Don’t call it art! More than just window photography and visuals are a vital part of the editorial process, and getting them wrong is just as wrong as misquoting someone in a story. In this panel we’ll provide a frank discussion on choosing and imagery and subjects. We’ll discuss all aspects of imagery as part of the storytelling process from theory, sources, photo selection, with a special emphasis on diversity not only in who we show in our photos, but who we hire to take them.
Speakers: Cody McCloy, Renee Melides, Akasha Rabut, Rachael Zimmerman
CODY McCLOY started at CNN.com in 1996, after graduating from the University of Missouri, focused on broadcast journalism. At first, he was hand-tagging HTML for the site, then moved up to a video editor and helped create interactives. Currently he is a long-serving member of the small, but dedicated Photo desk at CNN Digital, where he works to create a strong visual presence across all of CNN’s digital platforms.
RENEE MELIDES is a photo editor at The New York Times and is currently based in New York. Melides also worked for The Times in both the London and Hong Kong bureaus. Prior to this, she was the deputy photo editor at Monocle Magazine in London. Before venturing into the realm of photo editing, she spent her years as a photojournalist working for clients such as The Financial Times of London, Reuters, Monocle Magazine, The Age, Australian Financial Review and the Sydney Morning Herald, to name a few. In her spare time she also works on her own personal documentary projects and visual stories.
AKASHA RABUT is a photographer and educator based in New Orleans. Her work explores multi-cultural phenomena and tradition rooted in the American South. Rabut is also the founder of Creative Council, a mentoring program for young people in New Orleans pursuing careers in the arts. Rabut’s photographs have appeared in museums and galleries around the world. Anthology Editions will publish a volume of her collected work in early 2020. She holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.
RACHAEL ZIMMERMAN is an emerging photographer, photojournalist and community creator who developed her passion for visual storytelling while working in the sports industry. In 2016, Zimmerman founded “Inside the Black Triangle,” a photojournalist series exploring queer people beyond societal stereotypes. The series has gone on to inspire diverse and authentic connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Zimmerman’s passion for storytelling is fueled by her desire to empower others to live their authentic truth. Earlier this year Zimmerman was honored with the Jeanne Córdova Award presented by NLGJA.