Quito, Ecuador Workshop: Directors and Instructors

Dr. Vme Edom Smith

Honorary Director

Dr. Vme Edom Smith has documented Migrant Education Programs, single mothers going from welfare to self-sufficiency, institutionalized children and child development in Denmark, Russia, Czech and Slovak Republics. She has taught photography and sociology, directed Truth With a Camera workshops and is Director and Secretary of The Edom Foundation for Photojournalism Education.

Her photographs have been published in Photojournalism: Principles and Practices, Small Town America, Child Growth and Development, National Geographic, and The Washington Post.

Her photographs have been exhibited by: National Press Photographers Association, Photographic Society of America, National Federation of Press Women, Missouri Historical Society, Wisconsin Historical Society, Gordon Parks International Competition and many others.

Stephen M. Katz:

Co-Director of Truth With a Camera Workshops

Co-founder of WEYO and award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker, Stephen was named 2008 Newspaper Photographer of the Year international. He was also ranked third in the world in the Best of Photojournalism competition sponsored by the National Press Photographer’s Association (NPPA)

His work has received numerous awards, including the NPPA’s Northern Short Course Photographer of the Year; Southern Short Course Photographer of the Year and from the Associated Press and the society of News Design. He has been working to document global health issues in over 40 developing countries.

He holds an anthropology degree from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in journalism and public relations from Temple University.

“Poverty and suffering and sickness have no nationality. There is no passport that allows one to live in a country of extreme wealth and resources and leaves others to die from such curable conditions as diarrhea, malaria and malnutrition. It is my dream that these people – who care nothing for about politics or tribal disputes – are never simply discarded as collateral damage in battles of greed.” www.stephenkatzphotography.com

Christopher Tyree:

Co-Director of Truth With a Camera Workshops

Christopher is the co-founder of WEYO and an award winning documentary photographer, filmmaker and writer with more then 17 years experience covering assignments on nearly every continent for a variety of publications and agencies.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in anthropology at James Madison University, and a master’s degree in visual communication from Ohio University.

Christopher’s work has earned numerous national and international awards from esteemed competitions, including Pictures of the Year International, National Press Photographers Association, Society of News Design and the Associated Press. His work has been published in many of the nation’s major newspaper and magazines, including Time, Newsweek and Mother Jones. www.weyonow.com

“Think, feel, react. These are the essential steps for creating intimate images that all people can relate to. It is this compassionate approach to visual storytelling that I bring to every assignment that has promoted political and social change. Integrity, perseverance, wit and curiosity have been the building blocks for this success.”

David Ellis:

Instructor

From the moment he picked up a camera, David knew he wanted to do more then just shoot pictures. In 2006, that advocacy took a dramatic turn. Five months after Hurricane Katrina, David co- founded Operation Photo Rescue. The non-profit organization provides free photo restoration services to victims of natural disasters. Since then, OPR has grown into a global network of more then 2,000 volunteers and has restored nearly 3,000 photographs. David maintains an active role with OPR, serving as volunteer coordinator and advisor.

David has worked for several newspapers in Virginia as an assignment and picture editor and is now Director of Photography at the The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, VA. He is a past president of the Virginia News Photographers Association and remains an active member of the board. www.freelancestar.com

Josh Meltzer

Instructor:

After 9 years as a staff photographer and multimedia journalist at The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia, Josh Meltzer accepted a Fulbright Scholarship last August to work and teach in Mexico where he has been creating a multimedia project about the migration of indigenous families within Mexico. In addition to his own work, he has been teaching photography to a group of 15, 11-16-year-olds through a program called Listen to My Pictures.

While at The Roanoke Times, Josh created his first audio slideshow in 1999, and over the next decade created over a hundred audio slideshows, both on daily deadline, and for long-term projects. A few years later he began using video in his reporting, and now uses a mix to create stories through the voices of his subjects and natural sound.

This year, his long-term multimedia project from 2008 on those who provide care for the elderly, called Age of Uncertainty, won the First Place Best Documentary Prize from the POYi, the community service award from the Virginia Press Association, and the 1st place convergence award from the APME. The project, shot over 9 months was made up of 8 multimedia stories.

His still and multimedia work has been recognized by the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism competition where he was the 2006 Photojournalist of the Year for markets less than 115,000 circulation. His audio slideshows, video stories and portfolios have been recognized by the Atlanta Photojournalism Competition, Northern and Southern Short Course and the Society of Newspaper Design.

This August, Josh is switching gears, as he will begin work as a professional-in-residence at Western Kentucky University, teaching photojournalism and multimedia to students in Bowling Green. www.joshmeltzer.com

Jennifer Ditona

Quito Intern

Jennifer Ditona knew from a young age that she wanted to be a documentary photographer. After surviving Tuberculosis at the age of 2 she is now dedicated to being a witness for those who are ignored or forgotten. She takes her own experiences with her when she shoots and tries to understand what it would be like to be in her subjects’ shoes.

Jennifer is a mother of two boys and a Regent University student. She is in the process of getting her degree in Media/Television with a minor in Journalism. She also has a degree in Photography and one in Art. Jennifer aspires to be a photo editor for a humanitarian organization once she graduates while also continuing to travel and document global health issue.