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While we have been sheltering in place, we have been secretly planning another great series of PAG (Photojournalists Affinity Group) Photo Hangouts to coincide with this year’s AAJA Fest next month. Seven days, regular sessions. We are going virtual on Zoom this year, but the silver lining is we’ll be hearing from speakers from across the country and on the other side of the world. If you are registered please contact Darrell for the Zoom links.

We’ll be hearing from Laurel Chor, Rosem Morton and Richard Tsong-Taatarii who have been on the front lines covering the biggest events to hit the front pages this year. They’ll be sharing their moving photos and stories about the Hong Kong protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest after the death of George Floyd.
http://www.laurelchor.com/https://www.rosem.xyz/http://apicturepoet.com/

Plus, to lighten the mood, we’ll have Robert Hanashiro sharing his stories on photographing some of the biggest names in Hollywood and on the playing field.
https://www.instagram.com/kahunabert/

Plus, yes there’s more, we know a lot of you are also shooting video, so we’re going to geek out on gear for DSLRs with Nicki Sun from TechNicki Speaking.
https://www.technickispeaking.com/

And last but not least, we’ve been listening to you, and we’ll have a Pitching Session. No, not the baseball kind, they only have cardboard cutouts, but we have real people. Bernadette Tuazon and Jin Ding will talk about how to make a great pitch to editors and grantors…and then, as if that wasn’t good enough, attendees can talk about projects they are working on and get some immediate feedback on their ideas.

Want more good news?

This year, Photo Hangouts are FREE for AAJA members (membership has its privileges) and anyone attending AAJA Fest.

If you haven’t registered for AAJA Fest yet, click here: https://www.aaja20.org/registration

There is also a bundle option to attend AAJA Fest and become a member (did I mention you get the Photo Hangouts for free?)

We will set up an RSVP list shortly…so stay tuned for updates. Zoom links will be sent to those who RSVP.

If you are not attending the AAJA Fest and are not an AAJA member and would like to attend the Photo Hangouts, please click on this link and you will be directed to our Brown Paper Tickets site to purchase your tickets. Further instructions and Zoom links will be provided upon completed purchase. https://aajaphotohangouts2020.bpt.me

If you have any questions, send us a message at AAJAPhoto@gmail.com.

Thank you. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Here is this year’s Photojournalists Affinity Group Schedule and Photo/Visuals Related Programming August 9-15 (all times Eastern, click on ‘time zones’ to see your local time):

• Sunday, August 9, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Opening Reception

• Monday, August 10, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – COVID-19: A Nurse’s Perspective
  Rosem Morton, Nurse, and Independent Journalist.
  As a nurse, Rosem will provide an insider look into the pandemic that is currently spreading in our nation and around the world. She has the unique perspective of a healthcare worker who has seen first hand the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 virus.

• Monday, August 10, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – Photographing Celebrities and Athletes
  Robert Hanashiro, USA Today
  Robert will talk about his portraiture work photograping some of the most notable celebrities and athletes in the country. He’ll show his work and talk about what it takes to get the shot, from gear, to logistics to funny anecdotes.

• Tuesday, August 11, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Documenting the Legacy of WWII
  Samantha Cheng – Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project
  Cheryl Diaz-Meyer – The Last Filipina Comfort Women
  Paul Kitagaki Jr. – Gambatte: the Enduring Spirit
  Darrell Miho – Hibakusha’s Legacy: Hope For Peace The AAJA
  Photojournalists Affinity Group presents four projects on the WWII legacy. Samantha Cheng, Cheryl Diaz-Meyer, Paul Kitagaki Jr., and Darrell Miho all take a different look at WWII. We’ll hear stories about the Chinese American veterans, the last Filipina comfort women, Japanese Americans incarcerated in the war relocation camps, and atomic bomb survivors respectively. The panelists will also share their struggles to secure funding and publishing for their respective projects.

• Tuesday, August 11, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. (double session) (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – Pitching Session (This is Not a Baseball Workout)
  Bernadette Tuazon, CNN Digital
  Jin Ding, International Women’s Media Fund
  Michael Yamashita, National Geographic
  Bernadette and Jin will talk about how to pitch story ideas to editors and grantors while Michael will give a photographer’s perspective on how he successfully pitched his story ideas to the National Geographic. After a short break, we will have a ‘pitching session’ where attendees can make a brief presentation about a project they are working on and get immediate feedback from industry professionals.

• Wednesday, August 12, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Grant Writing
  Dustin Renwick – National Geographic Society
  Jin Ding – International Women’s Media Fund
  Fund for Investigative Journalism
  Grants and fellowships can provide valuable resources for staff journalists, freelancers, and news teams.This session will provide insight on how to find and apply for the best and right grants and fellowships, as well as how to use one to level up your organization or personal career.

• Wednesday, August 12, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Stretched Thin But Still Achieving: The One-Person Band in Broadcast
  George Kiriyama, KTNV ABC Las Vegas
  Erika Lee, CBS 2 Boise
  Stella Sun, ABC Fox Montana
  With job loss and furloughs, everyone is doing more – and it has especially taken a toll on multimedia journalists working for broadcast newsrooms. This discussion will focus on how we can adjust to the new normal, manage multi-tasking, maintain balance in life, and still achieve our dreams.

