Prism Photo Workshop

Meet your Prism Photo 2026 Speakers! Rounding out our business panel is fine art photographer and Prism Photo Grant Recipient Lou Foglia! We are excited to hear more about Lou’s project Hollywood Beach and his advice on maintaining a personal photo practice. Hear more about Lou below and don’t forget to RSVP to this year’s workshop at the link in our bio! Lou Foglia (he/him) is a 31-year-old American photographer from Illinois whose work explores contemporary dynamics of LGBTQ community, history and tradition within the Midwest. His ongoing body of work featuring LGBTQ beachgoers along Chicago’s Hollywood Beach received the 2025 Prism Photo Workshop Grant. Lou is a restaurant worker, med student, freelance photographer and independent artist. His work has been published by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Block Club Chicago and others.

Meet your Prism Photo 2026 Speakers! We are excited to have Akilah Townsend join Prism this year as part of our business panel. Akilah’s commitment to documenting her community has led to commissions with Nike, Pepsi, GQ, and Time Magazine just to name a few! Read more about @killls below and then RSVP to the workshop at the link in our bio! Akilah Townsend is a portrait and lifestyle photographer who transitioned from a career in environmental science to full-time creative work in 2020. Her commercial and editorial practice is rooted in self-advocacy and a commitment to documenting the South Side stories she wished to see as a child. Some of Akilah’s clients include Airbnb, Nike, Peloton, Pepsi, The New York Times, Square, Comcast, Best Buy, Time Magazine, Jordan Brand, and GQ, amongst others.

Meet your Prism Photo 2026 Speakers! Anthony Vazquez brings a wealth of knowledge from freelancing with AP in Mexico to joining Report For America that found him a permanent position at the Chicago Sun-Times. Anthony will also be reviewing portfolios at the end of this year’s workshop! Check out @avazquezphoto full bio below and while you’re at it check out the link in OUR BIO so you can RSVP to workshop! Anthony Vazquez is a photojournalist who has been with the Chicago Sun-Times for six years. He joined the newsroom in 2020 as a Report for America corps member, a role he held for three years before transitioning to staff. Previously, he spent two and a half years based in Mexico as a stringer for The Associated Press and AP Images, covering assignments ranging from politics and sports to features. Vazquez grew up in Iowa and served in the Marine Corps, where his experiences led him to the journalism world. After his service, he attended the University of Iowa and worked at the student newspaper, where he learned about documentary photography. This interest led him to pursue projects in Mexico that kicked off his professional career and freelance work before he returned to the Midwest to join the Sun-Times.

Meet your Prism Photo 2026 Speakers! Longtime volunteer April Alonso will be stepping on stage this year to moderate our business panel focused on sustainability in the photo industry! Hear from our three panelists how they have found ways to navigate the ever changing photography landscape. You can learn more about @aprilalonsophotography below and when you’re done head to the link in our bio to RSVP to this year’s workshop. April Alonso is a visual journalist from Cicero, IL, and co-founder of Cicero Independiente, where she currently serves as Digital Editor and Producer. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Reporter, Chicago Reader, and Borderless Magazine. A former CatchLight Local Fellow, she reported on Latinx changemakers across Chicagoland, combining visuals and narrative to deepen community impact. At Cicero Independiente, April leads digital publishing and visual content strategy—working closely with editors, reporters, and community members to shape stories that reflect local lived experiences. She collaborates with visual freelancers, oversees multimedia production, and develops creative distribution strategies to ensure stories resonate both online and off. April also spearheads organizational initiatives centered on care and safety. She oversees staff and freelancer wellness and developed a Freelancer Online Abuse Handbook in collaboration with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), establishing protocols around digital security, accessibility, and data protection. Photo credit: @izqueerdo

Meet your Prism Photo 2026 Speakers! Introducing Adriano Kalin who will be joining us to talk about crowdfunding your journalism practice! Adriano will cover the pros and cons of crowdfunding, building an audience for your work, and creating sustainability independent of legacy media. Read more about @adriano_kalin below and don’t forget to RSVP at the link in bio so you don’t miss this presentation! Adriano Kalin is a documentary photographer specializing in social justice. He draws on his experience as an Afro-Indigenous Brazilian adoptee, with dual U.S. and Brazilian citizenship, to examine race, identity and oppression within the United States. Through his work, Adriano documents the lives of the most marginalized, bridging his personal experience of being targeted by systemic violence with the stories of the people and places he photographs. Central to Adriano’s practice is his commitment to building lasting and genuine relationships with the communities and people he photographs. His photographs are a reflection of his own search for identity and belonging as much as they are representative of the people and narratives he advocates for.

