In honor of the launch of The Matthew’s section, “In Photos,” we interviewed JCU Professor Valabrega on her award-winning photojournalism career and the new photojournalism class she is teaching. 

Community Spotlight

By Sara Segat/ Matthew staff | Edited by Marouso Pappa

Federica Valabrega has been a Lecturer in Photography and Journalism at JCU since 2022, as well as a renowned photojournalist and professional photographer based between Rome and New York City. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to explore her background, her extensive photography career, and her own aspirations for the new “In Photos” section of The Matthew. 

You have a remarkable education, with a BA in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado and an MA in Journalism & Public Affairs from the American University in Washington DC. Why the US? And why this combination? 

I went to the U.S. because my whole family is made of doctors, and I wanted to become a doctor myself at the time. So, I decided to attend college and possibly later medical school in America; that’s why I chose the United States. Also, my dad had done a fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and with our Jewish roots, the American dream was always in the back of our minds. Being the first daughter, they kind of put all their dreams into me. Before switching to Integrative Physiology, I actually started with Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, another premed major. I enjoyed it, but towards the end of the semester, due to a health issue doctors couldn’t diagnose, I lost trust in the U.S. healthcare system. It wasn’t like the doctors I was used to in Italy, who paid a lot of attention to the clinical aspects and symptoms of the patient. This led me to get more into research, particularly immunology. I was even accepted into a Ph.D. program at CHOP Hospital in Philadelphia, focusing on studying mRNA receptors for the HIV virus. But, due to my involvement in yoga teacher training, I had a more thorough understanding of myself and decided to tell the professor, ‘I’m not going to be a lab rat; this is not my calling.’

I’ve always wanted to write, so I started engaging in literature classes and scored an internship at Climbing Magazine because I really liked rock climbing. The editor, Matt Samet, became a great friend and taught me everything I know about writing and captioning. He suggested, ‘Why don’t you apply for a master’s in journalism? It might be easier than creative writing for a non-native speaker.’ So, I started studying for the GRE and applying to master’s programs. [The] American University [in Washington, D.C.] was not my first choice; I wanted Northwestern University in Chicago for magazine journalism. I tried Columbia, too, but was waitlisted. American University seemed like an okay choice, close enough to New York. I almost failed initially, being from a science background, but I ended up loving it so much that I found myself on death row writing my master’s thesis on Troy Anthony Davis, and that’s when I realized, ‘This is my calling; I love it.’ 

Your outstanding curriculum as a freelance photographer and photojournalist precedes you. You’ve photographed for The New York Times, TIME Magazine, La Stampa, The Washington Post, and Vogue Italy, to mention a few. How did you get into photojournalism? 

I got into photojournalism during an economic crisis while struggling to find work post-graduation. I borrowed a camera from the video department [of my university] and took photos on my own, contributed to The Observer, the class-taught newspaper of American University. Later, while rock climbing, I got some precious advice from a friend interning at The Washington Post, who suggested I buy my own camera and learn to “zoom with my feet!”. He suggested I take photos and said he would teach me a few things about cameras, lenses, and so on. I began photographing various subjects, including beach volleyball and weddings and even teaching yoga for income, so I managed to buy my first camera lens. A workshop with David Alan Harvey in New York in 2010 marked a turning point, inspiring my project “Daughters of the King.” So, by then, I had transitioned from pre-medical to journalism, gaining a few experiences in D.C. and New Orleans, and I was starting to get assignments from the New York Times and other newspapers. Then, my project, “Daughters of the King,” allowed me to settle in New York. So, looking back, it was a fully self-taught journey, learning from mistakes and feedback along the way, but I’m still excited about the unconventional path I took as it has always kept my mind open. 

Your work is inspired and revolves around people – particularly women. Indeed, in 2013, you published the photobook Daughters of the King, a documentary project on the role of women within different Orthodox Jewish communities. Can you tell us a bit more about this project? 