• Wednesday, August 12, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – Covering Civil Unrest
  As a staff photographer at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Richard has been at the heart of the George Floyd protests and the renewed Black Lives Matter Movement and will provide an in-depth visual look into the events that have taken place in Minneapolis since George Floyd’s death.

• Wednesday, August 12, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – Tech talk with Nicki Sun from TechNicki Speaking
  Nicki Sun, TechNicki Speaking
  Geek out with us as Nicki talks about video accessories for DSLRs that will help you get better footage for your documentary projects. Lighting and gimbals and more…oh my! This will be geared toward video journalists who often find themselves going solo on assignments, but there will be lots of cool gadgets that we could all use to make our workload easier.

• Wednesday, August 12, 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Hong Kong Under Siege: Visuals from the Protests’ Frontlines
  Ramy Inocencio, CBS News
  Laurel Chor, Independent Journalist
  Crystal Wong, Independent Journalist
  The Hong Kong protests made headlines globally since June 2019. Authorities have used tear gas, rubber bullets, water canons and physical force to try and control the protests while the protesters have used rocks, molotov cocktails, makeshift barriers and mass numbers of people to exercise their rights. Our members who have been covering the protests since Day 1 show their work and talk about their planning and execution of covering the protests, and what they learned along the way.

• Wednesday, August 12, 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. (time zones)
  Photo Hangout – Covering the Hong Kong Protests
  Laurel Chor, Independent Journalist
  A Nat Geo Explorer, Laurel has been covering the protests in Hong Kong since Day 1 of last year. She has worked in multiple roles as a writer, photographer and videographer and will give us a more in-depth look into what has been happening in Hong Kong.

• Thursday, August 13, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Resistance and Resilience: Reporting from and for AAPI Communities
  Shweta Gulati, National Geographic
  Ariel Zambelich, Wall Street Journal
  Soumya Shankar, Intercept
  Karen Ho, Quartz (moderator)
  AAJA’s Women and Non-Binary Voices affinity group is partnering with the Authority Collective for a strategy session to address hard questions around media coverage that impacts AAPI communities, to generate clear next steps for a decolonizing movement in the industry, and to promote fair and accurate coverage that is responsible, respectful and representative. The Authority Collective is a group of womxn, femmes, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people of color reclaiming their authority in the photography, film and VR/AR industries.

• Thursday, August 13, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – A Deep Dive into Independent Filmmaking
  Nadia Shihab, Indpendent Journalist
  Jun Stinson, Independent Journalist
  Donald Young, Center for Asian America Media
  Soumya Shankar, Intercept
  Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective
  Kitty Hu, Independent Journalist (moderator)
  With greater opportunities for storytelling through filmmaking, many journalists are pursuing independent films as the next step in their careers. In this session, we will take a deep dive with independent filmmakers about how to forge a career path in this space.

• Saturday, August 15, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – AAJA Film Showcase
  Nadia Shihab, Indpendent Journalist
  Jun Stinson, Independent Journalist
  Donald Young, Center for Asian America Media
  Soumya Shankar, Intercept
  Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, Undocumented Filmmakers Collective
  Kitty Hu, Independent Journalist (moderator)
  With greater opportunities for storytelling through filmmaking, many journalists are pursuing independent films as the next step in their careers. In this session, we will take a deep dive with independent filmmakers about how to forge a career path in this space.

• Sunday, August 16, 3 a.m. (time zones)
  AAJA Fest – Deadline to enter the Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition
  This year’s theme is “Coping With a Pandemic.” Please read all the details here: https://www.aaja20.org/photo-shootout

For more information:

Panels and Photo Hangouts: Darrell Miho (626) 758-8200
Zoom Tech and Info: Paul Sakuma – psakuma@aol.com

aajaphoto@gmail.com  www.aajaphoto.org  Facebook and Instagram

Photo Hangouts are free for AAJA members and anyone attending AAJA Fest. Click here to register for AAJA Fest

https://www.aaja20.org/registration

If you are not attending the AAJA Fest and are not an AAJA member and would like to attend the Photo Hangouts in red, please click on this link and you will be directed to our Brown Paper Tickets site to purchase your tickets. Further instructions and Zoom links will be provided upon completed purchase.

https://aajaphotohangouts2020.bpt.me

For AAJA Fest attendees: please make sure to check out all of the great panels and social events AAJA has planned for the National Convention. This is only a break down of photo related programming. There are many other panels that may be of more interest to your specific needs and we encourage you to attend as many panels as possible to maximize your convention experience.

Portfolio Reviews: We will be arranging for a group of editors and veteran photographers to be avaialable for portfolio reviews. Please contact Sue Choi to arrange a review. choi_susan@hotmail.com

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors:
Amerivision Fund, Think Tank Photo, TechNicki Speaking
We could not create such a great series without your support.

BLACK – Official AAJA Fest events
RED – Photojournalist Affinity Group Photo Hangouts Events