The Prism Photo toolkit includes guidance on how to find diverse photographers, develop clear contracts, create search-optimized image libraries, use vetted stock resources, harness visuals to increase revenue and much more. It also emphasizes equitable working conditions to promote sustainability and diversity in the industry. Read more: bit.ly/prismtoolkit Use the toolkit: prismphotoworkshop.org/toolkit #photojournalism #toolkit #innovation #news #newsroom

One of our favorite parts of the workshop each year? The 1x1 sessions with our incredible industry pros. Joining us this month are folks from The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, South Side Weekly, and more! Whether you’re looking for direct feedback on your work or guidance on navigating your creative career, the portfolio review and mentorship sessions are designed to meet you where you are. Sign-ups for sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. the day of the workshop, Saturday May 23rd. Check the link in bio to learn more about our reviewers in this week’s newsletter and while you’re there don’t forget to RSVP. Spots are filling up fast and we would love to see you!

Calling all visual storytellers 📣 Join us at the 2026 Prism Photo Workshop in Chicago on Saturday, May 23! From industry insights to portfolio reviews, you’ll walk away with real tools to push your work forward. ✨ Learn from experienced photographers 📂 Get your portfolio reviewed 🤝 Meet your creative community 🗓 Saturday, May 23 ⏰ 10AM–4PM  📍 1104 S. Wabash Ave (Conaway Center, 1st Floor) 🍳 Breakfast + lunch included It’s FREE—but spots are limited. RSVP at the link in bio. 📸 photo credit @allisonziemba

We were delighted to convene the visual journalism community at @myimpacthouse on Tuesday. “Covering Immigration Today,” a free workshop hosted by Field Foundation and presented by grant recipient @borderless_mag , in partnership with @catchlight.io , brought together photojournalists and photo editors committed to covering immigration with care, rigor, and courage. Field Foundation President @danieloash and Director of Journalism & Storytelling @maudlynei welcomed the group, with Daniel acknowledging the challenges and pressures photographers face, and expressing the foundation’s commitment to supporting their work. Moderated by CatchLight Visual Editor Michelle Kanaar, co-founder of Chicago’s @prismworkshop , another Field Foundation grant recipient, the event explored strategies for navigating the risks for photographers and for the communities they document. Thank you to presenters @camillafortesilva , Max Herman, and @colinbphoto for sharing their expertise. And thanks to everyone who attended and engaged in discussion on this important topic. #journalism #storytelling #comunitypowerbuilding #chicago

Visual reporting on immigration today is complex and carries real risks — for photographers and for the people they photograph. Field Foundation is proud to host "Covering Immigration Today," a free workshop for photojournalists and photo editors presented by our grant recipient @borderless_mag , renowned for its coverage of Chicago's immigrant communities, in partnership with @catchlight.io , a national visual-first media organization. Attendees will learn how photographers and editors can mitigate increasing risks in immigration coverage. The workshop will be moderated by CatchLight Visual Editor Michelle Kanaar, co-founder of Chicago's @prismworkshop — another Field Foundation grant recipient that provides resources and support for photographers telling the stories of underrepresented communities. Presenters include: @camillafortesilva (Borderless Magazine, CatchLight Local / RFA fellow) Max Herman (Borderless Magazine) @colinbphoto (@blockclubchi ) Registration is free and space is limited: https://www.catchlight.io/events/2026/3/31/covering-immigration-today (link in bio) This workshop is also supported by the @enlight.foundation , @joycefdn , @macfound , @robertscamera , and @walderfoundation , and is part of an ongoing series made possible by @photowings , CatchLight's education partner dedicated to highlighting the power of photography to influence the world. #journalism #storytelling #communitypowerbuilding #chicago

Meet one of our speakers for our “Beyond the Images: Preparing for Portfolio Reviews” webinar! Gonzalo Guzman (he/him) is a queer Latinx photographer and writer based in Chicago. His work explores the experience of Latinx communities and the impact they have in the shaping of the current American landscape. Focused on fostering empathy and maintaining the authenticity of his collaborators, he hopes to share stories that broaden the perspectives of his viewers. Gonzalo’s words and images have been published in The Chicago Reader, Eater, Block Club Chicago, Borderless Magazine and WTTW. RSVP at the link in the bio!

Meet one of our speakers for our “Beyond the Images: Preparing for Portfolio Reviews” webinar! Cengiz Yar (b. 1986) is a documentary photographer and editor based in El Paso, Texas. Cengiz has worked in visual journalism for over a decade, from reporting in the field to building groundbreaking online packages. He is currently a visuals editor at ProPublica, where he edits, photographs, and art-directs stories across the site. His primary focus is visual coverage of projects in the Midwest, Southwest, and Texas. Before joining ProPublica, he edited for publications like Rest of World, Roads & Kingdoms, and the Guardian. Cengiz has long supported Prism, including by serving as a portfolio reviewer at our 2025 workshop, and we are excited for him to share his insights with you this weekend! RSVP at the link in the bio!