Workshop Co-Directors

MPW.57 Behind the Scenes is coming Soon!

"Don't go for the easy story. Find something that challenges you, that scares you."
—Lois Raimondo / MPW.57

MPW.57 Rangefinder PDFs

Photo By KiEun Kweon / MPW.57
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA CLEMENS/ MPW.57

Gwen Banks, 57, has been a hairdresser for 38 years and has her own shop just off of the square in downtown, Marshall. Banks took on the role of mother when her oldest daughter left her five children in Marshall to work in traveling in carnival. Banks has taken on the responsibility of taking care of all five grandchildren: Jonathan 15, Summer 13, Dallas, 7, Drew, 5, and Sadie, 4.

She used to have her own house, but could no longer afford it after putting all of her money toward supporting her grandchildren. The six of them now live in a rented a two-bedroom house. Despite these hardships, Banks does not blame her daughter."'Kids are one of the greatest gifts God gives us," she said. Banks has diabetes and had thyroid surgery Friday. She is a minister at the Community of Christ and believes her life has been very blessed.

Photographs from the 56th Missouri Photo Workshop are available available online through the Year-by-Year page, or through the MPW.56 homepage

History of the Missouri Photo Workshop

The roots of the Missouri Photo Workshop are embedded firmly in a half-century of rich tradition; current workshops carry on principals present from the beginning.

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When the late Clifton C. Edom of the Missouri School of Journalism founded the Missouri Photo Workshop in 1949, he too, looked to the past to map the path for photojournalism's future. Inspired by the gritty, content-rich photographs of the documentary photo unit of the pre-WWII Farm Security Administration, Edom promoted research, observation and timing as the methods to make strong story-telling photographs. FSA director Roy Stryker and photographer Russell Lee worked closely with Edom in the creation of the Workshop and served as faculty members during its early years.

In subsequent years, faculty members have been many of America’s leading newspaper and magazine photographers and photo editors; a roster of faculty and students reads like a Who’s Who of photojournalism. Faculty of today includes some of the most energetic, productive and articulate documentarians currently working. All are experts dedicated to passing on the fundamentals of photo research, shooting and editing to those who hope to carry on these values and techniques in the future.

The workshop still follows Cliff Edom's credo:

"Show truth with a camera. Ideally truth is a matter of personal integrity. In no circumstances will a posed or fake photograph be tolerated."

MPW.57 Participants

TEAM A

TEAM B

TEAM C

TEAM D

TEAM E

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