WASHINGTON D.C. — The National Geographic Society is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Geographic Photo Camp, a program that provides a meaningful introduction to photography for young people from communities around the world. Since the program was founded by National Geographic Explorer Kirsten Elstner in 2003, more than 3,000 students from 44 countries have participated in 147 Photo Camps. 

“The mission of Photo Camp has always been to inspire youth as they explore the power of their own stories through photography,” said Elstner. “I’m so thankful to the Society and our generous partners for supporting Photo Camp, to all of my fellow Explorers and photographers who have given their time as mentors, and of course to the students who continue to inspire me with their passion and creativity as they’ve shared their stories. Over the past 20 years, I can truly say that I’ve learned as much as I’ve taught.”

Photo Camp fulfills its mission by working closely with renowned National Geographic Explorers and photographers, who provide positive mentorship and foster a sense of community among students. Each Photo Camp is a tailored, immersive experience that invites students to explore the world around them, share their personal stories, listen to and learn from others’ perspectives, and reflect on big ideas like the meaning of home or the ways we are all connected.

The program’s impact extends beyond the week as Photo Camp students continue to use their training and grow as storytellers and leaders. Many alumni have continued a relationship with National Geographic –– some as Young Explorers like Te Aho Jordan and Markus Martinez Burman –– or as teaching assistants at other Photo Camps.

“My experience from Photo Camp has not only influenced my photographic practice but in a wider sense, my artistic and design practices as well. I learned how necessary it is to empathize with your subjects in order to tell their stories well,” said Ankita Das, who started as a Photo Camp student in India in 2018. “As a team leader for two later Photo Camps, I tried to pass on my Photo Camp lessons to the new students because Photo Camp is just not only about learning technical skills and having a good time, it’s so much more than that.”

“National Geographic is proud to support Photo Camp as a program that truly speaks to the heart of our mission and exemplifies the profound power of storytelling to illuminate, connect and inspire,” said Kaitlin Yarnall, the Society’s Chief Storytelling Officer. “We know that each Photo Camp leaves a lasting impression on the participants –– and the mentors –– but we hope that each photo also inspires the world to listen to this next generation. Their voices and stories matter, and they can make a difference.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Photo Camp, 20 Photo Camp alumni have traveled to Washington, D.C. for a master class at National Geographic Base Camp that will kick off today. Follow @NGPhotoCamp on Instagram to see the students’ work throughout the week. 

Additionally, National Geographic will publish a book entitled Photo Camp Stories: Our World Through the Lens of Young Photographers on November 7. This inspiring book of photography unfolds around issues including identity, hope, and growth, delivering an authentic portrait of how large numbers of young people around the world see themselves and what matters most to them. Filled with more than 200 images spanning two decades and 35 countries, Photo Camp Stories conveys the raw yearnings of youth –– and imparts enduring lessons for the future.

About National Geographic Photo Camp

National Geographic Photo Camp provides a meaningful introduction to photography for young people from communities around the world. Each Photo Camp is an immersive experience where students receive instruction and guidance from world-class National Geographic Explorers and photographers, build skills and confidence, explore the world around them, and develop deep connections with each other. The goal of the program is to inspire the next generation of storytellers, and support them in sharing their experiences and perspectives.

Portland photographer Isabella Cassini loves food.

“If we look at how much we talk about and photograph and video food in our culture, we love food. I think photographing it and just having a lot of fun and playing with it showcases that even more and especially doing exceptionally fun things with it,” she said.

Cassini also embraces the chaos of life.

“I don’t like to shy away from the ugly parts of life, the painful parts. And oftentimes those can mean chaos,” she said. “Not that I would want to invite it in!”

Cassini combines her love of food and tolerance of chaos into her latest photography project, “Splashes, Crashes, and Smashes.”

In her studio, Cassini takes foods that we normally don’t think go well together, like raw eggs and macaroons, and smashes them against each other.

The result? A beautiful mess.

“I’d like to think that it also invites other people to explore the chaos for themselves. Everything isn’t always pretty and really, we’re just all giant messes on the inside, just like a cracked egg yolk,” she said.

To achieve this, Cassini built two ramps out of wood and plexiglass, and faced them so that when she dropped the food, they would smash together in the middle.

Meanwhile, she has her digital camera set up right in the middle to in an attempt to capture the exact moment the two foods crash together.

“It was a lot of trial and error and the whole idea behind them was to be able to throw two different food items, liquid whatever it may be down them and into each other. And so that they would crash in the middle and create something explosive and exciting and unexpected,” she said.

For 15 years, Cassini worked as a commercial food photographer, creating the perfect image of our favorite food and drink. But during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, she started “Splashes, Crashes and Smashes” to explore her artistic and fine arts side.

Cassini’s love of food and photography as an art came at a young age. Her father was a filmmaker and gave Cassini her first camera.

“Photography just really allowed me to articulate myself in a way that was just very accessible and as I started diving more into it, there were just so many subjects to explore and the way I could express myself artistically with lighting uh choosing subjects,” she said.

She became drawn to food photography in 2008 which allowed her to express her creativity.

“I think food visually was just very exciting. I was really able to teach myself about lighting and composition and it allowed me to explore, it’s just a very versatile subject.”

