Jabin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist based in Washington, DC. He has been a staff photographer at The Washington Post since 2015.His body of work and expertise encompasses elections, politics, breaking news, disasters, sports, and in-depth feature stories, both nationally and internationally. Since 2015, he has extensively documented U.S. presidential campaigns and administrations, especially that of Donald Trump. Botsford graduated with degrees in photojournalism and sociology from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Kathleen is a New Orleans based photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, who focuses on stories of struggle and injustice. Flynn has spent nearly 20 years as a working journalist, including a decade at the Tampa Bay Times and three years at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. She has covered in-depth community news, veterans issues throughout the country, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Thailand, immigration in Mexico, post-conflict Liberia, India’s booming pharmaceutical industry, and the war in Afghanistan. Her work has been recognized with six regional Emmys, honors from the Overseas Press Club, World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International, the Edward R. Murrow awards, the Nieman Foundation, the National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism, and with a Casey Medal, which was awarded for the nation's best reporting on children, youth and families. In 2019 the National Press Photographers Association awarded their Humanitarian Award to Flynn, for her career covering human rights issues and injustices. She is a member of Women Photograph.

Rick Loomis is a Los Angeles based freelance photojournalist who has twice been recognized with the Pulitzer Prize. He was a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times for more than 20 years and currently freelances in the editorial, advertising and non-profit spaces by day while working temporarily as a forensics / major crimes photographer for the LAPD by night.

Jake is an award-winning community photojournalist who is committed to telling local stories with impact in Flint and throughout Michigan. His aim with his camera is to build trust through a listening ear, sharp eye and empathetic, heartfelt approach to reflect the stories of those he has the privilege to meet — putting the journalism into photojournalism.

Jess is an independent photojournalist who focuses on long form visual stories with the aim to dive deep, showcasing intimate details and important moments of the lives reflected honestly in front of her lens. She has had staff jobs at her hometown paper, The Newark Advocate, and most recently the San Antonio Express-News. She recently moved back to Ohio, and will continue to pursue issue-based stories through building relationships and gaining one-of-a-kind access into the lives of those impacted. Jess has been named photographer of the year by both POYI and NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism, as well as in Ohio for seven years in a row.

Akili is a Pulitzer-winning picture editor and former Executive Director of the National Press Photographers Association, with a distinguished career spanning major media organizations including the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, and Orlando Sentinel. She has established herself as a prominent visual journalist and editor, serving on advisory boards for the Eddie Adams Workshop and the National Association of Black Journalists Visual Task Force.

“If you learn to shoot with your heart, you’ll move people’s souls!” A good friend & mentor said that to Eric years ago. It’s something he still thinks about working as a photo & video journalist at the Detroit Free Press where he’s been since 1999. Eric has been recognized for his photo and video storytelling with a national Edward R. Murrow award, a national Webby Award, multiple Michigan Press Photographer Association Multimedia Photographer of the Year awards, several POYi awards & eleven Emmys.

Singeli is a Peabody and Emmy award-winning director, writer and cinematographer with more than 15 years experience in groundbreaking television and documentary work. She's covered stories in more than 50 countries and in some of the most challenging environments one can take a camera.

Julia is a 3x Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, producer and journalist based in NYC. Julia started her career at CNN and TIME Magazine, covering breaking news stories across the globe and conducting interviews with many of the formative figures of our time. Julia founded a production company in 2021, and focuses primarily on documentary and development work as a cinematographer, producer, and director. Her work has appeared on Netflix, HBO, NBC, ABC, Tubi, CNN, LinkedIn, and TIME, among others. Julia loves being out in the field, and believes in a human-first approach to her work, working closely with participants to form strong bonds that lead to greater trust and richer storytelling. She’s covered stories on a wide range of topics, but her favorite areas of focus are ocean conservation and female empowerment.

Chris is a documentary director and producer telling human-first stories at the intersection of conservation, blue-collar resilience, and emotional truth. Based in Long Beach, he’s worked with brands like Google and Pepsi, and most recently wrapped The Unseen Cavalry — a film about the quiet fight to restore California’s kelp forests.

Ray is a documentary director of photography who lives in Washington, D.C. He works at the intersection of documentary film and journalism, bringing a strong visual sensibility and commitment to journalistic principals to every project he works on. The core tenets of his practice are transparency, collaboration and critical reflexivity. He’s worked as a cinematographer on more than 25 documentary features and filmed projects for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Univision, among others. He has more than a decade of experience covering political issues across the U.S.

Biz is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker working on the film team at The North Face. ​​Her work often explores environmental ​/ social equity through intimate conversations and personal stories​​.

