Photography

Scenes of My People’s Painful Fight for Freedom in the West Bank

Scenes of My People’s Painful Fight for Freedom in the West Bank

I traveled from the U.S. to the West Bank on Oct. 2 to visit my Teta, my maternal grandmother, for a week. Instead, I stayed for one month to document my people’s fight for freedom, and witness their pain.

Reflecting on my time, in arguably the “safest” part of the West Bank, 50 miles from the Gaza Strip, torments me. As Amnesty International has documented, Palestinians—whether in the West Bank, Gaza, or Israel, are subjected to the same system of apartheid. Still, it can feel insincere: Ramallah, the occupied city I reside in, is just one drop compared to the ocean of erasure taking place right now in Gaza. 

However, my elders always remind me that we are one. Though I am as old as the first Oslo Accord—which now lingers as an emblem for failed Palestinian statehood and peace—I resist envisioning freedom in fragmentation. 

A bedroom in the demolished home of the Nakhle family in the Jalazon Refugee Camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Oct. 28. There were three generations of Palestinian refugees living in the home, who are now displaced, again.
A young Palestinian man has his face shielded with a kuffiyeh during a confrontation with the Israeli occupation near the illegal Beit El settlement in the West Bank city of al-Bireh, on Oct. 13. The kuffiyeh, a traditional headdress, serves as a symbol of Palestinian identity.
A group of Palestinian workers from Gaza at the Sarriyeh sports club in the West Bank city of Ramallah watch an Al Jazeera news broadcast from a hospital in Gaza, Oct. 12.

My photographs are what I witnessed in the 5 square miles around me in the West Bank, over the span of just three weeks, beginning two days after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Unlawful killings of teenagers, collective punishment, and genocidal violence in my own backyard. 

On Oct.  8, I entered Qalandia refugee camp to have dinner with my paternal family. One hour after we washed the dishes, news broke that Yasser al-Kasba, 17, had been shot and killed near the Qalandia checkpoint by an Israeli sniper while his back was turned.

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On Oct.  12, I visited the Sarriyeh sports club, where there were upwards of 400 Palestinian workers from Gaza who were stranded in Israel after Oct. 7. One man received news that three of his family members were killed by an Israeli airstrike. “What about the others?” he screamed to his relative on the phone in Gaza. “We are still picking up the rubble,” he replied.⁣

Over 400 Palestinians from Gaza find refuge on Oct. 12 at Ramallah’s Nadi al-Sarryieh, typically a sports club but transformed into a shelter for Gaza’s day laborers who were working inside Israel on Oct. 7.
Ahmad Mutair, 17, is bid farewell by members of his family before being laid to rest on Oct. 25.
Palestinian workers from Gaza line up for registration at the Sarriyeh sports club in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Oct. 12.

Days later, when I went to the Redanna sports club, chants from dozens of other Palestinian workers from Gaza could be heard: “We declare from Gaza: uprising and victory.” A protest by Palestinian refugees, inside a refuge, within occupied lands.

A 60-year-old worker told me: “I just want to hear the voice of my grandchildren. You think we are happy here? We don’t want food or water, we want to go back to Gaza. We would die for our land.”

A friend and photographer from Gaza, Majd Arandas, texted me to ask if I could check on his brother-in-law, who was one of the workers taking refuge in Ramallah.

On Oct. 25, tear gas and rifle fire woke me up while in Qalandia refugee camp. I closed the windows of our home as my 6-year-old cousin had done during the previous raid. I woke up an hour later to the mosque’s speakers. The imam was not making the morning call to prayer, but announcing another killing, Ahmad Mutair—a high-school student and fourth-generation refugee was shot by an Israeli sniper while he stood on his roof to see what was happening. The Israeli government has not issued a public statement on Mutair or al-Kasba.

Neighbors in the Jalazon Refugee Camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, help members of the Nakhle family retrieve valuables that could be salvaged following the punitive home demolition of the six family home, on Oct. 28.
Palestinians in Qalandia refugee camp raise their fingers after mourners pray over the grave of Yasser al-Kebsa, 17.
The charging station at the Sarriyeh sports club in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Oct. 12. Most of the workers at the sports club spend their day trying to make contact with their families in Gaza.
Clothes belonging to Gazan workers who were stuck inside Israel on Oct. 7th hang to dry on a soccer goal at the Redanna Sports Complex in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Oct. 14.

On Oct. 28, I walked into the aftermath of a home demolition in the Jalazon refugee camp, hours after dozens of Israeli soldiers raided the camp alongside a bulldozer. Six Palestinian families and three generations of refugees lost their homes at sunrise. Their bread for the morning was still laid out on their dining room table. Israel’s punitive home demolitions are a form of unlawful collective punishment and a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.  

On Nov. 1, I returned to the U.S. for a few weeks to be with my partner. While on the plane, I could not bear to look out of the window. I felt nauseous sharing the same view as the drones, Apache helicopters, and F-16 jets; my tax dollars bombing Gaza.  