As a little girl born to a non-Jewish mother and a Jewish father, I was raised Jewish, encountering questions and doubts due to my mixed heritage. When I moved to Brooklyn in 2010, I was struck by the visible Orthodox Jewish communities – something entirely different from my experiences in Rome. I guess you could say I was intrigued and motivated by a nostalgic connection to my Jewish roots, and I embarked on a personal journey to understand what it meant to be Jewish, particularly as a woman. I had to dress modestly to be let into photographing these communities, but eventually, I immersed myself in the Orthodox community in New York, seeking answers from Jewish women and finding a sense of family there, too. I began photographing them because they were all very interesting, stimulating subjects.  

The resulting photobook, “Daughters of the King,” which I published in 2013 when I was 30, explores the lives and perspectives of women in different Orthodox Jewish communities. I delved into the patriarchal nature of Judaism, questioning societal norms and traditions. The project extended to Israel, Paris, Morocco, and Tunisia. I went to the West Bank, where I witnessed Orthodox Jews settling despite political complexities. The women I met, of course, varied greatly from those in the West Bank to Parisian and Moroccan women. I raised money for my travels with two major crowdfunding campaigns on my own, then I got some money from the Matanel Foundation, and I gave small prints to the people who funded my campaign. Despite the challenges and risks involved in documenting these communities, the experience was transformative. It offered me a deeper understanding of Judaism and a connection to a diverse group of women. In a way, it also transcends the religious aspect because the subjects really are strong women. Plus, I was so lost in my life when I began shooting it. The rigidity of religion gave me strength in my own everyday life. The project was a catalyst for my very disorganized daily life. I did not use organization in this project, as they were all random encounters on streets, corners, and so on. But I definitely used perseverance and determination. So that’s when I realized that photography can really heal all sorts of problems, and it’s also what I tell my students: you don’t just take photos, you MAKE photos happen! If you take good photos and you post them on Instagram, if you show them to people, maybe you heal them, maybe you help them understand themselves, maybe you make somebody smile, or somebody cry, or maybe you’re also healing yourself by expressing yourself that way. Photography saved me from the pressure and all sorts of other issues living in a foreign country. By going into these communities, I felt whole again. Even though these communities have nothing to do with my family, they kind of felt like some sort of adoptive family for a bit, and that was enough for me at that time to not feel so lonely as well. 

You’re currently one of the central freelancers for the Italian Washington Post Bureau as well. Can you tell us a bit about the role? 

There’s no set rule, and I mainly cover stories in and around Rome. The bureau also collaborates with several other freelancers throughout Italy. I started working with them in 2020 when the main bureau chief reporter at the time, Chico Harlan, and I connected on Instagram, and he appreciated my work. The key to the role is simple: if you do a good job, they hire you again; if not, they don’t. It’s all project-based, with assignments ranging from photographing events to coordinating with reporters on specific stories. For example, I recently received a potential assignment to photograph a specific event on a particular day. The coordination involves communicating with the reporter and sometimes traveling together. I’ve had interesting experiences, like flying to Sardinia on short notice to capture images of a confiscated Russian oligarch’s house. What matters is that it’s still journalism. The work often also involves solo missions, such as covering a restaurant or an event. Occasionally, reporters send their own photos, but the collaboration is generally enjoyable. It’s a unique experience to be published globally, and being based in Italy has worked to my advantage compared to when I lived in the U.S. The competition is intense there, and being Italian in Italy is an advantage for these newspapers. Overall, it’s a fun and rewarding experience, like a recent story on starlings’ migration where I worked closely with a video maker and ornithologist for four intense days, capturing the migration of starlings. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but it’s a fantastic opportunity when it happens. 

As a professional photographer, you also collaborate with commercial and private clients worldwide. According to your experience, how do commercial photography and photojournalism relate? Do they inform each other in some ways? 

In terms of commercial photography, I often find myself incorporating a photojournalistic style, especially when clients seek a storytelling approach. For instance, I collaborated on the post-COVID campaign for the Italian railroad system, Trenitalia. They wanted portraits of individuals in a natural, everyday setting. We used studio lighting to mimic natural light, creating a journalistic, authentic look. Similarly, for the Fearless Girl campaign in New York, despite its grand scale, the approach remained journalistic, capturing a regular photo with statue lighting on Wall Street. So, in my experience, successful commercial photography often relies on storytelling, with a preference for narratives that evoke human emotions. Photojournalism, too, is not always about hard news; there’s feature photojournalism, soft news photojournalism, and so on, but these all share a common thread in storytelling. For example, my project, “Daughters of the King,” initially started as a documentary piece focused on Jewish women in Brooklyn, showcasing the depth and storytelling aspects in both commercial and photojournalistic photography. 