Mick has been a professional photojournalist for 41 years, Mountain Workshops Picture Editing faculty since 2002. The journey: Jacksonville (Illinois) Journal-Courier; Springfield (Illinois) State Journal-Register; Providence (Rhode Island) Journal; Charlotte Observer; USA Today. No rest for the wicked.

Max is the Senior Visuals Editor at The Indianapolis Star. Aside from daily news and long-term project work, he has coordinated coverage of and edited major sporting events including the Indianapolis 500, the Masters and the Olympics. Max has been recognized by NPPA as the Newspaper Editor of the Year and was part of a team to receive the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award grand prize.

Sue is career-long picture editor and designer who has worked in some of the best newsrooms in the country with the best in the profession. She joined CatchLight in August as a contract picture editor. Sue continues to advocate for visual journalists from a ridge of a forest as an independent editor/designer/photographer in Athens, Ohio.

Lisa graduated from Western Kentucky University, where she majored in mass communications and government, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. She worked as a reporter and newscaster at WKCT-Radio and as a reporter and anchor at WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, KY, before retiring after 30 years as a newswoman for The Associated Press.

Tom, a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, is a writer and photographer based in Lexington. Before retiring from full-time journalism, he was with The Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Lexington Herald-Leader, where he was the managing editor and a columnist. He now manages the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame, a join project of the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning.

Jack, a native of Maysville, Ky. has a Master's degree in communications from the University of Kentucky and is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and was a reporter from 1976 to 1978 for The Sentinel-News in Shelbyville and then from 1978 to 2021 in the Lexington Herald-Leader's Frankfort bureau. After retiring in December 2021 from the Herald-Leader, he became a freelance writer for various publications, including Kentucky Monthly magazine and Kentucky Lantern news website.

Shannon is the editor of the Bryn Mawr College Alumnae Bulletin. She was the features reporter for the Courier-Post from 2015 to 2017 and has written for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Lexington Herald-Leader and more. Previously, she led content for Opera Philadelphia, managing the social media accounts and website, creating and editing written and multimedia content, running the streaming Opera Philadelphia Channel from 2020 to 2023 and coordinating the publication of the print and digital performance programs.

Libby Falk Jones taught creative and analytical writing, including journalism, at Berea College for 29 years and currently leads writing workshops locally and nationally. She has published five collections of poetry, most recently _Enchanting the Ordinary: Poems and Photographs_ (Broadstone, 2025).

Liz taught journalism for more than 30 years, the last 27 at Eastern Kentucky University, after working for newspapers in Arkansas and Louisiana and as a freelance writer/photographer early in her career. She is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Since retiring, she continues to take on writing and editing projects and has exhibited her photographs in several juried shows.

Maryjean was a reporter, sportswriter, and sports columnist at the Lexington Herald-Leader for 41 years. She has authored two books (a third will be published in 2026) and was a free-lance magazine writer for 17 years after retiring from the Herald-Leader. She also is a photographer.

Chris leads PR and Partnerships for Woodford Reserve and Old Forester at Brown-Forman Corporation in Louisville. A 1994 WKU graduate, he worked for newspapers in Tennessee, Florida, and China and was a reporter at The Courier-Journal in Louisville.

Maxx is a multidisciplinary designer, creative director, and technologist passionate about crafting immersive experiences, digital products, and motion-driven storytelling at the intersection of design, technology, and human connection. With 15+ years of experience, he has led teams and crafted award-winning work across XR, UI/UX, branding, and experiential installations blending innovation and sustainability for brands, startups, and cultural projects.

Gabi is an independent visual journalist specializing in both photography and videography based in south central Kentucky. Broekema’s career has included photojournalism internships with MLive- Kalamazoo Gazette and the Colorado Springs Gazette followed by a year and a half working across four papers for USA Today-Wisconsin. Her education spanned across the ocean with a study abroad semester at the Danish School of Media and Journalism in Aarhus, Denmark as well as a BA in photojournalism from Western Kentucky University. Broekema placed numerous times in the Hearst Journalism Awards for her excellence in editing, photojournalism and documentary videography both individually and with group projects.

Jan is a journalist-engineer with The Pudding who specializes in data visual storytelling. She has been awarded top prizes from the Society of News Design and the Online Journalism Awards, has contributed to Pulitzer and Emmy finalist projects, has had her work displayed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery, and is a LEGO Adult Night building competition winner. Her internet claim to fame is a data-driven piece on the size of women's pockets. She's been designing the Mountain Workshops t-shirts for the last 3 years.

