SFBAPPA Mentor Program.

The Bay Area is filled with many of the best photojournalists in the country and the SFBAPPA Mentor Program offers young photojournalists the opportunity to learn from them. This is tough business to survive in and today's students need more than the classroom to prepare them for the competitive world of photojournalism.

The future of photojournalism will be in the hands of today's students. Mentoring them gives you the chance to pass down the ethics and ideals that we struggle to uphold in our newsrooms. It is not only rewarding for the students but for the professional as well. Through the exchange of ideas you will be both be inspired and motivated.


Mentee Application PDF:

Note: You must be a SFBAPPA member to apply. Students and members with less than three years professional experience qualify to be a mentee.

Date ____________ Name __________________________________________

Mailing address, City, Zip ___________________________________________

Home/Cell/Work Phone ______________________ Email _________________

School/Alma Mater ___________________________________________

News Organization, if applicable _________________________________

What was/is your major in school? _____________________

Years out of school ________ Experience level (advance, mid-level, beginning) _____________

Years of professional experience as a photographer _____________

Where do you prefer to meet? (San Francisco East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay, no preference, etc.) Please be specific about the radius within which you are willing to travel ____________________________________________________

What areas of photojournalism do you need the most help in? (general assignment, studio, sports, photo story, etc.) _________________________________________

Please write a brief statement about your career goals and what you hope to gain from his program ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Mentees guidelines:

SFBAPPA will contact you as soon as possible when we have found a mentor for you. Please be patient.

Once you have been matched up, contact your mentor by email or phone. Find out when is the best time to contact them and how. Do they prefer to be contacted by phone or by email? Email them a brief description of yourself – what level you are, what you hope to accomplish, what areas you need the most advice in, etc.

Get a dialog going. Ask them about how to put a portfolio together, how to get an internship. If you have a project or portfolio that needs editing ask for their help. Ask if it would be possible to shadow them for a day.

If possible, set up a time to show them your work for a critique. If they are too busy to meet in person then offer to send them your work by mail. Make sure to clarify how they would like to see your work presented (i.e. CD, prints, slides, DVD, video tape.)

Mentors are very busy so we recommend that you initiate contact with them. Mentors are here to help you but you must ask for it. How you treat the relationship will dictate what you will get out of it. Always remember to thank them for their time.

When you no longer need your mentor's help let them know and schedule a closing discussion. Don't leave your mentor wondering what happened to you.

Even when you stop meeting your mentor on a regular basis we advise you to keep in touch throughout your career from time to time. This is a small business; you are bound to run into each other again.

Mentors Application PDF:

Note: Mentors do NOT need to be a member of SFBAPPA to apply.

Date ____________ Name __________________________________________

Mailing address, City, Zip ___________________________________________

Home/Cell/Work Phone ______________________ Email _________________

Publication/TV Station ____________ Your Title ________________________

Best time to call _________ Years of Photojournalism Experience _________

What level would you like to mentor? (advance, mid-level, beginning, no preference) _______________________

Where do you prefer to meet? (San Francisco East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay, no preference, etc.) ____________________________________________________

What areas of photojournalism do do you prefer to mentor in? (general assignment, studio, sports, photo story, etc.) _________________________________________

Please write a brief history of your professional experience ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Mentor Guidelines:

We recommend that you stay in contact with your mentee once a month at least by phone or email. Try to meet them in person when possible. We strongly encourage that you arrange to let your mentee shadow you for a day at least once.

We recommend that mentees initiate most of the contact so let them know when and how is the best way to get a hold of you. Tell them how often you expect to hear from them, but also try to check in with them from time to time.

Please offer honest, insightful, constructive criticism to help them grow.

If unforeseen events make it unable for you to devote time to the mentor program please let us know as soon as possible.



All Participants:

Please update us on how your mentorship is going. We would like to know how this experience has helped you and if you have any suggestions to make it better.

If you have any concerns or problems with your mentorship please let us know as soon as possible.

SFBAPPA does not claim responsibility of the meeting between mentor and mentee.


Please send this application to:
Brett Ascarelli
SFBAPPA Mentor Chair
2570 Merced St.
Napa, CA 94558
brettascarelli@gmail.com

More info,
Brett Ascarelli
SFBAPPA Mentor Chair
brettascarelli@gmail.com
917-669-3604