I connected to the wifi in the plane and received a message about my photographer friend.

“Majd was killed.” His neighborhood was hit by an Israeli airstrike.

Hammad is a documentary photographer, based between Boston and Ramallah, West Bank. Hammad also works as a human rights researcher and campaigner.

Dust settles as Yasser al-Kisba, 17, is laid to rest at Qalandia refugee camp on Oct. 9.

A Palestinian photographer captures life under bombardment in Gaza

A Palestinian photographer captures life under bombardment in Gaza

Like everyone now in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Zaanoun has been living breath by breath, in fear of what might fall from the sky, but he continues to send photographs and video clips to keep the spotlight on what people there are experiencing. Here is his latest dispatch:

27 November – Pause brings some respite

The good news is that Zaanoun, who reported being sick after drinking dirty water in his previous dispatch, is now feeling better after managing to get his hands on some medication. But one of his four children isn’t doing so well, possibly due to the lack of food or the pollution. Zaanoun also had to pull them out of the rubble, for a second time, as the house they were sheltering in was hit by an Israeli strike. That was before the four-day pause in fighting began on Friday, offering some respite. In this clip, Zaanoun shows the Abu al-Ruk family taking advantage of the lull to gather around a fire near the ruins of their home in eastern Khan Younis. Zaanoun says his own family headed there in a rush and has no winter clothes.


Back in May, The New Humanitarian began working with Zaanoun on a special project to explore what daily life looked like in Gaza – a place where, despite the sporadic media coverage, the impacts of decades of occupation and the effects of war were constants.

Everything changed overnight on 7 October, after a raid into Israel by Hamas gunmen left 1,200 people dead, many of them civilians who were killed deliberately, according to the Israeli authorities. Hamas, the political and militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, also took around 240 hostages back into the coastal enclave, according to the Israeli military.

Gaza has faced weeks of intense Israeli bombardment since. A total siege cut off water and electricity and blocked the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies to the roughly 2.3 million people living there – some 80% of whom have now been displaced by the bombardment and an Israeli ground invasion that has cut the densely populated enclave in two.

Only a trickle of humanitarian aid made it into Gaza – through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt – before a four-day pause from 24 November saw aid organisations scaling up the delivery of much-need assistance. But due to the fuel shortages and sheer level of destruction, this is still failing to reach many people, especially in cut-off northern Gaza.

More than 14,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed by Israel’s military operations, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. At least 57 journalists and media workers have been killed covering the hostilities since 7 October, in addition to well over 100 aid workers, mostly from the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

Israel has vowed to continue its ground invasion after the pause, but there are hopes it might be extended if Hamas agrees to release more hostages. UN experts have warned that time is running out to “prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe”.

To view the snapshots from before 7 October, click here, and find more of Zaanoun’s latest dispatches below:

23 November – ‘We couldn’t find anyone to help us’

In his last filing before being struck down sick, due, he believes, to drinking dirty water, Zaanoun filed this report, interviewing Asma Ayad al-Rifi. Last month, she had been ordered, along with many other Palestinians, to evacuate from their neighbourhood in eastern Gaza to an area the Israelis said would be safe. “They were lying,” Al-Rifi says, as she recounts how an Israeli strike led to the roof falling on their heads in the middle of the night. She describes how two women and six children were killed instantly as they became buried in the rubble of the building where they were sheltering, in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip. Al-Rifi had to pull others out, herself, by hand.

16 November – ‘It’s raining now in Gaza’

In this snapshot, we’ve combined Zaanoun’s photographs with an audio diary from Maha Hussaini, an award-winning journalist and human rights activist in Gaza. Hussaini was forced to leave her home in Gaza City on 13 October. In this voice note, she says that she loves autumn, winter, and the rainy weather that the colder seasons bring. But for the first time in her life she is praying that the rain will stop soon because it is making life harder for the around 1.6 million people in Gaza who have been displaced by Israel’s bombardment and military campaign. Many of the displaced are staying in tents. “I actually cannot imagine their situation now as the rain is pouring down,” Hussaini said. Listen to her full voice note below, and read her recent first-person article: In Gaza, death seems closer than water.

10 November – ‘Fellow journalists live in the same tent’

Zaanoun and other Palestinian journalists in Gaza continue to cover Israel’s bombardment and near-total siege of the enclave, even as they struggle to cope with the killing of dozens of colleagues and the effects of violence on themselves and their families. They are playing a crucial role by reporting from inside Gaza as Israel continues to bar international journalists who are not embedded with the Israeli military from entering the enclave. Many journalists in Gaza have been displaced from their homes and have sought refuge in hospitals, where they are able to charge their phones, laptops, and cameras, and where they have a better chance of connecting to weak internet signals to send their photos, videos, and stories to the outside world. If the dwindling supply of fuel for back-up generators powering the hospitals runs out, Zaanoun and others could find themselves completely cut off.


