community of BIPOC and non-western photographers, editors and visual producers” that hopes to elevate the work of photographers of color. Editors can utilize its online database to source talent, and members can build community through mentorship and access educational resources.

Zakiyyah Woods, a Black woman photojournalist, is also part of Diversify Photo. She said mainstream journalists often fail to cover Black

spaces until there is a tragedy, so she uses her camera to show the everyday people who “keep their neighborhood and the spirit of their community

going and thriving.”

She understands the importance of helping others as her career evolves, and her personal mission is to amplify Black voices through her photographs.

For Woods, Black Women Photographers positively impacted her career by connecting her with photo editors for portfolio reviews.

“I don’t believe in gatekeeping,” Woods said. “We’re all walking in this journey at our own pace in time. If there’s something you need to know, I’m

going to tell you.”

Although journalists of all backgrounds are capable of bringing empathy, nonjudgmental understanding and informed reporting to their stories, greater diversity in newsrooms and among freelancers creates the foundation for more intimate, respectful photojournalism in all storytelling.

MPW.75 faculty member Idris Talib Solomon is a Brooklyn-based photojournalist and host of the Black Shutter Podcast. He sat down to talk about the podcast. The answers have been edited for clarity and length.

What inspired you to start the Black Shutter Podcast?

I had been cooking the idea for about two years. I met a few Black photographers at The New York Times portfolio review in 2018, and I realized as we were sharing work and sharing information, there were also a lot of similar frustrations we had in the industry. I contemplated not going down the photography path and just giving it up. I didn’t feel like it was worth it. Something clicked that said ‘I think we need something that feels like it’s made for us, a place where we can feel like we’re not going crazy.’ Instead of quitting the craft, I had an idea of having a bunch of conversations with Black photographers, to hear everybody’s story. Whenever somebody is interested in something, they start doing research. I wanted that young Black kid who’s interested in photography to type in “podcasts for Black photographers,” and discover Black Shutter Podcast.

What do you hope the podcast has to offer the photojournalism community?

I think what is special about the Black Shutter Podcast is that I haven’t seen any other podcasts out there that are specifically about the stories of Black photographers. I feel like it is a podcast for artists, for creatives, for general photographers outside of the Black community, because an origin story is an origin story. I think it’s important for people to know that this podcast is specifically from the perspective of a Black photographer for Black and brown photographers.

Why is it meaningful to you to document communities that lack representation?

The podcast for me is something that I spend my own money to do. I spend my own time to do it. It’s important to me because I’m still in a place of learning, discovering new work, learning the history behind photography and the history behind Black photography. I’m creating this because I’m thinking about the younger generation needing to have access to this information along the road. When I started it initially, I wasn’t thinking about it as an archive. It made me realize how important it is to create an archive that doesn’t disappear.

The Black Shutter Podcast can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and directly on the website at blackshutterpodcast.com.

Sedalians Share Hopes, Expectations for MPW.75 Gallery

By Bailey Stover

On Saturday, photos from MPW.75 will be shown in a public gallery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Heckart Community Center. When workshop leadership met

with Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson last year about hosting MPW.75 in his town, Dawson said he loved the idea. He looks forward to seeing the narratives photojournalists find as they follow residents willing to drop their “facade of ego.”

MPW.75 photographer Kang-Chun “KC” Cheng has spent the week documenting Candy Meyer’s sobriety journey. “I hope that people can see it

doesn’t matter where you been in life. It’s the choices that you make now,” Meyer said. “And that you can have an absolutely beautiful life in recovery.”

Sedalia resident Becky Imhauser has embraced photographers’ goal of sharing vulnerable and complex stories. She said the Covid-19 pandemic caused strife, division,

conflict and controversy in her community.

“I love the way that the photojournalists are digging down on the topics, and I talked to one today. She talked about wanting to tell a story of hope. And oh

my goodness, we need hope,” Imhauser said.

Imhauser said the workshop gives Missourians “a snapshot in time that we would not have any other way.”

Imhauser hopes that seeing the town displayed in images will inspire a sense of pride in the community.

“I think Sedalia should feel just honored that people are taking the time and find it story-worthy,” she continued. “This is an opportunity for

us to see Sedalia in a different way.”

