While the various ins and outs of building a career in photojournalism can be overwhelming and bewildering, M’hammed Kilito, through his own experiences navigating the industry with grace and success, reveals how to get your work out there through applying to grants and contests, attending workshops and portfolio reviews, and reaching out to editors. He’ll also highlight creating community and a personal identity while supporting others in the industry.

M’hammed Kilito is a freelance documentary photographer based in Rabat, Morocco. His work focuses on capturing narratives that help understand the relationship between groups or individuals and their environments by covering issues related to cultural identity, the sociology of work, and climate change. Currently, M’hammed is completing the two-year VII Mentor Program. His latest project “Before It’s Gone” has been shortlisted for the Leica Oscar Barnack Award and won the first prize at Kranj Photo Festival. M’hammed was also selected by Ateliers Medicis and the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) to take part in the French National Photographic commission: “Regards du Grand Paris,” and was designated as North African Regional Coordinator for the 2022 World Press Photo Contest. In 2020, M’hammed was chosen by the British Journal of Photography as one of 18 emerging photographers from across the globe to watch, was the winner of the 6x6 Global Talent by World Press Photo, became a National Geographic Explorer, received The Photography Prize of the Fondation des Treilles, and won the CAP Prize. That same year, he co-founded KOZ, a collective of four Moroccan visual artists working on long-term projects and sharing a passion for storytelling. Follow M’hammed, also a member of @EverydayMiddleEast and @EverydayAfrica, on Instagram at @mhammed_kilito.