Chloe, like many others who work there, is testament to Penumbra Foundation’s welcoming atmosphere. A New York City-based photographer, she first found the organization when in high school, and began volunteering there. Even after leaving for college, she still gravitated back to the foundation where she laid down her roots.

“I knew they had this amazing community and programs, and wanted to keep getting involved there. So, I continued volunteering and eventually began interning – then kind of found a home.”

Such deeply established connections are what form the basis of Penumbra Foundation’s strong core, with many artists and residents going on to teach classes, exhibit work, or give talks at the foundation.

Maintaining this self-perpetuating cycle of inspiration is the motivation at the heart of the Internship Program.

Created in partnership with Fujifilm, this new program offered four interns the opportunity to learn new artistic and professional skills through mentorships with established artists, while immersing themselves in Penumbra Foundation’s supportive photographic community.

Jarrett Esaw

Jarrett’s love for photography revolves around natural light. With a focus on street photography, he often spends his time exploring his home city of New York in search of that perfect moment.

Jarrett’s passion for natural light is only matched by his love for print, believing his images are not fully realized until on paper. Assisting photographer Liz Nielson, who specializes in analog color darkroom printing, proved perfect.

“Most of my printing is done using alternative processes, so it was great to practice traditional darkroom printing as well,” insists Jarrett. “I’m especially happy that I gained so much experience with color darkroom printing, since I had only tried it twice before the internship.”

He goes on to highlight the responsibility and creative freedom afforded to him, and how this helped his development as an artist.

“I’m glad that Liz trusted me with her work and ideas. I gained a huge amount of confidence as a printer and photographer,” he explains. “Liz taught me tons about color and printing large images. I’m excited to use some of the techniques I learned and apply them to my own work!”

Since working with the organization, Jarett had the opportunity to collaborate with Fujifilm on the launch of FUJIFILM X-T5. Learn more about this mentorship experience here.

Ella Baum

Ella is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer who tells stories using photography and poetry that work together in playful communion. Her mentor was fellow Brooklyn resident, award-winning photographer, and prolific educator Kate Ovaska.

“It was inspiring to witness how Kate melded ideas and memories in her images through various presentational modalities,” says Ella. “She thinks deeply about which materials and processes will best support the content of her photographs.”

As Kate is an artist in residence at Penumbra Foundation, Ella spent most of her time at the heart of the organization, helping her form those all-important relationships with fellow creatives.

“This program immersed me in a lively NYC photography community and allowed me to benefit from the resources that the Penumbra Foundation and Fujifilm have to offer,” Ella continues.

Ella assisted Kate in a variety of ways – from researching and assisting on photo shoots, through to digital printing and archiving. Such a broad spectrum of responsibilities helped her gain experience in all aspects of the photographic cycle from a practical perspective.

However, the benefits did not stop there. By working alongside such an experienced artist, Ella had the opportunity to draw on Kate’s knowledge and expertise to feed her own inspiration.

“Kate’s penchant for experimentation and her desire to push photographic boundaries will certainly inform my own work moving forward.

“There are not a lot of programs in the city that prioritize the learning and welfare of young, aspiring artists,” concludes Ella. “I am excited to see the program develop over time and I hope that many young photographers will have the opportunity to participate.”