Photo by Olivia Falcigno | MPW.76 | Kennett, 2024

Don Lynn, a 92-year-old variety farmer, recounts memories from old family photos on the walls of his home on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Kennett, Mo.

Chapin and Campbell clicked at first class, and the rest is MPW history

By Olivia Maillet

Kim Chapin and Matt Campbell sit directly across from one another on opposite sides of the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Kennett, Mo. This community building serves as the MPW.76 headquarters. While a sea of white, plastic tables separates them, Campbell and Chapin share a bond MPW can never break.

The pair’s paths crossed at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., in the fall of 1990. At the time, Chapin and Campbell were just recurring side characters in each other's lives. Everything changed when they sat next to each other during junior year in News Writing 101: not by choice, but rather as the result of an alphabetical seating chart.

Campbell and Chapin occasionally made small talk in their shared class. They rarely interacted outside of News Writing 101, however, except when Chapin would visit the Mark Twain Residence Hall fourth floor — the same floor where Campbell played cards with his friends — to buy a Mountain Dew from the vending machine.

“She was a total Mountain Dew freak,” Campbell said.

That December, Campbell was working a shift at local pizza joint Shakespeare’s when Chapin walked in with a mutual friend. Campbell’s manager saw him staring at Chapin.

“That was the only time in the three years that I worked there that someone asked if I wanted to take a break,” Campbell said. “So, I went out and asked her out on a date.”

She said yes, and their first date was a stroll through the international coffee hour in the Memorial Student Union, followed by a movie they both agreed was lousy.

Chapin and Campbell’s first Missouri Photo Workshop was MPW.43 in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., where, as photojournalism students, they helped as crew members. Campbell has attended six workshops since, first as a student and then on lab crew, developing film in the workshop’s dark rooms. He eventually became the lab crew leader. This is Chapin’s second MPW and her first on faculty, meaning MPW.76 is the couple’s first workshop together since they were in college.

Two years after their shared News Writing 101 course, Campbell and Chapin sat next to each other once more. This time, in May 1992, it was during their college commencement ceremony where they received bachelor’s degrees in photojournalism. Three months later, they got married in Michigan.

For the next three decades, whenever one of them had an opportunity for career advancement, the other was quick to support and move their lives to accommodate the job. Campbell said he and his wife once had simultaneous interviews while living in New York City. The Boston Globe offered Chapin the position of deputy director, and Reuters offered Campbell a job as its New York City bureau chief. Campbell declined joining Reuters and took a promotion at the European Press Agency. Chapin then accepted the Globe’s offer, and the spouses moved to Boston.

About a year and a half ago, Chapin left the Boston Globe to become the Executive Director of the L.A. Times’ photo department. Around the same time, Canon hired Campbell as the Senior Advisor, Key Agency & Pro-Market Field Support. They now have homes in Boston as well as L.A. and travel between the two cities as needed.

”We absolutely, in our entire careers, have collaborated. We were helping each other on assignments and projects that we were doing in school,” Campbell said. “Now, we are 35 years later, and… to this day, she’s talking to me about what she is doing with the [MPW] photographers, and I had to talk to her today about Canon’s partnership with the L.A. Times.”

The couple found themselves covering the same sports events throughout their careers. Chapin said whenever they would have assignments like the World Series, they would stay in separate hotels and sit in the bleachers with their own organizations. Campbell said during breaking news coverage such as the Boston Marathon bombings, which they both covered for their respective companies, they barely saw each other because they were both running around to speak with eyewitnesses and negotiate access.

“You need to have someone in your profession to understand the life,” Chapin said.

Their decades-long relationship is one of mutual support, committed communication and a shared passion for photography. The connection that they have means they don’t have to explain the demands of their time-consuming, high energy profession. Even though they are working long and, at times, hectic days during MPW.76, their paths continue to cross and they know, even without speaking, they have each other’s support.

Make your story summaries have a persuasive impact

By Olivia Maillet

One of the powers of visual storytelling is that viewers, through sight alone, can absorb complex themes. Before the audience can feel the impact of a well-executed photo story, however, photographers must make a successful pitch. At the Missouri Photo Workshop, photographers face the challenge of convincing their faculty that their MPW.76 ideas are worth pursuing before receiving approval to make their photo stories.

“It goes back to, ‘What makes a compelling story?’” said Jennifer Mosbrucker, who is a photo editor at the New York Times. “Forget about the photographs, ‘What makes it a story.’”