Back in May, The New Humanitarian began working with Zaanoun on a special project to explore what daily life looks like in Gaza, a place where occupation and the effects of war are a constant.

It all changed on 7 October after a raid into Israel by Hamas gunmen, who killed around 1,400 people, according to the Israeli Health Ministry, many of them civilians. Hamas, the political and militant group that governs Gaza, also took around 200 to 250 hostages back into the coastal enclave, according to the Israeli military.

Gaza has been under intense Israeli bombardment since, and on 9 October Israel announced a total siege that cut off water and electricity and blocked the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and humanitarian relief to the roughly 2.3 million people living there. Only a trickle of humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt.

Israel also launched a ground invasion into northern Gaza on 27 October, but little independent information is known about how it is progressing because Israel and Egypt are not allowing international journalists into Gaza, and Palestinian journalists in the enclave are working under extremely dangerous conditions – at least 34 have been killed since 7 October.

More than 11,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed by the Israeli bombardments, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. As Israel’s military action in Gaza continues unabated, UN experts have warned that time is running out to “prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe”.

To view the snapshots from before 7 October, click here, and find more of Zaanoun’s latest dispatches below:

6 November – ‘My friend, his family was killed’ 

Dozens of people were killed in a blast in the densely populated al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday night, including the family of Zaanoun’s friend and fellow photojournalist Mohammed al-Aloul. The blast was one of several in refugee camps in Gaza over the weekend, as the death toll from Israel’s now month-long bombardment and siege of the enclave continues to spiral. The health ministry in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, said at least 45 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on al-Maghazi camp. The Israeli military has said it cannot confirm whether it was responsible for the blast. Four of al-Aloul’s five children were killed. His wife and one-year-old son survived.

3 November – ‘How long will we be removing bodies?’

Zaanoun reports from al-Shati refugee camp in the north of Gaza, where rescuers are digging through the rubble after an Israeli airstrike. It appears too late to find survivors, and they are now just working to retrieve the bodies of some of the children killed. One man tells Zaanoun that seven homes were destroyed and at least 14 children killed. His sister is among the dead. “How long will we be removing bodies in Gaza?” the man asks. “Until when? You have destroyed us, that’s enough.”

31 October – Shut off completely from the world

For roughly 36 hours, between 27 and 29 October, almost all cellular and internet service in the Gaza Strip stopped working amidst heavy Israeli bombardment and the beginning of a ground invasion. The communications blackout made it so people couldn’t call ambulances after airstrikes, speak with relatives, or deliver information about what was happening in the enclave to the outside world. Even as services have been restored, concerns remain over access to information. Israel and Egypt are blocking international journalists from entering Gaza, while at least 26 Palestinian journalists have been killed, most by Israeli airstrikes on the enclave. After communications were restored, Zaanoun was able to resume sending photos.

27 October – ‘We bid farewell to the family of our colleague’

Zaanoun goes to Al-Aqsa Hospital to share condolences with fellow journalist Wael al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Gaza, whose family were killed in an Israeli airstrike. He says people have been told to go to the south of the Gaza Strip, but then shows civilians bringing in their injured after a strike hit their homes near the Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. “There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip, and no safe road,” he says.

18 October – Gaza reels from hospital explosion

Zaanoun photographs the aftermath of the massive blast at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on 17 October that killed nearly 500 people and wounded 300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Thousands of civilians had taken shelter from Israeli bombardment in the facility. Health officials in Gaza said an Israeli airstrike caused the blast. Israeli officials blamed it on a misfired rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad – an armed group based in Gaza that has denied any involvement.

17 October – ‘The smell of death is everywhere’

Before the al-Ahli blast, people in Gaza were already suffering the effects of Israeli bombardment and siege. In addition to those killed and injured, around one million people have been displaced from their homes, out of a population of roughly 2.3 million. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, and first responders and residents in Gaza have scrambled to dig people out from under flattened buildings, often only using their hands.

12 October – ‘Maybe this is the last message from me’

On the night of 11 October night, shortly after Gaza’s only power station ran out of fuel, and as Israeli artillery thudded nearby, Zaanoun took shelter in Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the enclave. Israel cut off the electricity it provides to the territory after Hamas fighters launched a deadly assault inside Israel on 7 October. Many Gazans have headed to hospitals and UN-run facilities hoping to find safety. 

11 October – ‘Civilians thought they were safe in their homes’

Zaanoun reports on the worsening situation inside Gaza. In his first video for our latest Snapshots series, the Palestinian photojournalist says civilian buildings have been destroyed by Israeli strikes that have killed dozens of people.

Videos edited by Ciara Lee. Text edited by Andrew Gully and Eric Reidy.

Local photographers will have art featured on TWF calendar

Local photographers will have art featured on TWF calendar

Three local photographers were selected as winners in the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s ninth annual photo contest.

