Ana Gosen teaches impactful storytelling to photographers at Xposure 2025

Post by: Layla Badr

Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

At the 9th edition of the International Photography Festival, Xposure, held in Aljada, Sharjah, participants had the chance to attend an insightful Focus Group session with Venezuelan visual storyteller Ana Maria Arevalo Gosen. This session, titled “Eyes on the Impact,” took place on February 21 and provided an opportunity for photographers, both amateur and professional, to learn about impactful storytelling through images.

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During the session, Gosen encouraged the photographers to think about how they could use their work to address important issues like climate change, rising sea levels, portraits of artists on stage, and even conservation efforts to protect giant armadillos. She guided the group in exploring new creative processes that would help them tell stories that are not only meaningful but also focused on ethical and community-centered goals. Gosen’s approach emphasized the importance of making photography a powerful tool for social change.

Ana Maria Arevalo Gosen, who is a National Geographic Explorer, shared her own experiences with the group. She talked about her past projects, many of which have focused on issues like women’s rights, social justice, and the environment. One example she shared was her work on Unomia, an invasive coral species from Indonesia that was damaging the waters off Venezuela’s coast. This coral species was affecting the livelihoods of local communities, and Gosen’s photographs helped bring attention to the issue, inspiring both community and government action.

Throughout the Focus Group, Gosen helped the photographers apply her six-step process for creating impactful projects. These steps included defining goals, identifying the target audience, selecting the best platforms to share their work, deciding on a call to action, measuring success, and bringing creativity into their projects. By following this method, each participant came up with ideas for projects that could create positive change. Gosen encouraged them to think carefully about who they wanted to reach with their work, who they might collaborate with, and what their action plans would look like.

Gosen also stressed the importance of understanding what change the photographers wanted to make through their stories. She guided them in refining their goals, focusing on what specific change they wanted to see, and thinking about how they could use their images to bring about that change. She also explained the difference between weak and strong calls to action, and how to choose the right communication platforms for their projects.

The session was not just about improving technical photography skills, but also about refining the photographers' ability to tell stories that honor the integrity of the people they photograph while addressing important ethical challenges. The group worked together to improve their photojournalistic talents while learning how to ensure their work had a positive impact on society.

Ana Maria Arevalo Gosen, who is based in Madrid and has won numerous awards for her photography, will also be holding a five-hour workshop on February 22. The workshop, titled "Intimacy and Photography," is aimed at photographers of all skill levels. Additionally, Gosen will present a talk on February 26 called “Eternal Days: How Access and Trust Shaped My Work in Latin American Prisons.” In this presentation, Gosen will share compelling photographs and personal insights about her work documenting the lives of incarcerated women in Latin American prisons, specifically in Venezuela, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

The International Photography Festival Xposure 2025, organized by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), runs from February 20 to 26. The festival features over 100 galleries, more than 300 renowned photographers, and over 2,500 stunning photographs, making it a must-visit event for photography enthusiasts and professionals alike.

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