Zaydee Sanchez is a Mexican-American documentary photographer and writer originally from Tulare, California, an agricultural town in the San Joaquin Valley that inspires much of her work. She focuses on labor workers, the environment, and migration. She gravitates towards long-form stories that aim to inform, connect, heal, and highlight the resilience of humanity.

Zaydee is a recipient of the 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize, where a panel of anonymous judges recognized her “poignant coverage of farm workers, migrants, and transgender Latine groups.”

She proudly serves on the Visual Task Force board of the National Association for Hispanic Journalists and is a member of Authority Collective, Women Photograph, and Diversify Photo.

She is based in Los Angeles, California, covering Southern California, the Central Valley, and the U.S. Southern border from Tijuana to Nogales, Mexico. Open for travel.

Contact: zaydee@zaydeesanchez.com | WhatsApp +1 (559) 331-2663 | Bilingual in Spanish and English.

Selected Clients: The New York Times, ProPublica, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, NPR, High Country News, Palabra, National Geographic (words).

Photo by Lauren Justice

Awards and Recognitions

2024 - The Kalish Workshop
2024 - Pictures of the Year - Washington Post Team Picture Story, “Portrait of a Year in Migration Turmoil.”
2024 - 11th Annual New York Portfolio Review
2023 - Society of Professional Journalists, “Excellence in Journalism Photo Essay, Pajaro’s Quest to Rebuild.” For Mother Jones.
2023 - Society of Professional Journalists, “Explanatory Journalism, A-drift Pesticide Series.” For Palabra and Environmental Health News.
2023 - Domestic Violence Impact Fund Grantee.
2023 - Economic Hardship Reporting Project Fellowship.
2023 - Foundry International Workshop
2022 - Economic Hardship Reporting Project Grantee.
2021 - USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism California Fellowship.
2021 - International Women’s Media Foundation Grantee.
2019 - Recognized by The Commission on the Status of Women. “For her devotion to empowering women in her community through her visual journalism.

Speaking Engagements

USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Photo Workshop in collaboration with Universidad Anáhuac, Mexico. Aug. 16, 2024.
NAHJ - Palabra: “The Power of Bilingual Stories" July 10. 2024.
NAHJ - “Crafting A Visual Pitch” July 11, 2024.
Chapman University - “The Process of Visual Stories" April 10, 2024.
Fotolandia - “The Price of Talent: Creating Equity for BIPOC Creators.” April 7, 2024.
Our Latina Lens - “Funding Photo Projects.” January 23, 2024.
California State Fullerton - “Breaking Boundaries for Media Equality.” September 23, 2023.
The Institute for Independent Journalists - “Succeeding as an Independent Photojournalist.” March 10, 2023.
Opinion Essay for NPPA. September 3, 2022.
Encuentro Internacional Fotoperiodismo y Fotodocumental CHA JASPY. - Mexicali, Mexico. Nov.12, 2022.
NPPA "Covering Immigration with Care." Oct. 26, 2022.
Ohio University SPJ "Documenting Under-represented Communities." - October 22, 2022.
NABJ&NAHJ Convention "Creating Your Own Space: a freelance photographers toolbox." and "Palabra how we did it: how to tackle ambitious projects." Las Vegas, Nevada. Aug.4, 2022.
Conecta Arizona "La Hora del Cafecito en la Radio." March 24, 2022.