There were more than 2,300 submissions with photos from 17 Tennessee photographers selected to be featured in a limited edition 2024 calendar. It features native wildlife and beautiful landscapes across the Volunteer State.

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Striking a ‘Crescendo’ in after school arts programming

Striking a ‘Crescendo’ in after school arts programming
A student reacts while listening to their creation during music production class at Crescendo Detroit, an after-school program for children ages 5 to 18 that develops music and dance programming to promote artistic excellence and character building. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
A student reacts while listening to their creation during music production class at Crescendo Detroit, an after-school program for children ages 5 to 18 that develops music and dance programming to promote artistic excellence and character building. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

For Madisyn Jordan, a 10th grade student in Detroit, playing violin and participating in classes at Crescendo Detroit has helped her to feel more comfortable trying new things, approaching new people and expressing herself.

She says, through music, “I can play it whenever I am feeling happy, sad or stressed out, and that’s where I go to relax myself and everything.”

She was introduced to Crescendo in 2019 by her cousin, Jordan Harris.

Crescendo's founder and University of Michigan alum Damien Crutcher. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
Crescendo’s founder and University of Michigan alum Damien Crutcher. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

Harris is what the Crescendo team refer to as a “legacy student” and has spent every summer with Crescendo for the past 10 years. Crescendo’s founder, University of Michigan alum Damien Crutcher, has known Harris’ mother since she was a student in a sixth grade band class he taught in 1991. They have stayed in touch through the years and she enrolled her son in Crutcher’s new venture when it was founded in 2013.

Now, Harris says he enjoys learning about all the different ways the value of music can be applied to his life.

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“Music is important because it gives a sense of discipline that can be transferred everywhere, in all aspects of your life, not just music,” he said. “And it’s fun. It’s a good way to express yourself.”

With literacy and life skill courses, the program uses a youth-centered approach that addresses the full life of the child that they believe can improve discipline, focus and self-esteem. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
With literacy and life skill courses, the program uses a youth-centered approach that addresses the full life of the child that they believe can improve discipline, focus and self-esteem. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

With his eye on a career in engineering, Harris still believes Crescendo can help him prepare for the future he wants. He says the program is “rigorous, but you will come out of here a much more well-rounded person than you were before.”

Crescendo is an after-school program for children ages 5 to 18 that develops music and dance programming to promote artistic excellence and character building. With literacy and life skill courses, homework support and daily meals and snacks, the program uses a youth-centered approach that addresses the full life of the child that they believe can improve discipline, focus and self-esteem.

The approach includes daily meals and snacks. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
The approach includes daily meals and snacks. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

Crescendo was designed to address a lack in arts education in the city of Detroit.

“We started Crescendo about 11 years ago when we noticed that there were no kids walking home with instrument cases. We thought, ‘Well, this is weird.’ When I was growing up, everyone had an instrument case walking from school,” Crutcher said. “We wanted to make sure that our kids had access to music, instruments and dance. It’s important that they have that space. Could you imagine going to school all day and only having math and science and history?”

Assistant site director and dance instructor Thomas Butler helps students with homework. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
Assistant site director and dance instructor Thomas Butler helps students with homework. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

In many cases, enrichment programs are located near schools or in city centers requiring families to transport their children. This can create a barrier to participation for families without transportation access. For this reason, Crescendo opened up within the Dexter-Davison neighborhood of its participants, in close proximity to where they live.

Now, Crescendo has worked with roughly 125 students in Detroit and also has partnerships with institutions like U-M and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A group of students perform with the DSO Youth Orchestra, Symphony Band, and Jazz Band. They also participate in composition classes and the DSO’s Senza program, which is sponsored by the Mellon Foundation.

Crescendo opened up within the Dexter-Davison neighborhood of its participants, in close proximity to where they live. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography
Crescendo opened up within the Dexter-Davison neighborhood of its participants, in close proximity to where they live. Image credit: Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography

Crescendo also has a partnership with U-M in which participants visit the Ann Arbor campus regularly and work with music education students and attend performances through the University Musical Society.

“When we went to U-M for the very first time, being able to be there with college students and seeing the campus and being able to learn things from them was very, very cool,” Jordan said of one of her U-M visits.

“I remember when we last went, we went to the dance studio and we learned some African dances and it was very entertaining. You got to learn about a culture that not a lot of people knew about and she showed us dance moves and how much pressure they put into their dances and you got to learn a lot about their history.”

With additional visits to places like the cider mill for cider and hayrides, concerts at the DSO and an annual trip to Cedar Point each summer, the students have no shortage of opportunities for fun or learning.

As far as Crescendo’s aim to improve focus, discipline and self-esteem, one mother had this to say about her fourth grade daughter’s experience: “She wasn’t really that into school. She did the work. She did fine, but just enough to get by. This has made her more disciplined in what she intends to do in the near future. Before Crescendo, she never mentioned going to college. Now she’s talking about going to college, learning to play the flute and taking it overseas maybe, and even teaching.”

