Free Panel: Bay Area Protest Photojournalists + Pop-Up Exhibit (SF Main Library)

Steve Disenhof

Photojournalists on the Front Lines of Protest: A panel discussion hosted by Indivisible San Francisco and Pro Bono Photo.

Indivisible SF presents a panel of local photojournalists from Pro Bono Photo and other news organizations who will share selections from their portfolios and discuss the role photojournalism plays in documenting protest, civic action and pro-democracy movements.

From the civil rights and voting rights movements of the 1960s to today’s social justice actions, the San Francisco Bay Area has long been a significant site of protest and civil disobedience. Who documents these fleeting moments of protest and civic action? Local photojournalists share their experiences covering pro-democracy movements and street demonstrations throughout the Bay Area.

Hear firsthand accounts from photographers documenting recent protests and demonstrations, view a curated projection of their work and engage directly with the panelists during an audience Q&A.

Pop-Up Gallery: A selection of photographs by participating photojournalists will be displayed alongside historical protest photography from SFPL collections, connecting contemporary documentation of Bay Area demonstrations with the Library’s photographic record of protest and civic action. The display will be on view on the 4th Floor of the Main Library from Sept. 17–Dec. 31.

Moderator

Jack Owicki, founder of Pro Bono Photo, founded the organization after coordinating photography for the Bay Area Women’s Marches in January 2017. A nature photographer and retired scientist, Owicki was formerly an associate professor of biophysics at UC Berkeley and a biotechnology executive.

Panelists

Brooke Anderson (she/her) is a freelance photographer and photojournalist based on Lisjan Ohlone land in Oakland, CA. She covers movements for social, economic, racial, and climate justice. She can be found online at Movement Photographer or on Instagram at @MovementPhotographer.

Steve Disenhof is an early member of Pro Bono Photo and has documented protests and public events throughout the Bay Area for decades. Now retired from his professional career, he works as a photographer and regularly speaks to photography clubs about event photography and related topics. His work explores the use of photography as a tool for documenting social and political change.

Jeff Dooley is a Northern California photojournalist/environmental activist with five decades of experience covering progressive and social justice movements in the Bay Area. Trained in the print journalism industry, he blends storytelling with photography to highlight the humanity driving pro-democracy movements. He currently covers resistance demonstrations from Santa Rosa to Oakland/San Francisco.

Stephanie Mohan is a family and headshot photographer with a portrait studio in Fairfax, CA. A San Francisco State University photojournalism graduate, she has served as Fairfax’s Artist in Residence since 2017, while also pursuing her passion for documenting protests and rallies through her work with Pro Bono Photo.

Event Hosts

Indivisible SF is a volunteer-led San Francisco organization founded in 2017 that organizes protests, civic actions and other activities focused on democracy and public policy. The organization is independent and is not affiliated with or funded by a political party or political action committee.

Pro Bono Photo connects volunteer photographers with nonprofit organizations and community causes, including social justice, environmental advocacy and democracy initiatives. Since the 2017 Bay Area Women’s Marches, its photographers have documented nearly 1,800 events in more than 100 communities throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento.

Connect:

Pro Bono Photo – Website | Pro Bono Photo – Instagram | Pro Bono Photo – Facebook

Indivisible San Francisco – Website | Indivisible San Francisco – Instagram | Indivisible San Francisco – Facebook 

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.