About Danielle Villasana + her industry experience

Thanks for registering for my workshop on finding your visual voice! With more than 10 years of photojournalism experience where I’ve always worked on a personal project in addition to assignments and commissions, I’m really looking forward to sharing all I’ve learned along the way.

From starting off as a self-taught photographer to pursuing a photojournalism degree to working as an independent photojournalist, in this workshop I’ll show you what concrete steps to take in order to evolve both personally and professionally as a visual storyteller. 

In only two months, I’ll guide you in every aspect of photojournalism, including:

• How to grow artistically while being deeply rooted in ethics

• How to pursue avenues for support, funding, and publication through pitching, grants, contests, book-making, and more

• How to build a thriving, sustainable practice through promotional and financial practices

Because putting yourself out there can be emotionally difficult, I’ll also share how to keep your heart intact, to keep going, and to stay motivated, which are all so important for longevity in this industry.

Can’t wait for a rigorous and enriching two months with you! If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at davillasana@gmail.com — see you soon!

TESTIMONIALS

Note that this long-term project workshop is new and these testimonials are from past photo marketing workshop participants

“Danielle was generous with her knowledge on navigating the spaces around working in editorial photography. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn the logistics of business in photography.” —Kristine Nyborg

“I think it was one of the most important workshops I’ve attended because such workshops are rare and every newbie struggles with not knowing how to make a living, even really good photographers.” —Mumin Gul

“I thought it was a fantastic workshop—one of the most helpful ones I've participated in (and I've been to quite a few)! Not only was it useful to catch a glimpse of the thought process and behind-the-scenes of the published work that the public is familiar with, Danielle is also such a genuine person and attentive guide. I'm grateful to have had the chance to get to know her, her work, and the other participants in the programme. Seeing the work and organization behind each application is a rare insight, and I really thought it was a worthwhile investment to get that opportunity for one-on-one feedback, which can be rare to come by.” —Katherine Cheng

“Danielle's personal website critique was extremely helpful for me! She took time in giving me a thorough, thoughtful review. Her ideas helped elevate my portfolio and showcase my work in ways I'd never considered.” —Sawyer Roque on the personalized critique

“Through Danielle’s personalized critique, I learned how to present my project better for proposals and submissions. I eventually made it into the 2022 New York Times Portfolio Review as one of 85 participants out of 3,500 applicants.”
—Dominique Chiu on the personalized critique

Danielle Villasana is an independent photojournalist whose documentary work focuses on human rights, gender, displacement, and health around the world. She’s the 2022 Alexia Grant Professional Winner and is also a National Geographic Explorer, Magnum Foundation awardee, a Women Photograph grantee, an IWMF fellow, and an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop.

Publications: Danielle’s work has been featured in The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, The Washington Post, NPR, and CNN, among various other publications. In 2021, a group project she pitched and led with seven women photographers from The Everyday Projects about the impact of migration on women worldwide was published in National Geographic Magazine, online, and featured on National Geographic’s Instagram account. Part of the project was supported with a National Geographic Society grant and educational curriculum from this work was created in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center.

Books + exhibitions: Her first photo book, "A Light Inside," which chronicles the issues transgender women face in Peru, was published in 2018 by FotoEvidence and used as an educational tool, distributed free-of-charge to universities and health care centers in Lima. Her work has also been included in group book publications, including National Geographic’s “Inside the Curve: Stories from the Pandemic” and Women Photograph’s “What We See.” Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions and screenings worldwide, including at Photoville, Head On Photo Festival, Visa pour L’Image, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Bronx Documentary Center, among others.

Additional recognitions: In addition to those listed above, Danielle was selected for the Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent roster and the New York Times Portfolio Review and has been named a finalist / short-listed by the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Grant For Humanistic Photography, the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, the Social Documentary Network, and the International Photography Awards. She’s also been a nominee for the World Press Joop Swart Masterclass and the Chris Hondros Fund Emerging Photojournalist Award. She’s sat as a juror or been a nominator for awards and programs, such as the Women Photograph and Leica Grant, World Press Photo’s The 6x6 Global Talent Program, the Getty Instagram Grant, and Fotógrafas Latinoamericanas.

DEI + initiative work: Danielle’s belief in the power of photography paired with education and community development guides her involvement in various organizations and initiatives. She’s co-founder of We, Women, on The Everyday Projects’ Community Team, an Authority Collective board member, and a Photo Bill of Rights co-author. She’s also a member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and Ayün Fotógrafas, a collective of women photographers united by Latin America in partnership with NOOR.

Speaking + presentation experience: Danielle has spoken in-person and virtually about her personal work and best practices on various occasions: National Geographic’s Storytellers Summit, Nat Geo Live, Nat Geo Explorers Festival, Nat Geo Photo Camp Live, the Alexia Fall Workshop, at Photoville with Diversify Photo, with The Everyday Projects and Black Women Photographers, at NPPA’s Women in Journalism Conference, with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, at the Photo Vogue Festival, for The Knight Center's Speaker Series, at Southwestern University, The University of Texas, and Peru’s el Centro de la Imagen, among many other opportunities.

Teaching experience: Throughout her career, Danielle has guided hundreds of photographers through teaching, mentoring, and consulting. She’s had the privilege of being a mentor in the Women Photograph and IWMF mentorship programs for women and gender nonconforming photographers. She’s also provided one-on-one mentorship and consultation to photographers worldwide in addition to those who have taken her photo marketing workshops. While living in Peru, she founded Fotos por el Cambio, a photo workshop aiming to empower communities and emerging photographers. She also taught photojournalism and multimedia at the American University of Nigeria. And, last year, she was honored to join the Alexia Fall Workshop as a teaching coach alongside industry veterans.  

Ultimately, Danielle works by the words of Donna De Cesare: “You are a human being first and a journalist second.”