The 7 best sub-$50 Cyber Monday deals for photographers

The 7 best sub-$50 Cyber Monday deals for photographers

As the Ecommerce Editor for Digital Camera World, my main job is to check prices and make sure everyone who lands on the site gets a good deal or can order the latest photography products as and when they are announced.

But as the Cyber Monday camera deals continue to arrive, I’m always on the lookout for the best deal possible to help you make the best decision possible when parting with your hard-earned cash, so I have come up with seven of the best Cyber Monday deals under $50 that you can use as the perfect stocking fillers for Christmas or as gifts this holiday season

These are all tremendous stocking fillers, especially at these prices and if you think they might be great for the loved one in your life who loves photography I’d jump at them now.

Digital exhibition: 2023 World Athletics Photograph of the Year shortlisted images

Digital exhibition: 2023 World Athletics Photograph of the Year shortlisted images

Ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2023, a digital exhibition has been created featuring the 12 images shortlisted for World Athletics Photograph of the Year.

From the 134 images that were submitted, a panel of judges – comprising Valerie Adams, Raquel Cavaco Nunes, Joel Marklund, Pascal Rondeau and Blanka Vlasic – selected the below 12 shortlisted images and then the three finalists.

The finalists were announced on 21 November and the winning photograph will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms in early December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.

Digital exhibition of shortlisted images

David Balogh - 2023 digital exhibition

The men’s pole vault final during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 at the National Athletics Centre
Photo by David Balogh

Sam Barnes - 2023 digital exhibition

Alexis Holmes of USA, left, on her way to winning the mixed 4x400m as Femke Bol of Netherlands falls at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
Photo by Sam Barnes, Sportsfile

Fabrizio Bensch - 2023 digital exhibition

Sha’Carri Richardson of USA crosses the line to win the women’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
Photo by Fabrizio Bensch, Reuters

Sandor Csudai - 2023 digital exhibition

Noah Lyles of USA celebrates winning the men’s 100m final at the National Athletics Centre, Budapest
Photo by Sandor Csudai

Anton Geyser - 2023 digital exhibition

Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy winning gold in the high jump at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
Photo by Anton Geyser, South African Sports Images

Andrej Isakovic - 2023 digital exhibition

Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi celebrates winning the men’s high jump final during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest
Photo by Andrej Isakovic, AFP

Meng Dingbo - 2023 digital exhibition

Athletes set off during the women’s 100m final of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
Photo by Meng Dingbo, Xinhua News Agency

Mattia Ozbot - 2023 digital exhibition

Leo Neugebauer of Germany in the decathlon pole vault at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23
Photo by Mattia Ozbot, World Athletics Photography Workshop

Martin Rickett - 2023 digital exhibition

Athletes compete in the men’s marathon as it passes through Heroes’ Square on day nine of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Photo by Martin Rickett, PA Wire

Felix Sanchez - 2023 digital exhibition

Five men’s 100m finalists prepare for the race with different gestures and in search of the gold medal, with the public watching the action at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest
Photo by Felix Sanchez, Corredor

Patrick Smith - 2023 digital exhibition

Kyle Blignaut of South Africa competes in men’s shot put qualification during day one of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 at the National Athletics Centre
Photo by Patrick Smith, Getty Images

Michael Stricker - 2023 digital exhibition

Women’s high jump winner Nicola Olyslagers of Australia cheers after clearing a world lead and winning jump of 2.02m at the Diamond League, Athletissima, in Lausanne
Photo by Michael Stricker

Where To Earn An Online Photography Degree In 2023

Where To Earn An Online Photography Degree In 2023

Photographers capture moments on film, from weddings and family photoshoots to sports and news photography. They blend a creative eye with technical skills, including the ability to retouch photographs. But how do photographers hone their creativity and build their technical knowledge? A bachelor’s degree in photography can help you launch a career in the field.

While most arts programs require in-person classes, today you can earn a photography degree online. In an online photography program, you’ll strengthen your camera skills while also learning how to use image editing software. In addition, programs often incorporate classes on business and marketing, since many photographers are entrepreneurs.

If an online photography degree sounds like a good fit for you, you’ll need to find the right program to reach your goals. Our guide introduces a nonprofit, accredited university that offers a photography degree online and meets our ranking criteria. We also explore how to find a good fit and your financing options as an online learner.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

The Forbes Advisor Education team is committed to bringing our readers unbiased rankings and trustworthy, informative articles covering higher learning institutions, individual degree programs, bootcamps, professional credentials and various career paths.

Our team sources data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also pull information from reputable professional organizations and education providers’ direct websites. Our rankings use a strict methodology to determine the best schools, programs or bootcamps for each category.

Moreover, an expert advisory board of experienced professionals and educators reviews and verifies Forbes Advisor Education content to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with hundreds of online programs. More than 170,000 students pursue online degrees at SNHU, including a bachelor of arts in digital photography.

