Danielle Villasana is a photojournalist based in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Working independently for publications worldwide, she documents the most pressing issues of our time.

Danielle is honored to be a National Geographic Explorer, an Alexia Grant Professional Winner, a Magnum Foundation awardee, a Women Photograph grantee, an International Women's Media Foundation fellow, and an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop. Danielle’s personal documentary work focuses on human rights, gender, and migration throughout the Americas.

Her work has been featured in National Geographic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, ProPublica, and NPR among other publications, as well as in solo and group exhibitions. Danielle is a member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, NPPA, and Ayün Fotógrafas, a collective of women photographers united by Latin America.

Her first photo book, "A Light Inside," which chronicles the issues transgender women face in Peru, was published in 2018 by FotoEvidence. The book was used as an educational tool and donated to universities and health care centers throughout Lima.

Danielle strongly believes in the power of photography paired with education and community development. In 2025, she joined the Houston Center of Photography’s esteemed roster of teachers. In 2019 she co-founded We, Women, a platform exploring crucial issues across the U.S. through photo-based community engagement projects by women and gender nonconforming artists. In 2016, she joined The Everyday Project's Community Team where she works on various initiatives and leads group photography projects, such as National Geographic’s “Women on the Move.” And, from 2014 to 2018, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Peru, she created and led Fotos por el Cambio, a photography workshop to empower communities and emerging photographers. In 2020, alongside various colleagues and organizations, Danielle co-authored the Photo Bill of Rights.

Ultimately, Danielle strives to live and work by the words of her mentor, Donna De Cesare: “You are a human being first and a journalist second.”

Danielle speaks English and Spanish and is HEFAT-trained.

Achievements and Recognitions

Awards:
The Alexia — Professional Grant Winner for “Abre Camino” [2022]
Women Photograph Project Grant — Recipient for “Abre Camino” [2021]
The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund’s Grant For Humanistic Photography — Finalist for “Abre Camino [2021]
Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award — Honorable Mention for “Abre Camino” [2021]
National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists — Recipient for “Abre Camino” [2021]
National Geographic Society — Explorer and grant recipient [2019]
The IWMF's Extended Adelante Grant — Recipient [2019]
FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo — Finalist [2018]
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Fellow (Honduras) [2018]
Chris Hondros Fund Emerging Photojournalist Award — Nominee [2017 + 2016]
Magnum Foundation's Inge Morath Award — First Place [2015]
Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent — Selected [2015]

Exhibitions + Screenings:
Solo exhibition of “Abre Camino” — The University of Texas at Austin [2023]
Visa pour l’image — Screening of “Abre Camino” [2022]
The Everyday Projects’ “Women on the Move” Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York) [2021]
The Everyday Projects’ “Women on the Move” Group Exhibition — Head On Foundation (Australia) [2021]
The W. Eugene Smith Grant For Humanistic Photography, Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York) [2021]
Atlanta Celebrates Photography & Authority Collective’s “Entitlements” Group Exhibition —National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta) [2020]
The Everyday Projects’ “Then and Now” Group Exhibition — Photoville (New York) [2020]
FotoEvidence with World Press Photo Exhibition — The Bronx Documentary Center (New York City) [2018]
Obscura Festival of Photography — Projection of "A Light Inside" (Malaysia) [2017]
Women Photograph's "Insider/Outsider" Group Exhibit — Photoville (New York City) [2017]
Objectif's — "Women in Photography" Exhibit, Co-sponsored with The Magnum Foundation (Singapore) [2016]
"Yo Tengo Derechos" — Solo Exhibit with UNAIDS (Lima, Peru) [2015]

Speaking Engagements:
NPPA’s Women in Journalism Conference — Speaker [2023]
Southwestern University Borderlands Symposium — Keynote speaker [2022]
National Geographic Storytellers Summit — Co-speaker with Ayün Fotógrafas members [2021]
Nat Geo Live — Co-speaker with “Women on the Move” photographers & editor Jennifer Samuel [2021]
NPPA’s Women in Journalism Conference — Keynote speaker [2020]
National Geographic Photo Camp Live — Speaker [2020]
Lozano Long Conference: Journalism Under Siege — Speaker (The University of Texas at Austin) [2019]
The Knight Center's Speaker Series — Speaker (Austin, Texas) [2019]
DokFoto Festival — Speaker (Oslo, Norway) [2016]

Education + Other:
New York Times Portfolio Review — Selected [2024 + 2015]
Women Photograph + Leica Grant — Judge [2022]
The IWMF's Adelante Reporting Initiative — Co-Lead [2020 + 2019 + 2018] 
Women Photograph's Mentorship Program — Mentor [2019]
The IWMF's Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program — Mentor [2019]
World Press Joop Swart Masterclass — Nominee [2019 + 2017 + 2016]
World Press Photo's The 6x6 Global Talent Program — Nominator [2018 + 2017]
Foundry Photojournalism Workshop — Scholarship Recipient (Mexico City) [2017]
Getty Instagram Grant — Nominator [2017]
World Press Photo Masterclass Latin America — Finalist [2015]
Eddie Adams Workshop — Student [2013]