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, gravitating toward long-form stories that aim to inform, connect, and highlight the resilience of humanity.
Zaydee is a recipient of the 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize, where a panel of 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. Open for travel.
Contact: zaydee@zaydeesanchez.com WhatsApp +1 (559) 331-2663
Bilingual in Spanish and English
Selected Clients: ProPublica, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, NPR, High Country News, National Geographic (words).
Grants | Fellowships | Recognitions | Talks
2025 CNN: The Year In Pictures
2025 The Guardian Best Pictures
2025 TACET EYE Workshop
2025 Photoville Group Exhibition “Unfinished Business” by The 19th News.
2025 USC/Annenberg Center for Health Journalism speaking engagement, documenting vulnerable communities.
2024 Chapman University - “The Process of Visual Stories."
2024 The Kalish Workshop.
2024 - Pictures of the Year - Washington Post Team Picture Story, “Portrait of a Year in Migration Turmoil.”
2024 Fotolandia - “The Price of Talent: Creating Equity for BIPOC Creators.”
2024 USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Photo Workshop in collaboration with Universidad Anáhuac, Mexico.
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.
2023 California State Fullerton - “Breaking Boundaries for Media Equality.”
2023 The Institute for Independent Journalists - “Succeeding as an Independent Photojournalist.”
2022 - Economic Hardship Reporting Project Grantee.
2022 Encuentro Internacional Fotoperiodismo y Fotodocumental CHA JASPY.
2021 - USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism California Fellowship.
