Mike Davis

3:01 Editor's Compilation: Photo Editors on Editing Award-winning and expert photo editors MaryAnne Golon (Washington Post), Whitney Johnson (National Geographic), Mike Davis (Syracuse University), and Olivier Laurent (Washington Post) discuss how they fit into the behind-the-scenes photo publication process, describing the work analyzing, selecting, and arranging the images that appear in print out of the hundreds or thousands they see initially. MaryAnne Golon was the Director of Photography at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne was the director of photography at Time Magazine and a senior photography editor there for more than 20 years. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne curated Look 3: The Festival of the Photograph and help guide the 2-year product build of a digital asset management system for a major non-profit organization. Golon was also director of photography at Time magazine where she co-managed the international newsweekly’s photography department for more than 15 years. Golon has received many individual and team picture-editing awards from the POYi (Pictures of the Year International) and NPPA's (National Press Photographer’s Association) Best of Photojournalism competitions. She was awarded Picture of the Editor of the Year from the IFA Lucie Awards in 2013. She was twice selected for American Photo magazine’s list of the 100 most important people in photography. Whitney Johnson was the director of visuals and immersive experiences at National Geographic where she led the visual and immersive staffs, overseeing photography, video, Instagram, and podcast teams. She joined National Geographic in 2015 as the magazine’s deputy director of photography. From 2007 to 2015, Johnson was on the staff of The New Yorker, first as a picture editor and later as the Director of Photography. Prior to joining the magazine, Johnson worked at the Open Society Foundations, where she was a founding member of the Documentary Photography Project and managed an international grant competition and exhibition for documentary photographers. In 2011, Johnson — together with The New Yorker staff photographer Platon and Human Rights Watch — received a Peabody. In 2018, Pictures of the Year International honored the National Geographic photo staff with the Angus McDougall Overall Excellence in Editing Award and recognized Johnson with an Award of Excellence in the Magazine Visual Editor of the Year category. In 2019, National Geographic was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. Mike Davis was the endowed Alexia Tsairis Chair for Documentary Photography and a Professor of Practice of Visual Communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Davis taught visual storytelling classes and ran the Alexia Grant competitions at the school. The Alexia is one of the world’s premiere grants that support humanistic, socially significant visual projects for professionals and students. In addition to teaching and the Alexia, Davis now works as an independent photography editor, working with visual storytellers around the world to elevate their way of seeing and editing their projects for books, gallery exhibitions, portfolios and contest and grant submissions. He has worked on more than 500 such projects, which in turn inform and elevate his teaching and the Alexia. He also continues to consult with a range of organizations, publications and competitions internationally. For 30 years before arriving at Newhouse, Davis held visual leadership positions at National Geographic, the White House and several of America’s leading newspapers, as well as running his own consulting business. He was twice named Newspaper Picture Editor of the Year and has edited the work of several photographers who went on to win Photographer of the Year titles and others whose work was widely recognized at the top tiers of the profession. Olivier Laurent is a foreign photo editor at The Washington Post, working with the organization's network of 27 reporters based in 19 foreign locations to offer a comprehensive international report, with a special focus on Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. He also partners with the Post's social team on photo-driven initiatives and contributes to InSight, the Post’s photography section. In 2020, he was part of the climate team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for the 2ºC: Beyond the Limit series, which "showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme temperatures on the planet." In 2018, he coordinated the newspaper's visual coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, working with Lorenzo Tugnoli, a contract photographer with the Post. The photo essay won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography as well as a World Press Photo. He joined the Post from TIME where he was the Editor of LightBox, the magazine’s photography website. PhotoWings 3:58 Editor's Compilation: Working With Photographers To most audiences, and even some photographers, the work of professional photo editors can be a mysterious component of the photography and publishing industries. In this video, we hear from esteemed photo editors MaryAnne Golon (Washington Post), Whitney Johnson (National Geographic), Kathy Moran (National Geographic), Mike Davis (Syracuse University), and Olivier Laurent (Washington Post). Each gives us fascinating insights into what a photo editor does and how they approach their work, and in particular how editors collaborate with photographers. MaryAnne Golon is the Director of Photography at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne was the director of photography at Time Magazine and a senior photography editor there for more than 20 years. