Creating Social Change Through Photography

When we hear that 300,000 people have died in an earthquake in Haiti, or that over a million Rohingya refugees are displaced in Bangladesh, it can simply be too much for our minds to comprehend. Yet that doesn’t deter us from wanting to engage and help out. As photographers we often ask the question, how do we create images that make people care?

Humanitarian documentary photographer Alison Wright has spent a career finding compassion and hope in a world of chaos, and in this three-week online workshop she helps you explore the connection of the universal human spirit and express it through documentary imagery. Fully immersing ourselves in this process requires a dance of vulnerability, and the first step is learning how to build relationships based on dignity and respect.

During stimulating lectures, assignments, and image reviews, we discover the art of creating intimate yet compelling images using light, composition, approach, and emotion to enhance our storytelling techniques. This is an opportunity to find and create photos for social change within your own community.

Alison guides you in uncovering a compelling documentary story that is of interest within your community. The world has historically been affected by recent health, economic and political ramifications, and now is an opportune time to discover and explore creating social change through your photography. Possible stories include following a family and see how they are being impacted by the pandemic and its economic fallout; or documenting essential workers, educational institutions, food banks, and local protests.

Break out your camera and engage your heart as you create visual stories that give voice to the experiences of others under the watchful eye of Alison and the support and encouragement from the other photographers in this online adventure.