Get to know: Prof. Vanessa Charlot

Prof. Vanessa Charlot

Interview and story by: Zoe Rees

Vanessa Charlot remembers the moment her life changed. She was 12 years old, holding a camera for the first time, told simply to “make pictures.”

It wasn’t an assignment with strict rules or detailed instructions. It was an invitation to observe, to notice, and to tell stories.

Today, Charlot is doing just that.

Raised in Miami by parents who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, Charlot grew up in South Florida surrounded by family, neighbors, and the rhythms of an immigrant community. When she picked up that first camera, she didn’t look far for subjects. She photographed what she knew: relatives gathered, friends on sidewalks, everyday life unfolding in her neighborhood.

Those early images helped her gain admission to an art-focused school and set her on a path she continues to follow.

She later earned her undergraduate degree at Florida Atlantic University and went on to serve in the military. After completing her service, she completed her master's in Education Leadership at Concordia University in Oregon. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at UM and plans to graduate in May.

"Fire Next Time" - Photo credit: Vanessa Charlot

For Charlot, Mississippi was more than just a place to study.

“Mississippi is rich in stories, but it gets a bad rap,” she says. “I wanted to be here to really see it, to understand what it means to be Black in the South.”

That curiosity now shapes her current work, a photographic project documenting Black churches across the region. Not only through images of structures and gatherings, but through the stories she hears. 

Her artistic influences reflect that same commitment to storytelling. She draws inspiration from photographers like Gordon Parks and Ming Smith, both known for capturing Black life with honesty and emotional depth.

Charlot sees photography as more than documentation.

“Photography is an observation of life,” she explains. “If you’re aware enough, you’ll be able to capture moments that speak to the human experience.”

That awareness extends to how she thinks about gender and perspective in her work.

“I photograph from two main places,” she says. “The female gaze and creating work that’s free from the white gaze.”

As a Black woman, Charlot believes her identity shapes what she notices and how she frames it. She looks for moments that might be overlooked, children playing on lawns, mothers quietly watching their families, women sharing small gestures of care.

"Joel and Robert" - Photo credit: Vanessa Charlot

“I’m paying attention to what women and mothers notice,” she says. 

Her images often center women and queer people, placing them at the heart of the frame rather than on the margins. When speaking of what it means to be an Isom Fellow, she states her intentional framing of queer and Black individuals.

“I want them to dominate the image,” she explains. 

Whether it is sunlight through stained-glass windows or children playing outside a church, Charlot believes every moment holds potential.

“You just have to be paying attention,” she says.

As graduation approaches, Charlot is preparing for the next chapter of her career, but her mission remains unchanged: to observe, to honor, and to tell stories that reflect the fullness of Black life in the South and beyond.

Vanessa Charlot is an assistant professor of creative multimedia at the School of Journalism and New Media, an award-winning photographer, speaker, filmmaker, curator, and United States Army veteran.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a new series of profiles on Isom Affiliates and Fellows.