The online photography degree emphasizes technical abilities and visual creativity. Learners explore post-production image editing, lighting techniques and entrepreneurship. As a culminating experience, majors develop a professional portfolio to launch their photography career.

In the fully online, 120-credit program, degree seekers pay $330 per credit. The flexible program does not require set class times. SNHU does not charge an application fee or require standardized test scores from applicants.

At a Glance

  • School Type: Private
  • Application Fee: Free
  • Degree Credit Requirements: 120 credits
  • Program Enrollment Options: Part time, Full time
  • Notable Major-Specific Courses: Digital photography, innovations in digital imaging, digital photography portfolio
  • Concentrations Available: N/A
  • In-Person Requirements: No

Degree Finder

How To Find the Right Online Photography Degree for You

Consider Your Future Goals

A photography degree can prepare you for a career as a photographer, an image editor or a photo technician. During an online photography degree program, you’ll learn how to operate a digital camera, strengthen your image editing skills and explore the business side of photography.

However, some careers in photography do not require a bachelor’s degree, so consider whether earning one will help you reach your future goals. Online photography schools can help you hone many of the skills photographers use in their careers, but attending one is not always necessary.

Also, before committing to a photography degree, carefully consider which major will best help you reach your goals. For example, if you’re interested in visual design, a degree in graphic design might be a better fit.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Earning a photography degree online can be expensive. For example, the program in our guide charges $330 per credit. For a 120-credit program, that means you’ll pay $39,600 in tuition.

However, earning an online degree can save you money in some respects. Distance learners typically avoid expenses associated with living on campus, relocating for school or commuting to class. Even so, a bachelor’s degree requires a large investment of time and finances.

Fortunately, online learners at accredited institutions have many financing options. For example, you can submit the FAFSAⓇ to qualify for federal student aid programs, including the Pell Grant. Many states and colleges also offer their own scholarships and grants to support degree seekers.

Because of the flexible format of an online photography degree, you can also work to help pay for your degree. You can also take out federal or private loans to cover costs.

Should You Enroll in an Online Photography Degree Program?

Most art degrees are available only in person, but you can earn a photography degree online.

Is an online format right for you? Consider the following questions:

  • Do you have a busy schedule? An online format prioritizes flexibility, meaning you can attend lectures and complete projects on your schedule. If you’re balancing college with work or other responsibilities, an online program might be the best fit.
  • How do you learn best? Photography can be a hands-on field. Some photo majors prefer an in-person learning format, particularly those interested in film photography or photo technician skills. Others enjoy learning in a virtual environment. An online photography degree might be a good fit if you’re interested in digital photography or photo editing, for example.
  • Is the school accredited? You should earn an online degree only from an accredited institution. Accredited schools meet high standards for academic quality, and most graduate programs and employers will recognize degrees only from accredited institutions. Make sure to check the school’s accreditation status before applying to an online photography program.

Accreditation for Photography Degrees Online

Distance learners should always choose accredited institutions. Accredited colleges and universities follow the best practices in higher education and regularly undergo reviews by independent, nonprofit accrediting agencies. Only institutions with strong academic missions, a record of positive student learning outcomes and highly qualified faculty can earn and maintain accreditation.

Accreditation benefits degree seekers in several ways. By choosing an accredited institution, you can rest assured the school meets high academic standards and employs qualified faculty. Plus, credits earned at an accredited institution are more likely to transfer to another accredited school if you switch colleges. And finally, accredited institutions can distribute federal financial aid to students.

Check whether prospective schools hold accreditation by visiting the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs from the U.S. Department of Education.

Our Methodology

We scored one accredited, nonprofit college offering an online photography degree program in the U.S. using 16 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites. Data is accurate as of January 2023.

We scored the school based on the following categories:

Student Outcomes:

  • Overall graduation rate
  • Median earnings 10 years after graduation
  • Pell Grant recipient graduation rate
  • Retention rate
  • Pell Grant graduation rate vs. overall graduation rate

Affordability:

  • Average annual net price for students receiving federal aid
  • Median federal student loan debt
  • Percentage of students in federal student loan deferment
  • Percentage of students who take out federal loans

Student Experience:

  • Student-to-faculty ratio
  • Socioeconomic diversity
  • Program being ranked has 100% coursework available online

Credibility:

  • Fully accredited
  • Nonprofit status

Application Process:

  • Acceptance rate
  • Uses Common App

We listed the only school in the U.S. that met our ranking criteria.

Find our full list of methodologies here.

Featured Online Schools

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial credit and much more by clicking ‘Visit Site’

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Photography Degrees

Which degree is best for photography?

While some careers in photography do not require a degree, earning a bachelor’s degree in photography builds the creative and technical skills required for careers in photography. During a photography degree program, majors explore camera operation, lighting, image editing and the business side of photography.

What is the best online college for photography?

Based on our research, Southern New Hampshire University offers the best online photography degree. SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited institution that offers a digital photography degree online. The program emphasizes technical abilities and feedback from industry experts.

