Juanita Ceballos | Columbia Visuals

“They wanted others to know about their experiences.”

Documentary film program alumni Jeng-Tyng Hong and Matthew Claiborne, both class of 2013, spent their time at Columbia Journalism School working on a short documentary about the use of solitary confinement in New York prisons. They screened their film at the Catskill Mountains Film Festival and their characters use the film to raise awareness about fair treatment in prison.

We interviewed Jeng-Tyng about their film, The Ex-Periment, and what they learned during production.

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50 Children. 50 Cameras.

Francis and Stephanie Lane are the founders of Silent Tapes, a non-profit that uses photography to document the lives of people in various slums around the world. Their latest project will take place this summer in the favelas of Fortaleza, Brazil, where they will lead a five-week photography workshop for 50 children.

“Every story has its own essence and its own way of being told.”

Raney Aronson-Rath, FRONTLINE's deputy executive producer, chats with CV about her theory on storytelling, scouting young filmmakers and capturing an audience.

“It all comes down to building trust.”

Luke Malone, CUJ ’13, is an Australian journalist based in New York City, and the producer of “Secrets of the Living Dolls,” a documentary that features men who dress up in elaborate latex female bodysuits.

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A family sits outside their home in the remote Afghan village of Khandud in northeastern Afghanistan. From the Soviet invasion to the Taliban takeover and anti-Taliban resistance, the Wakhan Corridor has remained largely free of strife. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
Dzhenet Achalimova, 25, stands beside her two children in their home in Kirov-Aul, Dagestan. Achalimova says her husband, Magomed Nasibov, 31, along with his cousin were abducted and killed by men in camouflage in Russia’s volatile republic of Dagestan. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
A light beam shines on an Afghan woman as she bakes bread in the border town of Ishkashim, Afghanistan. More than 12,000 people live in the 220-mile corridor, a series of broad valleys and high-altitude plateaus carved by the Panj River. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
The Dead Sea extends like a shimmering sheet of turquoise toward the hazy mountains of Jordan. The ancient salt sea is the site of a looming environmental catastrophe with water levels falling at an average rate of three feet per year. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian

“I’m always trying to find other ways to fund my work”

Documentary photographer Diana Markosian talks about making a living as a freelance photographer.

COVERING SENSITIVE Populations: Working with People Who Are Homeless

We spoke with photojournalist Andrew Holbrooke about his approach to working with people who are homeless and the ethical dilemmas he faced. This post is part two of our Covering Sensitive Populations series, where we help dissect the intricacies of working with subjects that may be made vulnerable to media attention.

“He was crying because all the people around him were freaking out”

Sebastiano Tomada shares the story behind his World Press Photo Award-winning image.

Crafting the New York Times Magazine’s A Game of Shark and Minnow

Online Editor Samantha Henig, Photo Editor Clinton Cargill and VII photographer Ashley Gilbertson talk about how they crafted the multimedia presentation of the story.

“She kept crying and staring at the wall with an empty look”

Rodrigo Abd shared with CV the story behind his powerful, World Press Photo Award-winning image.

Joey stands before the wall of his bedroom, which displays the marks of his punches and a picture of his eight year old daughter, Violet. / Photo by Jessica Dimmock
November, 2004. Charlie, a drug dealer who slept in a hidden space behind a moveable bookcase, counts money from a sale. / Photo by Jessica Dimmock
January, 2005. Rachel stays in the bedroom of Jesse and Mike after her the arrest of her boyfriend, Lucky. / Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Natasha struggles for more than 45 minutes to find a clear vein to shoot up in. / Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
April, 2005. Jesse waits in Joey’s room. It is difficult for residents to maintain meaningful friendships in the environment of the apartment because of the struggle each person must go through to obtain money and/or drugs. / Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock
Photo by Jessica Dimmock

“I understood how afraid of the world they were”

Photographer Jessica Dimmock gave CV insight into the production of her project, "The Ninth Floor."

Kickstarter: What I could have done better

Suchitra Vijayan is a writer, photographer and a political analyst. She is currently working on “The Borderlands”, a project that documents stories along India’s borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Burma. (more…)

“Exploit any personal connections that you already have”

Neil Harris, Associate Photo Editor at Fortune Magazine, talks about meeting with photo editors and getting their attention.

“Don’t ever make excuses for your work”

Kirsten Luce, regular contributor to The New York Times, gives advice about reaching out to photo editors.

Copyright 101

Navigating the universe of copyright law can be intimidating. This is what you need to know to protect your images.

A family sits outside their home in the remote Afghan village of Khandud in northeastern Afghanistan. From the Soviet invasion to the Taliban takeover and anti-Taliban resistance, the Wakhan Corridor has remained largely free of strife. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
Dzhenet Achalimova, 25, stands beside her two children in their home in Kirov-Aul, Dagestan. Achalimova says her husband, Magomed Nasibov, 31, along with his cousin were abducted and killed by men in camouflage in Russia’s volatile republic of Dagestan. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
The Dead Sea extends like a shimmering sheet of turquoise toward the hazy mountains of Jordan. The ancient salt sea is the site of a looming environmental catastrophe with water levels falling at an average rate of three feet per year. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian
A light beam shines on an Afghan woman as she bakes bread in the border town of Ishkashim, Afghanistan. More than 12,000 people live in the 220-mile corridor, a series of broad valleys and high-altitude plateaus carved by the Panj River. / Photo & caption by Diana Markosian

“Be prepared for the unexpected”

Photojournalist Diana Markosian talks about turning a passion into a full-time job.

Freelancing: The Money Issue

Novice freelancers (and experienced freelancers, too) may have a hard time knowing what to charge for their work. What are the fair going rates? Learn how to calculate fees and negotiate with an editor.