She further explores her love of food with her “Kaleidoscope” series.

“My ‘Kaleidoscope’ series was one of the first portfolios I started doing and that inspiration really came from, I think a lot of ethnic markets in Los Angeles,” she said.

Like “Splashes, Crashes and Smashes,” Cassini photographs food in unique and interesting ways. But unlike the chaos, she focuses on order, and pattern.

“They’re not kaleidoscopes in the sense that they’re a repeating pattern. There is a lot of precision and perfection that goes into placing every little thing where I want it to be,” she said.

Cassini said the kaleidoscope and the smashes projects are different representations of her creative process.

“One is leading more into the chaos and letting things happen as they happen. The other is I want this to look a specific way. “

“I think that’s part of why I love ‘Kaleidoscope’ so much because it really is about seeing how they are all going to fit together and it’s almost as if they have a perfect place, but I just haven’t figured it out yet,” she said.

Through her projects like “Smashes, Crashes and Splashes,” Cassini hopes people embrace the not-so-perfect sides of themselves.

“Sometimes I do feel like I’m here to let people know like they’re OK, just the way they are, perfectly imperfect,” she said.

Syrko also uses water, ice, steam and colored gels to disturb the surfaces of her photographs, drawing attention to planes we usually overlook or ignore. These methods feel at home in her work for the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, which is also informed by the dreamlike world it inhabits, by fairytale stories such as “Swan Lake” or larger-than-life narratives such as “Der Rosenkavalier.” Her poster for the Dutch National Opera & Ballet’s “Carmen” shows a woman’s face mottled by ripples, for example, while her image for the “Maria Stuarda” production shows two women plunging their faces into water. Syrko was invited to shoot two consecutive campaigns for the company, in 2022 and 2023. The only other photographer to have been invited twice is Erwin Olaf, a Dutch image-maker celebrated for his slick, hyperreal work.

She studied Art History at the Academy of Art in Lviv and draws on existing art in her work, be it Surrealism’s subversive take on society and sexuality, or the Renaissance’s rebirth of a certain way of looking. Her poster for the production “Giulio Cesare” draws on its Baroque origins, for example, her subject lit and even painted to evoke the sensuous, fleshy paintings of the time.

When you think of picturesque landscapes, South Texas may not be the first place that comes to mind. However, local photographers are capturing the rich history of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), including its architecture, terrain, and people, and exploring what it means to find beauty in what many may think is a rundown, uninteresting part of Texas. Harlingen native Brandon Arik Garcia is aiming to correct the narrative about the region with the Frontera Film Project, which focuses on creating visibility for local photographers.

Given the scarcity of resources for practicing and exhibiting photography in the Valley, a significant number of individuals resort to sending their film rolls for development in locations such as San Antonio, Austin, or Mexico, leaving photographers to showcase their work solely on social media. 

Frontera Film is a first-of-its-kind project, pushing the limits to publish local photographers in a zine that follows a series of prompts to evoke creativity from participants. Below, I chat with Garcia about the project. 

Aime Miranda (AM): This isn’t your first time creating a zine for the community; what motivated you to create the Frontera Film Project?

Brandon Arik Garcia (BAG): What inspired me was making my first zine. I wanted to create something for the community; I got a lot of support, and people loved the idea! I wanted to make a zine for everyone; that is how Frontera Film came to life.

Members of our film community deserve for their work to be recognized; coming from a small town, I didn’t have that spotlight. We just support each other in this community, and I want to keep that alive. 

AM: Why is it important to capture moments in the RGV through this project?

BAG: There are many talented photographers in the region and they need their recognition. I want them to have a platform and for their work to be available for the public to view. I want them to showcase their lives, their families, and what is outside their homes, to capture whatever they see and what they like.

A landscape in Harlingen, Texas, photographed by Brandon Arik Garcia

AM: What is the process like for photographers to submit their photos?

BAG: Our first prompt was “sequence.” Photographers could go out and shoot whatever worked within that idea. It could be anything from making food to a sunset, as long as there was a process being shown. To submit to the zine, photographers submitted through a Google form. That way we could receive the full-quality images, their Instagram handles, and their project’s name. 

AM: How do you feel that Frontera Film will influence other photographers?

BAG: We tend to forget what’s around us; there’s a lot of culture in the Valley. We live right next to the border, and there are a lot of spots we tend to forget. Places like the Citrus Theatre in Edinburg and mechanic shops with old cars outside; these places can become gentrified, become another plaza or car wash, but that’s why I love capturing them — because they could be gone any day. I hope this keeps the wheels turning and inspires others to create.

The Texas Theatre in Pharr, Texas, photographed by Brandon Arik Garcia

AM: How is the zine organized? Where and when can we find it?

BAG: There is no order in the zine; you open it and you’ll see all the photos that everyone submitted. I hope when people get the zine, it will encourage new photographers to submit and create their own materials. I plan to distribute our first edition in coffee shops like Labyrinth in McAllen and Bandera in Harlingen. I want to distribute it all across the RGV coffee shop scene. The Frontera Film Project Zine will be out, I’m hoping, by the end of November, and will be available during the Harlingen Art Night on November 24.