Do you really need a degree in photography?

You don’t need a degree in photography to qualify for many careers in the field. Many photographers are self-employed and sign clients based on their portfolios. However, a photography degree can strengthen the creative, technical and business skills that help photographers stand out.

Are online photography courses worth it?

Online photography courses can strengthen your artistic eye and offer expert feedback on your work. They also emphasize technical skills, such as photo editing, which can make online photography courses worth it for students.

Photographer Who Captured Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald Recalls Turbulent Few Days

Photographer Who Captured Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald Recalls Turbulent Few Days
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News photographers yearn to capture an iconic image; so when Bob Jackson missed the opportunity to get a photo of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination because there was no film in his camera — perhaps he thought he had missed his golden opportunity.

However, just a few days later, Jackson would capture one of the most recognizable images of the 20th century with a photo that would also earn him the Pulitzer Prize for photography: The assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald — the man who killed JFK.

Jack Ruby shoots Lee Oswald
The shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald (center) by Jack Ruby, right. | Bob Jackson/Wikimedia Commons.

Jackson, who in 1963 was a photographer for the Dallas Times Herald, tells 9NEWS that he was “fired up” that weekend to do a good job on the big event of the President’s visit to Texas 60 years ago.

JFK Assassination

Jackson was riding in the fateful motorcade through Dallas seven cars behind the president and his wife Jackie Kennedy.

After shooting a roll of film, he had taken it out of his SLR camera to hand off to a reporter when he heard three shots ring out from the Dallas Book Depository Building and spotted two people.

“I saw the window ledge above them and there was a rifle resting on the ledge and he drew it in,” Jackson tells 9NEWS.

Every photographer knows the pain of losing a photo opportunity but is there anything comparable to missing one of history’s most significant events? Probably not. But of course, this being the days of analog it was far more likely to happen.

Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald

Two days after JFK’s demise, Jackson was sent to the police station to photograph Lee Harvey Oswald being transferred to county jail.

“I’m looking through the camera, I must have checked the wind-lever half a dozen times to make sure the film was wound,” says Jackson.

“Somebody’s stepping out from my right and this guy’s getting in my way and he shoots and I shoot.”

Jackson caught the exact moment the bullet from Jack Ruby’s gun struck Oswald, his face contorted in pain while Dallas police detective Jim Leavelle in a tan suit reacted to the attack.

Of course back then the photographer couldn’t just look at the back of the screen to see what they had caught, Jackson had to wait for the film to be developed until he could see what he’d got — when he saw it, he let out a yell of joy.

“I held the wet film up to the light and it looked really good — it looked sharp — but I couldn’t be sure how sharp it was until I got a magnifier,” he explains.

Jackson’s Pulitzer winning photo proved to be no fluke as he went on to have an illustrious photojournalism career, retiring in 1999.

“Every photographer would like to shoot an image that has meaning. I hated to see it happen in Dallas. But I was glad that I was able to cover a moment in history, in time,” he told KRDO in 2021.


Image credits: Bob Jackson/Wikimedia Commons

The rooms where it happened: A new MFA show looks at photographers’ studios

The rooms where it happened: A new MFA show looks at photographers’ studios
Abelardo Morell, “Light Bulb,” 1991.©Abelardo Morell/Courtesy Bonni Benrubi Gallery, NYC * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts

The word “camera” comes from the Latin word for “chamber.” So “Creative Spaces: The Photographer’s Studio as Inspiration” might be seen as photography getting back to its roomy etymological roots. The show runs at the Museum of Fine Arts through April 28.

Photography doesn’t have to happen in a studio, of course. The arrival of lightweight cameras, fast film stock, and now digital saw to that. But when it does still take place there — when a studio is the room where a photograph happened — interesting and unexpected results can occur. Those qualities are evident throughout “Creative Spaces,” which has been curated by the MFA’s Karen Haas.

Paul Mpagi Sepuya, “Darkroom Mirror Study,” 2017.© Paul Mpagi Sepuya * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts

Jesseca Ferguson is one of the 25 photographers with work in the show. “I have often wondered WHERE the studio is for me,” she writes. “Is it an actual location? A state of mind or attitude? An atmosphere? A home? A safe spot or stressful, challenging one?” Her answer: “All of the above, at different times.”

One might add to Ferguson’s list — and instances of each can be found throughout the show — laboratory, playroom, wonderland, escape hatch, workspace, even borrowed workspace.

Borrowed as in photographs taken in someone else’s studio. In a witty touch, Haas includes four examples. The situation gets even more complicated with Vik Muniz’s reworking of Hans Namuth’s famous photograph of Jackson Pollock at work in his (meaning Pollock’s) studio. Or there’s Duane Michals’s portrait of René Magritte taken in the painter’s studio. That photograph ups the hall-of-mirrors ante, as it has an actual mirror in it.

