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Navigating the Media Industry - Media Perspective

For many photographers today – and especially for those whose practice is documentary - accepting and pursuing commissions and assignments within the media industry helps to build and contribute to a sustainable career. Through a series of talks and online courses, we will take a closer look at the dynamics of this industry.

Sign up for the talk on 22 June and learn more about how to navigate the territory between your own practice and the media industry at large. This first edition will approach working on assignments from the perspective of the photo-media industry at large.

Want to learn more? On 27 July, we will dive deeper into the subject during the online course Photo Commissioning Practices.

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From the media perspective

How has the commercial/editorial side of the photography industry changed in recent years? Who are the gatekeepers now? How do photographers engage with the traditional power dynamics and structures that already exist, and how can they disrupt them?

In this first talk, the challenges and ethical dilemmas of working on assignments - as well as broader systemic issues - are explored through two vantage points: the individual and the photo-media industry at large.

Moderation by  (photographer, writer, teacher)

Speakers include:
Laura Summerton (Photography Manager, WaterAid)

David Barreda, Diversify Photo & Senior Photo Editor National Geographic)

Emma Bowkett (Director of Photography Financial Times Magazine)

Alex Majoli (Magnum, Cesura)

From the series I can’t stand to see you cry © Rahim Fortune.

Discover all talks and online courses in curated theme On Assignment

Are you curious to learn more about how to navigate the territory between your own practice and the media industry at large? Get an overview of all talks and online courses or catch up on the events and conversations you might have missed.

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Archive of Public Protests © Rafal Milach / Magnum Photos.

The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Magnum Photos Paris and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation. It is curated by Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, and Mirjam Kooiman, curator of Foam.

Foam is supported by de VriendenLoterij, Foam Members, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, the VandenEnde Foundation and the City of Amsterdam.


The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Moscow, 2016 C Alex Majoli / Magnum Photos.

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Navigating the Media Industry - Media Perspective