World Press Photo and Everyday Africa create new database for African photojournalists
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African photojournalists will soon have a new resource at their disposal: the African Photojournalism Database, created by World Press Photo and Everyday Africa.
David Campbell, senior media coordinator atWorld Press Photo, said the database aims to recognize the contributions of local photographers in Africa. The database will also increase the variety of visual depictions of Africa so the international community can better understand life on the continent.
Photojournalists will be able to demonstrate their talents and areas of interest by showcasing photos from stories they’re already working on. The database will also expose their work to international editors, helping them to connect with global media. Journalists and media organizations hoping to report in Africa will be able to browse the database to find photographers, as well.
Currently, 246 photographers from 22 countries have registered for the African Photojournalism Database. Because the database is not yet public, Campbell said it’s best for interested photographers to register now with as much information as possible. The database will go public early next year, at which point World Press Photo and Everyday Africa will begin verifying registered photojournalists before making the photos public.
“Photojournalism offers an important visual representation of people and places,” Campbell explained. “It shapes much about how we know the world. We need to encourage as many diverse perspectives as possible in order to get better representations, and we want to support local photographers so they can tell the stories that are important to their communities.”
Campbell also emphasized the importance of its partner, Everyday Africa, an international social media campaign that curates photographs representative of everyday life in Africa. The organization thrives on Tumblr and Instagram, where it has 274,115 followers.
On each platform, photographers living and working in Africa upload images that, according to its Tumblr page, “redirect focus toward a more accurate understanding of what the majority of Africans experience on a day-to-day basis: normal life.”
“Over the years, we have run a number of programs with partners in Africa, and we want to build on that,” Campbell said. “We know there is great work produced in Africa, but we don’t know enough about who is doing it and where they are doing it. Everyday Africa is a fantastic initiative that has given us new ways of seeing, and we are excited to be collaborating with them on this important project.”
To register with the African Photojournalism Database, go to apjd.org.
Main image is a screenshot of Everyday Africa's Tumblr page.
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