U.S.-born, Nairobi-based photographer Nichole Sobecki talks about insider vs. outsider photojournalism, the importance of highlighting overlooked stories, and how she strives to be contentious and collaborative in her work.

Nichole Sobecki is a photographer and filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is represented internationally by the photo agency VII. She began her career in Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, focusing on regional issues related to identity, conflict, and human rights. From 2012-2015 Nichole led Agence France-Presse’s East Africa video bureau before immersing herself in documentary photography. She is also a contributor to Everyday Africa, a collection of images shot on mobile phones across the continent, and an attempt to showcase the moments missing from dramatic news images — everyday life that is neither idealized nor debased. Her work has also been recognized by Pictures of the Year, the One World Media Awards, the Alexandra Boulat Award for Photojournalism, The Magenta Foundation, and The Jacob Burns Film Center, among others. Nichole’s photography has been exhibited at The United Nations Headquarters and Photoville in New York City, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco, the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, The Nikola Rukaj Gallery in Toronto, and beyond.

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop provides majority world students who could not otherwise afford it, a chance to learn from some of the world's most well-respected photojournalists and photography professionals. During the pandemic, PhotoWings will partner with the VII Academy to offer an online version of the Workshop.