More Questions Than Answers

Seven-part podcast series from the New Media Photojournalism Class of 2020

As the class of 2020 was heading into the final stages of post-production and publishing of their capstone projects at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, our final public presentations and community engagement elements were all canceled. One member of the class, Eric Lee, suggested taking the presentation to the podcast forum under a title representing their feelings at the time, More Questions Than Answers. We invited documentary artists, photojournalists, former faculty and alumni of the New Media Photojournalism program to talk about process, work and audience in longform projects.


 

 

Yu-Jing Huang thesis

Episode 1 “The Silence to You” by Yi-Jing Huang

Host: Eric Lee
Yu-Jing Huang (NMPJ 2020) with guest artist Gabriela Bulisova
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

With Gabriela Bulisova, documentary artist based in Slovakia and former NMPJ faculty member in conversation with Yu-Jing Huang (NMPJ 2020) on the challenges of photographing and working with under-represented or marginalized communities and peoples. Yu-Jing Huang’s thesis project “The Silence to You” explores the Uyghur diaspora in exile in the Washington, D.C. region.

Gabriela Bulisova’s work is found here.

EPISODE 1


 

 

Mark Isaac

Episode 2 “Buzz Kill” by Brooke McDonough

Host: Akash Pamarthy
Brooke McDonough (NMPJ 2020) with guest artist Mark Isaac
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

With documentary artist Mark Isaac and Brooke McDonough (NMPJ 2020) share common challenges and problem-solving ideas they’ve used in engaging audience and bringing to light the impacts of climate change and human actions on the health of Lake Baikal in Russia’s Siberian region and the imbalance of native and honey bees in the United States. Brooke’s thesis project addresses the crisis faced in re-balancing the native bee populations and the honey bees used by large-scale agriculture in the U.S.

Mark Isaac’s work is found here.

EPISODE 2


 

 

Lori Waselchuk

Episode 3: “Where We’re Really From” by Eric Lee

Host: Brooke McDonough
Eric Lee (NMPJ 2020) with guest artist Lori Waselchuk
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

Eric Lee and guest artist Lori Waselchuk speak about representing and exploring identity and community and asking questions of each other through documentary photography. Eric Lee’s thesis work explores identity through documenting and collaborating with a Vietnamese-American couple raising two young sons, as well as reflections on his own identity as an Asian-American photojournalist and storyteller.

Eric Lee’s project.

Lori Waselchuk’s work.

EPISODE 3


 

 

Caroline Lacey

Episode 4 “Invisible Americans” by Shane Bahn

Host: Yu-Jing Huang
Shane Bahn (NMPJ2020) with guest artist Caroline Lacey
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

Shane Bahn, Yu-Jing Huang and Caroline Lacey talk through the challenges of representing underrepresented or stereotyped individuals in worked labeled as photojournalism. They also talk about challenging the current models of photojournalism and contest culture. Shane’s thesis is about the Puerto Rican community in his hometown or York, Pennsylvania. Some of his project is on his Facebook page.

Caroline Lacey is an artist and gallerist based on Washington, D.C. and El Salvador.

EPISODE 4


 

 

Akash Pamarthy

Episode 5 “In or Out” By Akash Pamarthy

Host: Wenxuan Derreck Wu (NMPJ 2020)
Akash Pamarthy (NMPJ 2020) with guest documentary filmmaker Elliot Blumberg
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

Akash Pamarthy and filmmaker Elliot Blumberg share how they began as photographers, and talk about what inspires and sustains their work. Akash’s thesis project explored how two homeless men in Washington, D.C., tried different paths to rebuild community and find stability for themselves.

Elliot Blumberg is an independent filmmaker based in North Carolina, and recently began working as a video producer for the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

EPISODE 5


 

 

Ben Dorger

Episode 6 “At Your Service” By Wenxuan Derreck Wu

Host: Xueying Chang (NMPJ 2020)
Wenxuan Derreck Wu (NMPJ 2020) and Ben Dorger
Wenxuan Wen and photojournalist Ben Dorger
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

Wenxuan and Ben talk about working with animals and nature as subjects and the challenges in representing abstract or unspoken relationships. Ben Dorger is a photojournalists and video journalist based on the West Coast and his work is found here.

*Wenxuan Wu’s work is no longer visible in the U.S.

EPISODE 6


 

 

Xueying Chang

Episode 7 “My Darling Stay Gold” by Xueying Chang

Host: Shane Bahn
Xueying Chang (NMPJ 2020) with guest artist Becky Harlan
Post-Production Nicolas Turner

Xueying Chang in conversation with editor and photojournalist for NPR’s Life Kit podcast speak about relationships with subjects and collaborators and how their personal styles shape the narratives of their projects. Xueying Chang’s thesis work addresses relationships within a Senior Village in Washington, D.C. 

Becky Harlan’s work can be viewed on her website.

EPISODE 7