Mosbrucker said a visual story pitch, just like a written piece, needs a lead: something that pulls viewers into the narrative. Once the audience is engaged, Mosbrucker said, it is the photojournalist's responsibility to introduce the story’s characters, conflict and rising action. And, she said, no story is complete without a peak climactic moment.

Paul Stremple, who is an independent photographer based out of Nairobi, Kenya, said writing a compelling story summary is all about confidence. If he can’t convince himself that his idea is worth pursuing, he said, then why should his MPW.76 faculty want to learn more?

“I am very enthusiastic about my own pitch,” Stremple said. “I think confidence, letting them know there is a strong story that comes through and telling them you want to explore and find out about this, [is important].”

Another MPW.76 participant, Edward Grattan, takes a different approach to pitching. The New York City-based photographer said he starts his pitch in his mind before ever writing a first draft. Grattan said he closes his eyes and imagines his sources doing something in their everyday life. The first description that comes to his mind is the beginning of his pitch.

Grattan said he finds looking at his story from his source’s point of view to be a helpful exercise. He also said he values the importance of an attainable end goal where the photo story not only has an impact on the faculty, but also on himself. 

“I like picture stories that make me believe that my mind is going to change by the end,” Grattan said. “Not necessarily in the decision-making part, but I will see the world by a different perspective.”

Regardless of their unique approaches, both Grattan and Stremple said convincing themselves that their photo stories are worth making is the first step. If photographers are not satisfied with the angle and direction of their story, they may lack motivation to produce high-quality work. And, at least for MPW.76 photographers, their powerful photos will have a captivating written story to convey their passion.

'You can do this'

Gabrielle Lurie bolsters photographers against imposter syndrome

By Olivia Myska

Research shows that people remember negative events more than positive ones. Around 80% of the human population experiences a phenomenon known as imposter syndrome at least once, according to the University of Cincinnati.

The American Psychological Association defines imposter syndrome as an “ongoing fear that [one is] going to be ‘found out’ or unmasked as being incompetent or unable to replicate past successes.” In creatives, imposter syndrome can reveal itself through thoughts of self-doubt and perceived inadequacy. Artists may constantly evaluate their work in an effort to avoid potential failure.

The University of Cincinnati has identified five different archetypes of imposter syndrome, among which “The Perfectionist” is the most common for artists. Individuals in the creative field tend to search for external validation for their work, which can be detrimental to their self-esteem. The Perfectionist is someone who sets unrealistic or unattainable goals. Even when they meet their own expectations, they are often not satisfied with their achievements.

Gabrielle Lurie, a faculty member for the 76th annual Missouri Photo Workshop and a staff photographer at the San Francisco Chronicle, said she has struggled with imposter syndrome throughout her career. She said she believes imposter syndrome is normal and mistakes can be used as a means of growth.

“A lot of it is just learning over and over again,” Lurie said. “And, the next time, you’re more experienced and better informed, and you make better, smarter, faster decisions.”

Lurie said people are always evolving and growing. She recalled that, early in her career, editors doubted her abilities as a photographer and suggested she choose a different profession. Even a decade later, Lurie said she still hears their critiques echoing in her head. Instead of giving up, however, Lurie decided to prove her editors wrong and took every opportunity to learn from her peers.

“I would look a lot at my photos, try to figure out what was wrong with them,” Lurie said. “When you shoot alongside other people then you see, ‘Oh! What did I miss? I could have done that.’ And then it becomes a list in your mind when you go back again.”

Lurie said she adopted a “faking it until you make it” mentality. She encouraged others struggling with imposter syndrome to embrace positive self-talk and take up space in whatever proverbial rooms they enter, even when they feel less-than-confident. Lurie said people are their own worst enemies, and she reiterated Sarah Stapleton’s words from MPW.76 night two: “Don’t put boulders in front of a clear path.” Lurie said this advice can help photographers combat imposter syndrome. 

Lurie recalled what one of her own editors at the San Francisco Chronicle, Russell Yip, said that helped her overcome some of her imposter syndrome.

“Every assignment that I would go out on, he would just look at me deadpan. ‘Don’t f— it up.’ And then he would be, like, ‘You got this,’” Lurie said. “He kind of had this dry cynicism of just laying it on you — the pressure — but he would also be like, ‘You’re really good. You can do this. You’ve never turned in a bad assignment, so don’t do it now.’”

Now, Lurie uses her experiences to encourage MPW.76 photographers, especially those on her team, just as Yip did for her. Lurie expressed the importance of recognizing “the wins” while also being realistic when a certain approach may not be working in a photographer’s favor.

