I help women photographers build story-based photography portfolios they can confidently pitch.

Book a free call

Scroll down for more

“I have to thank Paola for incredibly foundational skills in developing my photography practice from merely an interest into jobs and storytelling with purpose a few months later. Despite my limited financial ability, Paola listened to me with real care and kept my goals in mind. She found creative, synergistic ways for me to learn alongside her own work. I gave her little reason to trust me, but she extended an open hand to join her as an assistant, created video walkthroughs of her workflow, and believed in me with humility and grace even amongst stress. To this day, I think of the confidence and methods Paola instilled in me each time I open Lightroom. I wish everybody early in their career, especially women, could feel that support of hers.

Photojournalism is an often opaque industry, but Paola operates with a warmth for all whom she encounters, from people of diverse political identities to front desk workers. I am indebted to her for teaching me about efficiency and nuance in editing; looking for unique perspectives in different kinds of stories; lighting and composing with purpose; but most importantly, how to do this job with kindness and soul. Her work speaks with such narrative power especially because of her empathetic character. The industry needs more people educated by Paola Chapdelaine.”

Sangita Vasikaran - Photographer

  • Hi and welcome!

    My name is Paola and I’ve gone from being a photo enthusiast to becoming a professional freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer within 2 years.

    Today, I am part of the collective Women Photograph and have worked with publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, AFP, The New Republic, and more.

    What happened? Community and mentorship. People.

    In fact, I decided to spend one year in an intensive program to study documentary photography and visual journalism.

    I left with one take away: thinking about your work in project mode is way more efficient than thinking about your skills in making great “single images.”

    That’s especially true if you’re looking to get published by newspapers and magazines, and see your work recognized.

    In the end, people want stories. In-depth, specific stories.

    Besides, in the main national newspapers, barely over 20% of A1 (cover) photographs are made by women (source).

    Why do we need to change that? Images are often a matter of perspective, and to build media stories that feel representative and nuanced, we need a higher proportion of women, people of color, and underrepresented groups in those spaces.

    How do we do that? By increasing your skills in visual storytelling and project building. And by helping you pitch your work to become more visible and credible in the industry.

    When you pitch your work to editors hoping to get hired or published, you can either choose to send out beautifully designed portfolios of great singles…

    OR you can craft a meaningful story from your unique perspective that will actually get them hooked. You guessed it – the latter will get you further, quicker.

    This is exactly what I want to help you with: putting together a project that is both meaningful to you and helpful to others, while building up your skills along the way.

    And the best thing? Great stories don’t require you to travel the world. In fact, they are often the ones right outside our doorsteps, the stories that are close to us, that we’re curious about, that we’ve always known and never shared. All you need is a reason to cross the road, knock on your neighbor’s door, or sit with this family member. Now, you have a reason – and I want to help you make the most of it.

    Toward the end of the program, we will explore avenues to pitch and distribute your work, whether your project/story is finalized or in progress.

    So to all women photographers: if you have a burning desire to be recognized in the field, reach out to see how we can work together on building a specific project that echoes your artistic vision, takes your skills to the next lexel, and gives your credibility in the documentary, journalistic and editorial field.

    NB: Je parle aussi français ! 🇫🇷

/ ABOUT THE PROGRAM

“Stories not singles” is a 90-day 1:1 mentorship program that focuses on helping women photographers develop a personal project that they can confidently pitch to editors and open calls. It is built in 4 phases that rely on highly personalized support, brainstorming and feedback sessions. It is made to be flexible depending on your current situation, so you can learn from someone who has done it, and is deeply invested in the field.

/ ABOUT THE PROCESS

  • Week 1-2

    In this phase, you will transition from uncertainty to confidence, feeling secure in your artistic voice and legitimacy as a photographer – so you can feel empowered to express yourself authentically through your work, instilling trust both within yourself and among your audience.

    What we’ll do:

    • Understanding you and your identity as a photographer: your specific vision, style and themes of interest – to set yourself apart in the field

    • Looking at past work, understanding your goals and roadblocks – so we can identify specific areas of improvement

    • Discussing project ideas – to align your project with your artistic vision, desired impact and audience

    • Streamlining your image editing & file organization process – to make your workflow efficient and let you fully focus on the creative stuff

  • Week 2-3

    In this phase, you will progress from generating ideas (that stay in your head) to formulating concrete and actionable story concepts, equipped with a clear plan for visually portraying them.

    What we’ll do:

    • Refining project ideas: research, outreach and access – to ensure that your project is well-informed, feasible (and therefore, successful)

    • Examining the elements of a compelling visual story (with examples) – so you can implement them and create thought-provoking, engaging work

  • Week 3-11

    In this phase, you will overcome the imposter syndrome, photographing with purpose and conviction. You will develop a strong confidence in your narrative skills and understand what makes a visual story compelling. This will be reflected in your body of work, so editors and peers can see you as a credible and respected professional (no matter when you started or what else you have going on).

    What we’ll do:

    • Going all in on building your visual story – showcasing your dedication and passion for the topic, which is ultimately what sparks curiosity and engagement

    • Addressing technical issues and questions along the way – to give you the necessary skills that will expand your creativity. We will cover fundamental notions, including:

      • Photographing ethically

      • Light

      • Movement/stillness & composition

      • Portraits, people

      • Multimedia & archives

      • Editing & sequencing

  • Week 10-12

    During this phase, you will learn to engage with the industry as a professional. You will begin submitting your work to your primary target audience and gain the autonomy to sustain your momentum. You will establish your presence, start networking with key actors, and build credibility within your field.

