Today’s episode is all about connections. Not in the smarmy, LinkedIn Request, crap networking sort of way, but in the genuine engagement and empathic authenticity that you can only achieve from true photojournalism greatness. Who better to learn from than a photographer would you self-proclaim to rather be a good person than a great photographer, building meaningful connections with the individuals and building a rapport through words before ever picking up a camera to capture images, today’s guest, Alyssa Schukar is an excellent resource to learn from for any working photographer.

Alyssa Schukar is a Washington, DC-based documentary photographer and educator. In her personal work, she is most interested in documenting how the environment and public policies affect communities.

She believes photojournalists advance and improve the industry by supporting each other. In 2019, Alyssa and two colleagues launched Prism Photo Workshop, which provides support and advocacy for young photographers of diverse backgrounds (which we’ll get into all the details of in this week’s episode) She is also a returning faculty member of the Missouri Photo Workshop.

In this weeks’ episode, we explore the process of transitioning from a staff position to freelancing work across the country, how to deeply connect with the individuals in your photos, even in a fast paced news scenario, and why the art of the personal project (and sharing it with editors) is the ultimate fast track to getting your work seen and being hired for similar jobs. Without any further ado, today’s killer interview with photojournalist Alyssa Schukar.