Evan Ortiz

New York Times Journalism Institute

Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, Evan Ortiz cannot be described in one.
“I am just as quiet and observant as I am engaged, outgoing, funny and insane,” said Mr. Ortiz, a 21-year-old photographer from Brooklyn, N.Y. “I am all over the place, but I love it. I love being able to interact with people, be a part of their lives and also see, observe and learn.”
Mr. Ortiz discovered his passion for fashion photography while studying photojournalism as an undergraduate at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I realized there was an opportunity to really get to know people through photography,” he said. “I just love what the camera can do to visually show and represent a person in their life and what their life means to them.”

Evan Ortiz, 21, in New Orleans on Monday is a photographer

 from Brooklyn. He said, “I am just as quiet and observant 

as I am engaged, outgoing, funny and insane.”

Photo by Donnalyn Anthony | NYT Institute

Mr. Ortiz first heard about the two-week New York Times Student Journalism Institute from a professor who encouraged him to look into the program. After doing a bit of research, he was eager to apply.
“I have had some journalism experience, but I want to push and expand on my knowledge,” he said.
Mr. Ortiz hopes that the institute will teach him how to work under deadlines, enrich his storytelling abilities and develop the practical and technical skills needed to execute his stories.
“I have done a lot of photography work and video journalism, but I also want to see if I can harness more skills specifically related to journalism,” he said.
Mr. Ortiz said that he was excited and amazed by the group of students in the Institute and he hopes to build a community with his peers and produce a body of work that will make them proud.
“The collaborative aspect will be a good and healthy challenge for me, but it is something I am really proud to be a part of,” he said.