Speaking, Consulting and Education

The work behind the picture.

My story

Based in Melbourne, I am available for photography speaking engagements, guest lectures, workshops and visual storytelling consultation for universities, media organisations, PR agencies and corporate communications teams.

My experience spans breaking news, politics, sport, social issues and documentary photography across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Sessions can be tailored for students, photographers, communications professionals or broader audiences interested in photojournalism, media and visual storytelling.

My photography and video work is also published under the professional credit Asanka Ratnayake

Speaking Engagements

My talks draw on real assignments and the practical decisions made before, during and after a photograph is taken.

Subjects can include gaining access, working under pressure, visual storytelling, news judgement, ethics and understanding what editors need from photography. Talks can be developed for conferences, panel discussions, industry events, photography groups, newsrooms and professional organisations.

Australian photojournalist Asanka Brendon Ratnayake sitting on a rusted military tank beside the Kabul to Jalalabad road while on assignment in Afghanistan
Photojournalist Asanka Brendon Ratnayake is held back by a police officer while photographing Cardinal George Pell in a crowded media scrum.

University Lectures, Workshops and Tutorials

I am available for guest lectures, workshops and small group tutorials covering photojournalism, editorial photography and professional visual storytelling.

Sessions can explore how assignments are researched, photographed, captioned, edited and filed under deadline. Practical workshops may also include image reviews, caption writing, portfolio editing, story sequencing, pitching and discussions around ethics.

Lectures and workshops can be adapted for courses in journalism, media, communications, photography, visual arts and public relations.

PR & Corporate Photography Consultation

Strong PR and corporate photography often begins well before the photographer arrives.

I consult with PR agencies, organisations and corporate communications teams on photography briefs, shoot planning and visual strategy. This can include identifying visual opportunities, planning locations and access, developing useful shot lists and creating stronger image libraries for media, websites, social platforms and corporate publications.

The aim is to make the brief clearer, the shoot more efficient and the resulting photography more natural and credible.

Melbourne photojournalist Asanka Brendon Ratnayake working on a laptop beside cameras, lenses and video equipment during an assignment.

Enquiries

Speaking engagements, university lectures, photography workshops and consultation can be tailored to the audience and purpose of each event.

For enquiries, please include the proposed date, location, audience, format and subjects you would like covered.contact@abrfoto.com