    What we’ll do:

    • Finding avenues to pitch your work to editors and or submit to relevant open calls – to provide opportunities for collaborations, publications, and commissions

    • Finding community to keep you going with continuous support, encouragement, and motivation

Photo: Adil Boukind

/ ABOUT THE MENTOR

Paola is a French photojournalist and documentary photographer based in New York City and a member of Women Photograph. Her clients include The New York Times, the Washington Post, The New Republic, New York Magazine, The Guardian, NBC, AFP, and more.

Her work focuses on illuminating topics of cultural and political identity. It aims to challenge entrenched biases, from documenting youth in the digital age to gun violence prevention, or the American political divide. She has also worked on local climate stories such as the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, USA.

At the same time, Paola is deeply passionate about helping early-career and aspiring women photographers work on meaningful documentary projects — giving them visibility and credibility in the editorial world. She aims to fight gate-keeping, providing guidance, skills and accountability to help make the community stronger and more diverse.

Her work has been recognized through various awards and exhibitions, including the Dior Award for Photography and Visual Arts for Young Talents, Lenscratch, Photoville, Women Street Photographers, the Lucie Foundation Portrait Project, and Feminist, amongst others.

Her core values: unique visual voices, strong ethical standards, humility, excellence and curiosity

  • “Paola met with me to discuss an ongoing personal project I needed guidance on. She helped me streamline my story, pushed me to find creative avenues to illustrate difficult concepts and demonstrated continued interest in my project even after our initial meeting. She cares so much about elevating the voice of women photographers and the stories they have to share. Her expertise in lighting, composition and storytelling was crucial in the development of my story and I am forever indebted to her. My story would not have been nearly as impactful without her! ”

    Olivia Falcigno - freelance documentary photographer and photojournalist

  • "I have to thank Paola for incredibly foundational skills in developing my photography practice from merely an interest into jobs and storytelling with purpose a few months later. Even despite my limited financial ability, Paola listened to me with real care and kept my goals in mind. She found creative, synergistic ways for me to learn alongside her own work. I gave her little reason to trust me, but she extended an open hand to join her as an assistant, created video walkthroughs of her workflow, and believed in me with humility and grace even amongst stress. To this day, I think of the confidence and methods Paola instilled in me each time I open Lightroom. I wish everybody early in their career, especially women, could feel that support of hers. Photojournalism is an often opaque industry, but Paola operates with a warmth for all whom she encounters, from people of diverse political identities to front desk workers. I am indebted to her for teaching me about efficiency and nuance in editing; looking for unique perspectives in different kinds of stories; lighting and composing with purpose; but most importantly, how to do this job with kindness and soul. Her work speaks with such narrative power especially because of her empathetic character. The industry needs more people educated by Paola Chapdelaine."

    — Sangita Vasikaran, photographer

  • "I came into this mentorship with the idea to really focus on the direction of a deeply personal body of work (...) that I had been avoiding for quite some time. This mentorship broke everything down into an achievable game plan and helped me organize my ideas and my work in all the right ways in order to finally move forward. I was given so many resources and new tools I wasn’t aware of. Templates, help with writing, grants, submissions, etc. I originally wanted to make a book but over time I realized the work I was doing was going to take years, not months. It helped me realize I actually did want to pursue grad school. After graduating with my BFA, I realized I was still so disconnected from the photo world/industry. This mentorship bridged the gap between the resources I needed to jumpstart my career as a documentary photographer."

    Caitlyn Kingery, 2024 mentee – Documentary photographer

  • "Paola was extremely helpful and generous. Her advice was tangible, easy to implement, and clear. She provided thorough notes after our meeting that I can reference when needed. She clearly spent time preparing for our session and is passionate about helping other photographers, rather than gatekeeping information. I would highly recommend working with Paola!"

    — Allison DeBritz - artist and educator

  • "Paola shared her experience of freelancing and working in journalism with me when I first arrived in New York City. It encouraged me to try it out for myself. Following her advice has given me the confidence to pursue work in this arena and I am grateful to her for being such a wonderful mentor."

    M. Cravotta - Freelance photographer

  • Paola was assisting my seminar teacher in our weekly meetings where we bring our most recent work and discussed what directions to follow. From the first moment, Paola always added so much to the reviews. Her experience, sensibility and perspectives always bring something new to the table and she does an amazing job on creating respectful and “mind feeding” dynamics. After some time, I assisted her on an assignment for the magazine “El País” and being able to see and learn from her on the field was such an important experience for me. Paola is not only a great photographer and professional, but also an amazing creative and on the go problem solver. Having the chance of sharing and learning from her certainly has elevated my photography game and provided me the chance to flip things around and see different perspectives.

    Jo Lutz - Photographer & Film Director

  • "Paola is great. I reached out to her for feedback on my portfolio and she gave me more time and attention than I expected. She was kind, competent, intelligent and helped me value my work. She understood my work deeply and gave me some really valuable advice on how to improve my editing and overall vision of the projects. I believe that Paola is a person with great sensitivity and talent, not only in the photos she takes, in which she proves to be clever, delicate and ironic but also in the support she gives to others, where she certainly combines her experience and training with a great skill for listening and empathy.”

    A. Cristofoletti - Freelance documentary photographer

  • Lucy Sante (The New Republic)

  • Women and Money (the Washington Post)

  • Silent Radar (Dior Award, Arles)

  • Mom & Pop drugstores (The New York Times)

  • Women & Money (the Washington Post)

/ LET’S TALK

I want to help you take your photography to the next level, by helping you build a compelling, narrative-driven visual story that you can confidently pitch to editors, open calls, and more.

BOOK A FREE CALL