A mirror matters even more, although only its handiwork is visible, in Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s “Darkroom Mirror Study.” Here is “Creative Spaces” at its most basic, even elemental. “Study” shows a pair of hands encircling a camera on a tripod. It’s the photographer’s studio reduced to its essence. The lens staring back at the viewer could be the eye of God. So there’s another possible addition to Ferguson’s list: heaven.

Hiroshi Sugimoto, “Self Portrait, 1990.”© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts

The camera is the most important item in a studio. The photographer and photographs run it a close second. Hiroshi Sugimoto offers both in his “Self Portrait, 1990.” What a viewer likely notices first is that this is a peculiar sort of studio. It appears to be open to the sky, on a city rooftop. Then there’s the matter of Sugimoto’s attire, a lab coat (an argument for studio as laboratory). Pride of place goes to a Sugimoto photograph, placed front and center on an elaborately supported easel. It’s one of the photographer’s seascapes, which are blurred because of the long exposure time he uses. Notice that Sugimoto’s own face is blurred. The mutual blurring understatedly, and also rather marvelously, declares a visual bond between creator and creation.

One of the nicer touches in “Creative Spaces” comes courtesy of Haas’s hangings: the bonds between photos. The bunny-shaped cactus in Robert Cumming’s “Theatre for Two-Easy Analogies” (a pretty funny title) is close by Roger Ballen’s “Boxed Rabbit.” A man wearing a mask in a photograph from Irving Penn’s “Cuzco, Peru” series shares the same wall with a female model wearing sunglasses in a photograph from Shadi Ghadirian’s “Qajar” series. Each sitter’s eyes are concealed for a very different purpose. With Penn, the mask is being worn because the studio was cold. With Ghadirian, who’s Iranian, a statement is being made about what is and is not considered “appropriate” for females to wear.

Shadi Ghadirian, “Untitled, from “Qajar” series, 1998.© shadi ghadirian * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts

The Penn photograph has a further connection, with a different neighbor. It hangs next to the Michals portrait of Magritte, and both look rather . . . spooky. That spookiness contrasts with the emphatic illumination in another pairing. Constantin Brancusi’s studio wasn’t primarily for photographs, he being one of the last century’s greatest sculptors. Brancusi was rarely satisfied with how photographers documented his work. So he would on occasion himself document what he had created.

“Bird in Space” is a photograph of a version of that celebrated sculpture. This “Bird” is a bronze (other iterations are marble); and the way Brancusi has lit it it positively gleams. Whereas the namesake source of illumination in Abelardo Morell’s “Light Bulb” quite gloriously glows. The bulb is part of a demonstration Morell put together to show students the basic workings of a camera. The photograph might also be seen as a metaphor for that light bulb-going-off moment of inspiration in artistic creation.

It’s worth noting what a strong local representation “Creative Spaces” has. Beside Morell and Ferguson, Boston-area photographers include Rachel Perry (with a self-portrait in which fruit stickers loom delightfully large), Olivia Parker, the late John O’Reilly, Tara Sellios, the late Elsa Dorfman, and Tessa Frootko Gordon. Cig Harvey, from Maine, and Salvatore Mancini, from Rhode Island, extend the geographical boundaries a bit. Let’s include William Wegman, too: Born in Holyoke, he went to MassArt and summers in Maine.

One other local connection: Through Dec. 10, the Griffin Museum of Photography, in Winchester, has “Leaving Their Mark: Studio Practice — Chris Rauschenberg and Meggan Gould.” Studios aren’t just the place to be these days. They’re also the place to see.

CREATIVE SPACES: The Photographer’s Studio as Inspiration

At Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., through April 28. 627-267-9300, www.mfa.org


Mark Feeney can be reached at mark.feeney@globe.com.

Voting is Open for 2023 CST Photo Team Awards

Voting is Open for 2023 CST Photo Team Awards

Photo Credit: Scott Huck

VOTING IS OPEN: 2023 CST PHOTO TEAM AWARDS

It’s that time of year to recognize and honor members of the Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s 2023 Photo Team.  In 2022, we conducted the voting internally and recognized our first Alex Vehr Honorary Award recipient.  However, Cincinnati Soccer Talk is a fan supported organization, which means you deserve to be involved in the decision making for these awards!

This year, we have three categories.  The Alex Vehr Honorary Award was created in 2022 and recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to Cincinnati Soccer Talk in the area of photography.  Alex Vehr was Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s first photographer and established a standard of quality before relocating for work.  For 2023, we’ve added the categories of “Best Photographer in a Supporting Role” and “Best FCC2 Support.”

The 2023 CST Photo Team consisted of 10 exceptional photographers who volunteered their time to capture memorable moments throughout the FC Cincinnati and FCC 2 seasons.  Thank you for taking the time to complete the ballot, which is a Google Form available through the following link.  To participate in casting a vote, you are required to sign-in to a Google account.

2023 CST Photo Team Awards Ballot

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