Danielle Villasana is a photojournalist based in her hometown of Houston, Texas. She focuses on human rights, gender, migration, and health throughout the Americas.
Danielle is a National Geographic Explorer, an Alexia Grant Professional Winner, a Magnum Foundation awardee, a Women Photograph grantee, an International Women's Media Foundation fellow, and an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop.
Her work has been included in solo and group exhibits and has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Danielle is a member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, NPPA, and Ayün Fotógrafas, a collective of women photographers united by Latin America.
Her first photo book, "A Light Inside," which chronicles the issues transgender women face in Peru, was published in 2018 by FotoEvidence. The book was used as an educational tool and donated to universities and health care centers throughout Lima.
Danielle strongly believes in the power of photography paired with education and community development. In 2019 she co-founded We, Women, a platform exploring crucial issues across the U.S. through photo-based community engagement projects by women and gender nonconforming artists. In 2016, she joined The Everyday Project's Community Team where she works on various initiatives and leads group photography projects, such as National Geographic’s “Women on the Move.” In 2018, she joined the Authority Collective as a board member. And, from 2014 to 2018, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Peru, she created and led Fotos por el Cambio, a photography workshop to empower communities and emerging photographers. In 2020, alongside various colleagues and organizations, Danielle co-authored the Photo Bill of Rights.
Ultimately, Danielle strives to live and work by the words of her mentor, Donna De Cesare: “You are a human being first and a journalist second.”
Danielle speaks English and Spanish and is HEFAT-trained.
Achievements and Recognitions:
2023:
Solo exhibition of “Abre Camino” — The University of Texas at Austin
InMaat Grant — Awarded to Ayün Fotógrafas (member)
NPPA’s Women in Journalism Conference — Speaker
2022:
The Alexia — Professional Grant Winner for “Abre Camino”
International Festival of Photojournalism Visa pour l’image — Screening of “Abre Camino”
Southwestern University Borderlands Symposium — Keynote speaker
Women Photograph + Leica Grant — Judge
VIST Foundation’s ECO/22 Production Grant — Awarded to Ayün Fotógrafas (member)
2021:
Women Photograph Project Grant — Recipient for “Abre Camino”
The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund’s Grant For Humanistic Photography — Finalist for “Abre Camino”
Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award — Honorable Mention for “Abre Camino”
National Geographic Storytellers Summit — Co-speaker with Ayün Fotógrafas members
Nat Geo Live — Co-speaker with “Women on the Move” photographers & Jennifer Samuel
The Everyday Projects’ “Women on the Move” Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York)
The Everyday Projects’ “Women on the Move” Group Exhibition — Head On Foundation (Australia)
The W. Eugene Smith Grant For Humanistic Photography, Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York)
The Journal & Jamii’s Group Exhibition — CONTACT Photography Festival (Toronto)
2020:
National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists — Recipient for “Abre Camino”
National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists — Awarded to Ayün Fotógrafas (member)
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Co-Lead (El Salvador)
Atlanta Celebrates Photography & Authority Collective’s “Entitlements” Group Exhibition — National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta)
The Everyday Projects’ “Then and Now” Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York)
NPPA’s Women in Journalism Conference — Keynote speaker
National Geographic Photo Camp Live — Speaker
2019:
The Alexia Foundation — Shortlisted for "Abre Camino"
National Geographic Society — Explorer and grant recipient
Women Photograph's Mentorship Program — Mentor
The IWMF's Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program — Mentor
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Co-Lead (Honduras)
The IWMF's Extended Adelante Grant — Recipient
Lozano Long Conference: Journalism Under Siege — Speaker (The University of Texas at Austin)
The Knight Center's Speaker Series — Speaker (Austin, Texas)
World Press Joop Swart Masterclass — Nominee
2018:
SDN's "10th Anniversary Exhibition" — The Bronx Documentary Center (New York City)
FotoEvidence with World Press Photo Exhibition — The Bronx Documentary Center (New York City)
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Co-Lead (El Salvador)
FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo — Finalist
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Fellow (Honduras)
Social Documentary Network's "Through a Woman's Lens" — Honorable Mention
World Press Photo's The 6x6 Global Talent Program — Nominator
2017:
World Press Photo's The 6x6 Global Talent Program — Nominator
Getty Instagram Grant — Nominator
Obscura Festival of Photography — Projection of "A Light Inside" (Malaysia)
Women Photograph's "Insider/Outsider" Group Exhibit — Photoville (New York City)
Foundry Photojournalism Workshop — Scholarship Recipient (Mexico City)
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Finalist (Honduras)
World Press Joop Swart Masterclass — Nominee
Chris Hondros Fund Emerging Photojournalist Award — Nominee
2016:
DokFoto Festival — Speaker (Oslo, Norway)
Objectif's — "Women in Photography" Exhibit, Co-sponsored with The Magnum Foundation (Singapore)
World Press Joop Swart Masterclass — Nominee
Chris Hondros Fund Emerging Photojournalist Award — Nominee
2015:
Magnum Foundation's Inge Morath Award — First Place
Pride Photo Award — Third Place: Open Category
International Photography Awards — Honorable Mention: Deeper Perspectives
Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent — Selected
"Yo Tengo Derechos" — Solo Exhibit with UNAIDS (Lima, Peru)
New York Times Portfolio Review — Selected
World Press Photo Masterclass Latin America — Finalist
2013:
Eddie Adams Workshop — Student