2018 AAJA Convention Photojournalists Affinity Group Schedule

2018 AAJA Convention August 8-11, 2018
Marriott Marquis Hotel
1777 Walker Street
Houston, TX 77001

Photojournalists Affinity Group (PAG) Schedule

Wednesday, August 8, 2018
12:01 a.m. Beginning of Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition
Rules: https://www.aaja18.org/photo-shootout/

6 p.m. AAJA18 Opening Reception, check schedule for room location

8 p.m. PAG Networking Mixer
Biggio’s Sports Bar at the Marriott Marquis

Thursday, August 9, 2018
9–10:30 a.m. [Montgomery]
Freelancing: The Business of Going Solo
Moderator: E. Samantha Chang
Speakers: Emily Tan/freelance journalist, Justin Ching/Freelance filmmaker, Darrell Miho/freelance photographer

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
PAG Photo Hangout with Lisa Krantz, staff photographer, San Antonio Express-News. She will show us her work and talk about the inspiration behind her photo stories.

Lunch TBA

2–3:30 p.m. [Fort Bend]
Multimedia Journalism
Moderator: Elise Hu
Speakers: Stephen Jiwanmall/WTXL, Tiffany Liou/WFAA, Madeline Rivera/Fox News

4–5:30 p.m.
PAG Photo Hangout with Richard Tsong-Taatarii, staff photographer, Minneapolis Star Tribune. He’ll be sharing stories and images from The Rohingya Refugee Crisis.

6:30 p.m. PAG dinner $35/person (free for photo students)
Huynh Restaurant – Vietnamese. (limit 30 people)
please RSVP to James Yee: fotoguyf16@mac.com
shrimp appetizer, duck salad, baby bok choy w/garlic sauce, crispy flat noodles w/ chicken and more!
912 Saint Emanuel (0.4 mile walk or $6.93 uber)
Houston, TX 77003 713.224.8964

Friday, August 10, 2018
9–10:30 a.m.
Photo Hangout with Karen Warren, staff photographer, Houston Chronicle. She’ll talk about her life working as staff photographer for the Houston Chronicle.

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Photo Hangout with freelance photographer Robert Seale. A master of lighting, he will show us images and talk about how to use lighting to add impact to your photos.

Lunch TBA

2–3:30 p.m.
Photo Hangout with freelance photographer, Laura Pohl, She will be sharing stories and photos from her project “A Long Separation” about families separated by the Korean War.

4–5:30 p.m. [Fort Bend]
Panel: North Korea/South Korea: From the Olympics to Separated Families
Moderator: Indira Lakshmanan
Speakers: Chang W. Lee/NY Times, Laura Pohl/Freelance Photographer

5 p.m. Deadline for Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition
Rules: https://www.aaja18.org/photo-shootout/

Time and location TBA: Live judging of Photo Shootout

6:30–9 p.m. Silent Auction
Auction site: https://www.501auctions.com/aaja18

9 p.m. PAG Dinner $25/person (free for college photography major students)
Pappasito’s Cantina Mexican Food http://www.pappasitos.com
1600 Lamar Street (0.3 mile walk or $5.83 uber)
Houston, TX 77010

Saturday, August 11, 2017
7:30 a.m.–12 noon
AAJA service project at the Houston Food Bank. https://www.aaja18.org/service-project/
Shuttle leaves the hotel lobby at 7:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. PAG luncheon
Phoenicia Specialty Food Court
1001 Austin Street (0.3 mile walk or $5.83 uber)
Houston, TX 77010

3–4:30 p.m.
PAG Photo Hangout with Chang W. Lee, staff photographer, New York Times. He’ll show us more photos and share more stories from his Winter Olympic and Paralympic coverage in Pyeoncheang.

4–6:00 p.m.
Portfolio Reviews/Photo Critique – Bring 3 or 4 photos or a short clip on a jump drive for a critique or open discussion about a project you are working on. This will be a time to promote ideas and feedback to inspire and motivate visual storytellers. We especially want to encourage students to bring their work.

7 p.m. Gala Scholarship & Awards Banquet
Dith Pran Photo Shootout winners announced

Sunday, July 30, 2017
11 a.m. PAG lunch (free for college photography major students)
meet in lobby at 10:30 and start arranging rides uber/lyft
Pinkerton’s Barbecue (4.5 miles away $10.23 uber)
1504 Airline Drive
Houston, TX 77009

Home

For more information:

  • Programs and Photo Hangouts: Darrell Miho (626) 975-6349
  • Lunch and Dinner information: James Yee (317) 640-1873
  • aajaphoto@gmail.com
  • www.aajaphoto.org
  • Facebook
  • Instagram: #AAJAPhoto

Houston here we come! AAJA18 registration deadlines are upon us

Hello AAJAers!