The Enduring Mark of a Successful Picture Story

By Jamie Maron

Vicki Purvis was nine years old when photographer Mike Hanley, a photojournlist at The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Ind., followed her family during MPW.32 in Sedalia. Hanley wanted to show the relationship between her younger brother, Steven, and their mother, Gail. Steven had Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

“I think he really captured how much joy a child with disabilities can bring to your family because Steven is happy in all these pictures,” Purvis said.

The family moved frequently while Purvis was growing up, but she always considered the big yellow house on 17th and Missouri streets in Sedalia, where Hanley photographed them, to be a special home. 

“That house was my favorite home we lived in. I have the best memories in that house with Stevie and he loved it too," she said.

Steven passed away at age 38 due to heart problems. This photo story is a reminder of the light Steven brought to his family and friends. Their mother made a book dedicated to him with photos taken at the workshop. 

“There’s also pictures of my grandparents who died when I was pretty young. So it’s nice to still have those memories around,” Purvis said.

After Hanley made the photographs, he sent a typed letter to her parents describing how the story not only made him a better photographer, but a better person.

“If the pictures I took of Stevie make at least one person better understand what it’s like to have and care for a child with a special problem, then I will consider the photos successful," Hanley said.

Slaying in Business

By MaKayla Hart

In an ideal world, freelance photographers could spend all their time making pictures without looking at a spreadsheet or worrying about paying the bills. Without solid business practices, however, most freelance photographers end up living with constant financial stress, potentially burning out and leaving the industry.

On one hand, the opportunities are endless when it comes to forging your way in this business. On the other hand, it can be scary, frustrating and lonely to enter the

industry as a freelancer. 

Adam Gray entered the freelance fray earlier this year. The transition has been smooth because of the years he spent making contacts to prepare for the change. Nevertheless, he’s still getting used to his new workflow.

“There’s a whole new amount of work you have to do,” Gray said. “When I tell myself I’m taking a day off, half the day

I’m actually invoicing.”

MPW Co-Director Alyssa Schukar is an experienced freelance photographer who is passionate about teaching young photographers how to conduct business. She

founded the Prism Photo Workshop with two other photographers to present opportunites for budding photojournalists to develop both their visual and business skills.

“This industry is all about relationships,” Schukar said. “It’s about tapping into your network as much as possible to make sure that you understand the landscape of

the industry and are able to build a sustainable business.”

Schukar also advocates for fair compensation, which prevents photographers from pressure to leave the business because of financial struggles. 

“If an editor never gets pushback from a photographer on a day rate, then they’re not going to tell their bosses that there’s a problem with the day rate in the contract. We have to speak up for ourselves,” Schukar said.

At the same time, Schukar advises maintaining decorum when turning down jobs to preserve relationships with editors, even while navigating difficult conversations about fair pay.

“People talk, editors talk, and you don’t want to burn those bridges,” Schukar said.

Finding Learning Opportunities Beyond the Missouri Photo Workshop

By Ellie Frysztak

As MPW.75 comes to a close, participants may begin to wonder ‘what comes next.’ No doubt, lessons were learned this week. Photographers took a moment between making their final frames to share notes about other educational resources that have helped them grow.

Emily Whitney, a photographer from West Chester, Penn., has frequently turned to the Social Documentary Network. They are a documentary photography group made up of photographers, editors, NGOs, students and curators. She has attended their virtual classes to hone her skills, since she did not come from a journalism background. In addition to the SDN, she suggested two podcasts: The Photo Ethics Podcast and The Candid Frame Podcast. 

Amanda Andrade-Rhodes, a freelance photojournalist in Washington, D.C., has grown from meeting with other photographers and editors. 

“D.C. has a pretty big freelancing community and it’s been really, really helpful to talk to other people, see their technique, have them talk through their own photos.” 

A lot of the meet-ups are informal, but she is part of Women Photojournalists of Washington. 

“We have quarterly shows with photographers we all kind of aspire to, and that’s been really helpful,” she said. “To hear their techniques, how they come up with stories.”

Alyssa Schukar, MPW Co-Director also out of Washington, D.C, suggested Todd Bigelow’s book “A Freelance Photographer’s Guide to Success: Business Essentials.”

Those looking to further their photographic education beyond MPW might consider workshops such as Eddie Adams, Mountain Workshops, Northern Short Course, The Kalish Workshop, and the Sante Fe Workshops. The National Press Photographers Association also has resources such as a mentoring program, business practices, discounts, and more.