Kurt is an Endpoint Engineer for Western Kentucky University’s Information Technology Services. A 1998 graduate of the WKU Photojournalism program, Kurt worked at multiple newspapers before joining the WKU PJ department as a staff member in 2003. Kurt has been involved with the Workshops for over 20 years. He lives in Bowling Green with his wife Jana, son Nate (who is a senior at WKU) and daughter Kara (who will be a junior at WKU next year).

Justin is currently a visual communications specialist at Springfield Clinic in Springfield, Illinois. He was previously a staff photographer at the State Journal-Register from 2006 to 2021, covering life in and around the capitol city. Fowler, a native Kentuckian, found his love photojournalism on accident at Western Kentucky University in 2000 and took his first staff photographer position in Janurary of 2006 at the SJR. While studying photojournalism and political science at WKU, Fowler had internships at The Lexington Herald-Leader, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Naples Daily News and The State Journal-Register.

Nic is a documentary filmmaker and photographer in Atlanta, GA. With experience in commercial film production, he has developed a love for non-fiction storytelling and the documentary process. He is forever seeking to document fascinating characters, relationships, places, and the narratives they weave.

Teresa is an Air Force veteran who has more than 21-years experience in military journalism and visual information. Her experiences in the military include editing and design of several military newspapers and writing and editing news and feature articles on a vast array of military-related subjects as well as research and design of World War II educational products and memorabilia. She has designed and edited several military history books, pamphlets, brochures and posters. She is the office coordinator for the School of Media & Communication at WKU.

Sam Mallon is an independent documentary filmmaker and photographer based in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area. She is drawn to stories that explore the natural world and our relationship to it.

Brian, a long-time visual and digital innovator, award-winning photographer, editor and true friend of the Mountain Workshops is a former Photojournalist-in-Residence at Western Kentucky University, Director of Photography & Editorial Systems at The Flint (Mich.) Journal newspaper, from 1999-2006. Prior to The Journal, Brian worked at the Muskegon Chronicle and was recognized as Michigan Photographer of the Year. He served in various roles on the Michigan Press Photographers Association board for more than two decades.

Brett is the community photojournalist for Mirror Indy in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a CatchLight Local Fellow and a Report for America Corps Member. Before joining Mirror Indy, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Journalism & Photography, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Marketing in May of 2025. Brett has completed multiple photojournalism internships, including The Indianapolis Star, The Boston Globe and The Chautauquan Daily. He believes in capturing the celebration of life and documenting the legacy of communities for generations today and tomorrow.

Amy is a Digital Communicator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. She spent two decades as a photojournalist between the Troy Daily News in Ohio, South Bend Tribune in Indiana, and the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee before moving into storytelling roles for Zoo Knoxville and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Originally from Nashville, she is a 1998 graduate of Western Kentucky University’s photojournalism program. The job may change, but the heart remains the same, finding new and interesting ways to tell stories.

Steve, a 1992 graduate of WKU, is a corporate media producer, photographer and editor. He is a senior manager at Deloitte, a global consulting firm producing a wide variety of internal media and marketing communications.

Jonathan is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and creative force behind some of the most ambitious space documentaries of the past decade. As a journalist-turned-producer and co-founder of Working Tens, a production company with deep roots at Kennedy Space Center, he works alongside leading aerospace companies to capture the stories reshaping our future. With rare access, field-tested instincts, and a gift for emotionally rich storytelling, Jonathan is drawn to moments where human ambition meets the edge of possibility.

Adam is an independent Director of Photography in Brooklyn. He's usually working for OceanX filming wildlife and science on a research vessel.

Jonathan has bounced around in the visual storytelling world ever since graduating from Western Kentucky University’s PJ program in 1993. His favorite newspaper job was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming before being lured away by the money of crazy big weddings. For the past seven years he has taught at WKU and has helped run all aspects of the workshops. Now his main job at Mountain is to make sure everything comes together without anyone noticing.

Jeanie has been teaching at WKU for close to 25 years and is fueled by inspiring her students to see the best in themselves. She was the recipient of the National Press Photographers Association’s Robin F. Garland Educator Award in 2021, which recognizes outstanding educators who shape a new generation of visual communicators and photojournalists through their lessons.

Tim, a 1988 graduate of WKUPJ, has been a professor of photojournalism since 2001 at WKU. He has been involved with the Mountain every year since 1985 and now directs the production and video storytelling side of the workshops making sure your experience is one of a kind.

James is the program coordinator for the WKU Visual Journalism & Photography program and director of the Mountain Workshops. Though his work is very important to him, it pales in comparison to the greatest blessings in his life – his wife, six kids and two grandchildren.