You’ve also received several awards and had your work showcased in various exhibits. What would you say is the most significant achievement or the most treasured moment of your professional career? 

It’s hard to pinpoint a single significant achievement or treasured moment. Awards are nice, but they’re not abundant in my case. To be honest, my book took me everywhere, and I’m really grateful for that. All in all, I’ve had the privilege of working on various impactful projects. One moment that stands out is my work on immigration. Feeling like an immigrant myself in the U.S., I was drawn to stories of those navigating the immigration journey. A couple of friends of mine were working at the border with Mexico, and I wanted to get involved too, so I went to Tijuana in November 2018 and documented the experiences of Salvadorian and Ecuadorian migrants, primarily women and children escaping domestic violence. Among them was Maria, a mother of nine at the time, whom I photographed before her image gained wider recognition through the Associated Press. The most rewarding part, however, was the personal connection with Maria. After leaving Tijuana, I tracked her down in Washington, D.C., where she had sought asylum. I ended up photographing her in her house without ever disclosing her location; I was very protective of her and only allowed the reporter to contact her on the phone while I was there. Embedding with her for a month, I broke the story to TIME Magazine, contributing to a special and important piece on immigration. This project opened doors for me, leading to opportunities like working with Rolling Stone Magazine on a 10-month tour documenting immigrants affected by the revocation of DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]. But the sense of achievement came from breaking a story on my terms. This experience, more than any award, was personally rewarding and symbolized the essence of what I aim to reach in my work. 

At JCU, you currently teach ‘Introduction to Photojournalism: On Location in Rome.’ Can you tell us a bit more about the class? 

I decided to come back to Rome after the pandemic, but I still live between here and New York. Here at JCU, I also teach Digital Photography in a different department, so from there, together with the Chair of the Art and Design Department and the Chair of the Communications Department, we had the idea of re-introducing photojournalism, which was a class that was not taught for a while, but I wanted to give my expertise of this kind of photography and see if I could teach it – yes, I can. The fact that my current students are all doing really interesting stories in Rome is very exciting, and it makes me very proud of them because Rome, as a city, is a hard source of inspiration as it’s so cliqué almost everywhere you turn. The class isn’t structured as a major journalism class, and I can’t provide press passes like they did in my previous college. Instead, I prefer guiding students to create feature stories, evergreen news, or long-form documentary. Their projects vary, covering topics like the pros and cons of TikTok, tourist traps in Rome, traffic issues, sustainability challenges, and secondhand smoking. I emphasize hands-on learning, encouraging students to explore topics that genuinely interest them and explaining why they are the ones to tell the story. I provide them with inspiration from past and present photojournalists, share stories, and guide them through the process, fostering an environment where they take ownership of their projects. While we go out together a few times, the class emphasizes working independently and delving into topics that go beyond traditional hard news. 

With your help and the material retrieved from your class, The Matthew is launching its “In Photos” section, where JCU students will be able to experiment with photojournalism and visual storytelling. What do you hope to see in the next issues? 

I hope to see a lot of compelling and beautiful images from students interested in showing what they “see” with their own eyes. I would be more than happy to give any suggestions to any of them interested in submitting images. 

What would you say are the main challenges for students – especially women – who are starting out in media communications, be it journalism or audiovisual? 

Passion and talent together are not always enough to make it in this business; you need to be relentless and sometimes ruthless and always get behind what you want and pursue it like there is no tomorrow. Hard work is the only way you will make it! 

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring journalists, photojournalists, and photographers? 

Don’t only look at photographs for inspiration. Go and enjoy some paintings as well. Do spend time outside in nature and explore your other senses surrounding yourself. Sight is only one of them, and images are made by your whole person engaging in something fully and simultaneously.  

You can explore Prof. Valabrega’s portfolio and contact her through her website and her Instagram account. 

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