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne curated Look 3: The Festival of the Photograph and help guide the 2-year product build of a digital asset management system for a major non-profit organization. Golon was also director of photography at Time magazine where she co-managed the international newsweekly’s photography department for more than 15 years. Golon has received many individual and team picture-editing awards from the POYi (Pictures of the Year International) and NPPA's (National Press Photographer’s Association) Best of Photojournalism competitions. Whitney Johnson is the director of visuals and immersive experiences at National Geographic. She leads the visual and immersive staffs, overseeing photography, video, Instagram, and podcast teams. She joined National Geographic in 2015 as the magazine’s deputy director of photography. From 2007 to 2015, Johnson was on the staff of The New Yorker, first as a picture editor and later as the director of photography. Prior to joining the magazine, Johnson worked at the Open Society Foundations, where she was a founding member of the Documentary Photography Project and managed an international grant competition and exhibition for documentary photographers. Kathy Moran is National Geographic magazine’s Deputy Director of Photography. As the magazine’s first senior editor for natural history projects, Moran has been producing projects about terrestrial and underwater ecosystems for the magazine since 1990. At last count she has edited over 350 stories for the magazine. Moran has edited several books for the Society. She was named “Picture Editor of the Year” for her winning portfolios in the 2017 and 2006 POYi competition and the 2011 Best of Photo competition. She is a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and has served on the Executive Committee. She has edited numerous books for ILCP photographers published with the University of Chicago Press. Mike Davis is the endowed Alexia Tsairis Chair for Documentary Photography and a professor of practice of visual communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Davis teaches visual storytelling classes and runs the Alexia Grant competitions at the school. In addition to teaching and the Alexia, Davis continues to work as an independent photography editor, working with visual storytellers around the world to elevate their way of seeing and editing their projects for books, gallery exhibitions, portfolios and contest and grant submissions. He also continues to consult with a range of organizations, publications and competitions internationally. For 30 years before arriving at Newhouse, Davis held visual leadership positions at National Geographic, the White House and several of America’s leading newspapers, as well as running his own consulting business. He was twice named newspaper picture editor of the year and has edited the work of several photographers who went on to win Photographer of the Year titles and others whose work was widely recognized at the top tiers of the profession. Olivier Laurent is a foreign photo editor at The Washington Post, working with the organization's network of 27 reporters based in 19 foreign locations to offer a comprehensive international report, with a special focus on Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. He also partners with the Post's social team on photo-driven initiatives and contributes to InSight, the Post’s photography section. In 2020, he was part of the climate team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for the 2ºC: Beyond the Limit series, which "showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme temperatures on the planet." In 2018, he coordinated the newspaper's visual coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, working with Lorenzo Tugnoli, a contract photographer with the Post. The photo essay won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography as well as a World Press Photo. He joined the Post from TIME where he was the Editor of LightBox, the magazine’s photography website. PhotoWings 3:23 Editor's Compilation: Photographers Vs. Photo Editors Award-winning photo editors MaryAnne Golon (Washington Post), Kathy Moran (National Geographic), Mike Davis (Syracuse University), and Olivier Laurent (Washington Post) describe how photo editors approach visual storytelling and the nuances of the review process. MaryAnne Golon is the Director of Photography at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne was the director of photography at Time Magazine and a senior photography editor there for more than 20 years. Before joining The Post in 2012, MaryAnne curated Look 3: The Festival of the Photograph and help guide the 2-year product build of a digital asset management system for a major non-profit organization. Golon was also director of photography at Time magazine where she co-managed the international newsweekly’s photography department for more than 15 years. Golon has received many individual and team picture-editing awards from the POYi (Pictures of the Year International) and NPPA's (National Press Photographer’s Association) Best of Photojournalism competitions. Kathy Moran is National Geographic magazine’s Deputy Director of Photography. As the magazine’s first senior editor for natural history projects, Moran has been producing projects about terrestrial and underwater ecosystems for the magazine since 1990. At last count she has edited over 350 stories for the magazine. Moran has edited several books for the Society. She was named “Picture Editor of the Year” for her winning portfolios in the 2017 and 2006 POYi competition and the 2011 Best of Photo competition. She is a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and has served on the Executive Committee. She has edited numerous books for ILCP photographers published with the University of Chicago Press. Mike Davis is the endowed Alexia Tsairis Chair for Documentary Photography and a professor of practice of visual communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Davis teaches visual storytelling classes and runs the Alexia Grant competitions at the school. In addition to teaching and the Alexia, Davis continues to work as an independent photography editor, working with visual storytellers around the world to elevate their way of seeing and editing their projects for books, gallery exhibitions, portfolios and contest and grant