The countdown has begun. AAJA18 is just over 2 weeks away…are you ready? (I’m not) who’s coming? Monday (July 23) is the last day to make your reservations at the Marriott Marquis for the discounted rate of $159/night + taxes/fees. so don’t delay! I just checked rates, and if you tried to book this room on Orbitz, you’d be looking at $284/night. Here’s the link to the AAJA discounted rate. Hurry hurry!
https://www.aaja18.org/hotel/

If you are still on the fence about attending AAJA18 maybe we can give you a little nudge. In addition to Chang W. Lee [NY Times] and Laura Pohl [www.alongseparation.com] speaking on the North Korea/South Korea: From the Olympics to Families Separated panel, they will also give an extended talk at our newly created Photo Hangouts. Photo Hangouts are extra photo sessions that the Photojournalist Affinity Group (PAG) has organized to provide additional photo related discussions. We are excited to bring you these programs to help educate, inspire and motivate our visually talented AAJA members.

We are also honored to have Richard Tsong-Taatarii from the Minneapolis Star Tribune joins us to share his images and stories covering the Rohingya Crisis as well as Lisa Krantz, from the San Antonio Express-News, who will share her passion for telling stories through pictures.

The Photo Hangouts are made possible thanks to our friends at the Pulitzer Center. The Pulitzer Center promotes in-depth engagement with global affairs through its support of quality international journalism across all media platforms and an innovative program of outreach and education.
https://pulitzercenter.org

And don’t forget that the last day to register online for the convention is August 1st. After that, the rate goes up! So? What are you waiting for? Here’s the registration link… =)
https://www.aaja18.org/register/

If you are attending AAJA18, please send me a message so that I can put you on the special email list about PAG events, including our famous dinners. This special email will only go out to AAJA18 attendees.

Didn’t attend last year? Well, this is what you missed out on!

Pics or it didn’t happen. It happened! Photos from AAJA17

That’s it for now. Hope to see you in Houston!

Darrell =)

2018 Dith Pran Instagram Photo Shootout Competition

Cambodian photojournalist Dith Pran talks to a reporter after a press conference at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand in Bangkok, Aug. 25, 1989, after getting back from Cambodia. (AP Photo)
Cambodian photojournalist Dith Pran talks to a reporter after a press conference at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand in Bangkok, Aug. 25, 1989, after getting back from Cambodia. (AP Photo)

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is proud to announce the 2018 Dith Pran Photo Shootout Competition to take place at the AAJA National Convention in Houston, Texas, August 8-11. Texans say that “Everything is bigger in Texas,” so we are looking for the photograph that best depicts this slogan. This contest is open to ALL attendees at the AAJA 2018 convention in Houston. The winner will receive a convention registration for next year’s convention.

Instagram Photo Shootout Rules:

  • Submit photo entries using the Instagram hashtag #AAJAPhoto. Upload your photo submission(s) with caption information using any Instagram App with that hashtag and it should appear at aajaphoto.org/ig
  • Deadline: Photo submission(s) must be uploaded on Instagram by 5 p.m. CT on Friday, August 10, 2018.
  • Contestants can start shooting anytime beginning 12:01 a.m. CT Wednesday, August 8 and must be uploaded by the contest deadline stated above.
  • A professional grade camera is not required. Images submitted from mobile devices (cellphone or tablet) are acceptable.
  • Each entrant can submit up to three (3) images. Judging will be based on a single image and not a series of images.
  • Entries should be based on the theme. Photos will be judged on theme interpretation, artistic style, composition and technical execution. This year’s theme is a suggestion and photographs unrelated to the theme are acceptable.
  • Entrants also need to email aajaphoto@gmail.com with their entrant’s name, Instagram account name, cell phone number, email address and caption information of 100 words or less. Failure to email this information may disqualify an entry.
  • You must be a current registered AAJA 2018 National Convention attendee.
  • Only minor burning, dodging and slight color adjustment, sharpening and cropping are acceptable. NO INSTAGRAM FILTERS ALLOWED! Any significantly digitally modified or altered photograph will be disqualified. No special artistic app filters allowed. The only exception is the black and white filter.

There is no cost to enter the competition.

Winners will be posted on www.AAJAPhoto.org. The First Place winner will have their name engraved on the Annual Dith Pran Photo Shootout perpetual award. First, second and third place winners will be announced Saturday, August 11 at the AAJA Gala Scholarship & Awards Banquet. First place prize is the convention fee for next year’s convention, a $250 value.

Questions? Please contact AAJA photographer James Yee (317-640-1873) or Alex Wong (202-438-7050) or email questions to aajaphoto@gmail.com.

See the winners of the 2017 shootout here


The AAJA Photo Shootout was started in 2000 during the annual AAJA National Convention. The competition name was changed in 2008 to honor New York Times photographer Dith Pran, who risked his life in Cambodia during the genocide by the Khmer Rouge to help journalists tell the story of atrocities in his home country. His story inspired the film, “The Killing Fields.” Pran passed away in 2008.