A virtual village raising fresh photo talent

THE BIPOC PHOTO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (BPM) began in Toronto in 2020 as a way to address systematic barriers that face Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour entering into professional photographic practice.

There is significant lack of diversity in all areas of the industry but, through mentorship opportunities, BPM can help to fast track inclusion, and offer crucial support to emerging photographers. The premise is simple: connecting established professionals with emerging talent. Mentors offer what they can and mentees comb through the master list to find a fit that is right for them. Since the program began over 200 mentorships have been facilitated, connecting more than 100 mentors from all parts of the industry with mentees from Canada, the United States, and all over the world.

Unlike many structured mentorship programs, it’s up to the mentor to think about what they can offer, and for mentees to determine what would be most beneficial to them. Mentee’s reach out according to their particular interest. Our master list of mentors includes professionals who work in all areas of photography, sharing their experience in commercial work, fashion, documentary, photojournalism, and fine art.

The program has helped emerging photographers receive grants, gain access to photography studios for the first time, and feel inspired to start new projects or continue projects that have stalled due to a lack of guidance or support. Both mentees and mentors report being invigorated by working with each other. Since the inception of BPM, we’ve heard many stories about how life changing these mentorships have been.

Sumi Siddiqa is a young fashion photographer and director from Toronto who joined the program in late 2020. She landed a mentorship with Toronto-based fashion photographer Mark Binks, who recalls seeing her application for the first time. He says, “The minute I read her email and had a look at her portfolio, I knew she was the right mentee for me. I was absolutely floored (and perhaps a little jealous?!) at her level of creativity and the quality of her work, especially for someone just starting out.”

After Mark and Sumi committed to the mentorship, Mark invited her to visit him at his studio. Sumi recalls how eager she was and states that this gave her the opportunity “to network and it provided on-set experience assisting, which allowed me to learn proper set etiquette and Capture One software.”

As someone who did not study photography formally, Sumi valued the ability to bridge the gap between what she learned on her own, and the professional practices and protocols of commercial fashion work.

She explains, “Being a photographer can be an isolating experience, especially when you are starting out and trying to figure out your business, aesthetics, and the fashion world. It’s nice to have someone show you the ropes and introduce you to working creatives. [The mentorship] gave me access to a community, which at the time seemed very out of reach.” Sumi’s mentor Mark can relate and expresses that this is what drove him, in part, to offer multiple mentorships through BPM. He says, “As someone who never had much mentorship myself, I can tell you that it can be a pretty lonely place emotionally trying to get started, to plug away, to wonder if what you’re doing is even any good.”

As is the case with most mentorships in the BPM program, Sumi and Mark quickly become mutually supportive and beneficial colleagues. Mark recalls, “I found our conversations with respect to [Sumi’s] work and her process profoundly inspiring. I think mentoring someone regarding things you’ve spent years trying to perfect certainly requires some considerable self-examination; recalling my past experiences, my successes and my failures, was something I found to be incredibly rewarding for myself, and it’s been wonderful to watch Sumi really start taking control of her career and her future.”

Sumi feels that the mentorship helped her hone in on the type of media she wants to create and it gave her confidence in her abilities. Furthermore, she states that the program “is a step in the right direction, especially when it comes to diversifying the production sets we work on.”

photoED magazine would like to acknowledge the support of THINK TANK PHOTO for supporting the BIPOC PHOTO MENTORSHIP participants.

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