submissions. He also continues to consult with a range of organizations, publications and competitions internationally. For 30 years before arriving at Newhouse, Davis held visual leadership positions at National Geographic, the White House and several of America’s leading newspapers, as well as running his own consulting business. He was twice named newspaper picture editor of the year and has edited the work of several photographers who went on to win Photographer of the Year titles and others whose work was widely recognized at the top tiers of the profession. Olivier Laurent is a foreign photo editor at The Washington Post, working with the organization's network of 27 reporters based in 19 foreign locations to offer a comprehensive international report, with a special focus on Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. He also partners with the Post's social team on photo-driven initiatives and contributes to InSight, the Post’s photography section. In 2020, he was part of the climate team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for the 2ºC: Beyond the Limit series, which "showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme temperatures on the planet." In 2018, he coordinated the newspaper's visual coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, working with Lorenzo Tugnoli, a contract photographer with the Post. The photo essay won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography as well as a World Press Photo. He joined the Post from TIME where he was the Editor of LightBox, the magazine’s photography website. PhotoWings 2:22:41 Continuing Education Series: Editing with Mike Davis Mike Davis has made a career out of being a photo editor. His experience in photo editing is extensive, having held positions such as the Director of the Alexia grants competition and Lead Picture Editor at the White House. He has been a picture editor on over 40 books and has been named Newspaper Picture Editor of the Year twice. In this session on Editing for VII Community, Mike first addresses what makes a photograph successful and then walks us through a process to create a qualitative hierarchy of your photographs. He’ll then present an approach to selecting and sequencing a set of photos. PhotoWings 1:19:34 Creating Visual Narratives, with Mike Davis In this event, we speak with Mike Davis about creating visual narratives. Mike is one of the professions leaders and has worked with hundreds of photographers independently and on journalistic, editorial, and communications teams. Mike’s skill is in helping photographers define, refine and expand their capabilities. He has brought together his experience and knowledge in a new book – Creating Visual Narratives Through Photography: A Fresh Approach to Making a Living as a Photographer – and we discuss how photographers can craft more compelling photos from concept through to creation and distribution. PhotoWings 1:07:35 “The Value Of Our Photographic Heritage: Five Perspectives” with PhotoWings THE VALUE OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHIC HERITAGE: FIVE PERSPECTIVES presented with PhotoWings Featuring Kamal Badhey, Gail Buckland, Mike Davis, Ron Haviv, and Dr. Lauren Walsh Photoville 2021 Talks On-demand recordings are made possible in partnership with PhotoWings A discussion about the power and perception of photography, the value of saving both personal and professional work, photography’s importance to history and what can be learned through it. Photo Historian and Curator Gail Buckland, Photo Editor Mike Davis, Photography Professor Lauren Walsh, and educators and photographers Ron Haviv and Kamal Badhey with PhotoWings Founder Suzie Katz. This event was pre-recorded, and you can find more from these interviews at photowings.org. photoville.nyc/2021-the-value-of-our-photographic-heritage-five-perspectives/ PhotoWings 1:00:43 The Value of Our Photographic Heritage: Five Perspectives A discussion about the power and perception of photography, the value of saving both personal and professional work, photography’s importance to history and what can be learned through it. Photo Historian and Curator Gail Buckland, Photo Editor Mike Davis, Photography Professor Lauren Walsh, and educators and photographers Ron Haviv and Kamal Badhey with PhotoWings Founder Suzie Katz. This event was pre-recorded, and you can find more from these interviews at photowings.org. PhotoWings 4:17 Mike Davis - The Music of Photographs At Blue Earth Alliance's Collaborations for Cause 2014, PhotoWings sat down with Mike Davis, an award-winning Photo Editor who has worked with some of the world’s best photo staffs at National Geographic Magazine, the White House Photo Office and several of America’s leading newspapers. Davis was twice named newspaper picture editor of the year, and has edited the work of several photographers who went on to win Photographer of the Year. He is the Alexia Tsairis Chair for Documentary Photography at the Newhouse School, where he teaches and runs the Alexia Foundation Grants competition. PhotoWings 21:01 Leaving the Life - Tim Matsui in conversation with Mike Davis Learn how Seattle-based filmmaker and photojournalist Tim Matsui found an international story in his own backyard and with seed capital from the Alexia Foundation, brought together a team of nonprofits, foundations and producers to support his project, "Leaving the Life." Along with photojournalism experience in wires, agencies, magazines, and long-term projects, Tim Matsui has nearly 15 years' experience reporting on trauma and victimization, several years founding and running a non profit emphasizing community engagement, and has a collaborative, relational style for intimate visual storytelling. He won the inaugural Women's Initiative Photography Grant from the Alexia Foundation for his project Leaving the Life, a look at grassroots efforts to address domestic minor sex trafficking. Working with MediaStorm, Matsui's video from this grant is now a feature length documentary film titled The Long Night, currently on the market for distribution. PhotoWings