J.B. Russell (ZDA)
WORKSHOP
My workshop will focus on the importance of visual story telling. Whether covering a major news event, photographing daily life or working on long-term projects, the process of discovering and understanding the significance of the subject and building a story that conveys its essence is essential to successful documentary photography. We will discuss not only the work of being a photographer, but also the importance of being a journalist. During the workshop we will spend time reviewing portfolios to provide constructive feedback on student’s work. We will discuss the work of renowned photographers and the importance of finding a unique photographic vision. Students will shoot a local subject, receive daily critiques, edit and build a complete story by the end of the workshop. Finally, I will put particular emphasis on the realities of working as a photojournalist in today’s media environment, the changing situation in the profession, new outlets and usages for photojournalism, the difficulties of making a living as a photographer and the business and technical skills needed to continue producing significant documentary photography.
BIO
I have been enchanted by photography ever since I stood in a high school dark room with a friend, plunged a white piece of paper into a bath of chemicals and watched an image magically appear before my eyes through a swath of red light. After graduating from university with a degree in Geology and Geography and working for two years as a geologist, I decided to take a year or so off before going on to graduate school to satisfy a serious wanderlust and to pursue my passion for photography. Once on the road however, I never looked back. When the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union began to break apart, I realized that the world as I had always known it was changing forever and that I wanted to witness the transformation that was happening in my lifetime, the events that were forming our contemporary history and to document the human condition.
In 1993, J.B. was one of only two photographers in Siem Reap, Cambodia when it was over run by Khmer Rouge fighters in the lead up to UN sponsored elections. In 1994 he covered the mass exodus of Cuban boat people trying to reach Florida for Time magazine. Following the publication of these images, J.B. began working with the Sygma News agency, focusing on current events, the human consequences of conflict and contemporary humanitarian issues. He has worked extensively in Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. J.B.’s work appears regularly in magazines and newspapers, on the Internet, in books and in exhibitions worldwide. Clients include: Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Intl. Herald Tribune, Paris Match, Geo, Courrier International, Le Nouvel Observateur, Stern, Der Spiegel, Facts, The London Times, The Guardian, Corriere Della Sera magazine, La Stampa Specchio, El Mundo magazine and many others. JB. has collaborated with numerous humanitarian organizations such as Mines Advisory Group, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Action Contre Le Faim, the United Nations and the ICRC. He has written, directed and filmed video documentaries and multimedia projects, including Angola: Surviving The Peace.
J.B.’s work has received several awards and honors, including the Public Prize at France's Bayeux War Correspondents Competition and 1st place in the Magazine News Story category of the POYi competition. His work has been chosen for the American Photography Annual and Exhibition and has also been exhibited and frequently featured at Visa Pour L'Image, the international photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France.
J.B. is represented by the Cosmos Agency in Paris, Panos Pictures in London, Grazia Neri in Milan and Contacto in Madrid.
He lives in Paris.
