The Momenta Story
Learn about our History & Values
Momenta offers online programing as well multi-day in-person workshops around the world. Our unique curricular model combines both lecture and hands-on approaches to hone technical skills and creative style.
Our programs have a proven track record with thousands of superlative visual professionals. With more than 1000 attendees and 90+ workshops around the globe, the Momenta model has been helping photographers connect with important stories since 2008.
We have changed the way nonprofits think about photography and we happily have helped to create new, successful career paths for our attending storytellers.
2008How It All Began
In 2008, our co-founders, John Christopher Anderson and Jamie Rose, were working for top-tier photography and news companies. As the media struggled with cutbacks and diminishing budgets, each founder saw the need for change in the industry and the way stories were told to the public.
The architecture and vision for Momenta began with Chris' core goal: find like-minded photographers around the world and encourage social change with powerful documentary images.
With more than 1000 attendees and 90+ workshops around the globe, the Momenta model has been helping photographers connect with important stories around the globe. We have changed the way nonprofits think about photography and we happily have helped to create new careers for our clients.
Today, Momenta Group is composed of three unique business units. Workshops offers documentary photojournalism training programs for groups and individuals. Creative is our communications firm, specializing in external and internal communications consulting, strategic planning, and visual creative products.
Our youngest division, Wildfire Media is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public with documentary stories on humanitarian and nonprofit issues. By combining both Workshops and Creative teams along with working creatives, governments, and NGOs, the Momenta trifecta perfectly supports our mission and creates industry building around the world.
"Experience has shown me when most people look deeply into themselves and dream, they manifest something pretty special."
— John Christopher Anderson, Momenta Co-Founder
OUR MISSION
With our training programs, we aim to....
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Bring together like-minded storytellers around the world and create powerful, authentic documentary narratives to encourage social change.
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Create a corporate structure with an advocacy model to protect and incubate the mission of concerned documentary journalism.
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Create a network of journalists, nonprofits, and experts that will connect all types of storytelling, including those that modern media institutions currently ignore.
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Build a new media marketplace that will continue to support, encourage, and foster the next generation of the communications community.
“Momenta Workshops, known internationally for their commitment to fostering social change through documentary photography, has several workshops this year, all worth checking out in-depth.”
-Feature Shoot’s 50 Workshops for Photographers
Meet the Dream Team
The backbone of our community is our incredible faculty, many of whom first started their journey with us as attendees of our programs. From Pulitzer Prize and World Press winners to published authors and world-famous podcasters, our teaching faculty are dedicated to fostering a creative and inclusive learning environment so all storytellers feel empowered and welcomed.
Sponsors are a valued, important part of our Momenta Family.
Become a Sponsor
By sponsoring our programs, you help us create a lasting impact in the lives of our participants and partner organizations. Join us to make a positive contribution to global communities.
In the news
“Momenta practices what they preach. Their mission is to use photography to create a global dialogue for a better world."
Momenta is “an organization that champions the work of photojournalists and leads seminars around the world... to access real cultural experiences.”
“The workshops will feature instruction from master photographers, comfortable accommodation and meticulously planned itineraries.”
Momenta “specializes in travel and documentary workshops that create global dialogues about social issues.”