“You just have to tell people, ‘You can do this,’ because sometimes that’s all you need to hear: that someone else has faith in you,” Lurie said. “I think those are words that I needed, and that’s what I try to do when people feel stuck or discouraged. You can do this. You’ve done this before.”

'Pay It forward'

By Bailey Stover 

When Andres Chavez learned of his acceptance to this year’s Missouri Photo Workshop in Kennett, Mo., he was unsure if he’d be able to afford tuition, lodging and the countless other associated costs. 

“I’m broke,” Chavez said.

A Venezuela native, Chavez has a background in graphic design and considers himself to be a visual artist and photographer. The Chicago-based photographer works 9-5 as a screen printer and described himself as “an incredibly curious person.”

About a year ago, Chavez began taking photography seriously. He became involved with the Chicago Center for Photojournalism and took some of the center’s street photography classes. Primarily a street photographer, Chavez began incorporating photojournalistic elements into his work while making images at protests.

“I started photographing the protests from an angle of a street photographer, but then I started realizing, ‘OK. What I’m doing, in a way, it’s also journalism,’” Chavez said. “I’m becoming a witness. I am in the presence of a historical moment.”

Chavez turned to MPW as a means of educating himself on the principles and practices of photojournalism. He said one of his Team Okamoto MPW.76 faculty members, Kim Komenich, compared street photography to “visual pickpocketing.” In Chavez’s experience, there is a fine line between street and documentary photography. Through MPW, Chavez aims to become more intentional and intimate in the images he makes.

“I was like, ‘OK. I’m already kind of crossing this line, so I just want to learn how to do this properly,’” Chavez said. “I want to be able to do justice to the people I’m taking photos of. I want to be able to do justice to the stories that I’m telling, and I want to be able to do it correctly.”

"I want to be able to do justice to the people I'm taking photos of. I want to be able to do justice to the stories that I'm telling, and I want to be able to do it correctly."

While still deciding if he could afford to accept his MPW.76 spot, Chavez mentioned his financial concerns to Lauren Miranda, one of his mentors and a professor at Northeastern Illinois University.

“I would definitely quit my job if that meant that I was going to be able to make it to — like, get the time off to MPW, even though it was going to be a really, really hard financial decision,” Chavez said. “It’s not only the time that you’re [giving up] or the money you’re spending to be here, but it’s also the money that you’re also not making while working.”

Without hesitating, or Chavez even asking, Meranda created a GoFundMe on his behalf titled, “Help Send Andres to a Prestigious Photojournalism Workshop.” With 29 total donations from friends, acquaintances and anonymous supporters, the GoFundMe raised $1,600 and enabled Chavez to attend MPW.76.

Chavez said the outpouring of support he received was “overwhelming in all senses of the word.” Now that he’s at the workshop, he feels a “need to excel” and show the more than two dozen people who financially supported him that he is a smart investment.

Because visual storytellers embrace the oral history tradition to share lessons with one another, Chavez said their wealth of knowledge is substantial. For him, the lessons his mentors — both at MPW and elsewhere — impart are vital. And, one day, Chavez hopes to be a resource for others.

“Pay it forward. All the knowledge that we get is knowledge that — if we stop sharing, it dies with us,” Chavez said. “At some point, I’m gonna have to pay it forward. And, at some point, I’m gonna have to return what’s been given to me.”

Q&A: What is one thing you can’t live without in the field?

By Olivia Myska

Tierney Cross: A sense of humor

“I am someone who gets anxious very easily and very obviously. Using my sense of humor at least helps calm me down and ease into a situation.”

Ashton Hacke: A 1923 peso from his grandfather who lives in Mexico

“It was a 100 year old peso my grandfather gave me when I turned 21 in 2023. It’s my lucky coin. I carry it in my bag.”

John Stember: A sugar-free Redbull

“Today I woke up at 5:15 after going to bed at 2 a.m., and I knew that at 2 o’clock I was gonna need some caffeine or I was gonna have a hard time. So, I love me a sugar free Redbull. It’s my guilty pleasure.”

Rosie Day: Comfortable shoes

“You’re gonna be on your feet all day, you know?”

Hailey Hoffman: Good shoes

“I live somewhere where it’s really really wet during the winter and is dry during the summer. During the winter, I’m always wearing Blundstone boots because they look somewhat nice. They can get wet; they keep your feet warm. And then, during the summer, I wear Chacos a lot because I’m going down to beaches. I’m going down to rivers. I’m running around town. And it’s also just a casual place, so people aren’t going to look at me weird if I walk in wearing strappy sandals.”