Dominick Sokotoff, a junior at the University of Michigan triple-majoring in Political Science, Music and Biopsychology, and Cognition and Neurosciences, is drawn to stories that showcase tremendous passion or resilience and how he can bring a fresh perspective through his images.

Sokotoff won the Fujifilm Students of Storytelling competition for his work exploring how Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan—two cities only eight miles apart, but very different compositionally— have tried to rebuild some form of normalcy following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fujifilm created the contest to identify the next generation of U.S. storytellers, and to provide them with Fujifilm X Series or GFX system gear to bring their vision to life.

Rf: What interests you as a storyteller? Which stories are you drawn to?

Dominick Sokotoff: As much as I enjoy photographing the action and excitement of campaign rallies, sporting events and protests, I also like to slow down and think deeply about which stories I can tell that lie below the surface. When the University of Michigan moved classes online at the beginning of the pandemic, I was one of the few photographers who stayed on campus. I sent myself on assignments and developed my ability to identify some of the more captivating human-interest stories that were cropping up amidst this new, uncharted landscape we are now in.

Rf: What stories do you want to share through your work?

DS: As a reporter for my university’s student newspaper, The Michigan Daily, I’ve done some investigative reporting, and that work has been especially important to me because of its ability to directly result in community awareness and transformation. I feel as if the power of the camera to investigate and dig deep is underestimated, and I frequently think about ways in which I can tell positively impactful stories through photography that challenge the status quo. Similarly, the ability of the camera to break news is sometimes also understated. Recently, Andrew Harnik, a political photojournalist with AP, snapped a photo of Joe Biden’s speaking notes and shared a byline with a writer. Unexpected occurrences happen in all fields of photography, and I try to stay aware of my surroundings when on news assignments in case an opportunity arises to capture a fleeting moment with a greater story behind it. Furthermore, some stories would never resonate with, or emotionally move people, without the accompaniment of a striking image.

Rf: Describe the evolution of your style and approach. How has it changed over time?

DS: I’ve had an interest in photography since middle school, but I only just began working on really honing my skills a year ago. Last summer, I interned in the U.S. Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery, which supports and credentials some of the nation’s top photojournalists who photograph Congress. While on Capitol Hill, I met some amazing photojournalists and had the opportunity to see how they worked. It never ceased to amaze me how they would take photos of the same senators within the same surroundings each day while still producing radically different images based on the tone of that day’s news cycle. The experience inspired me to buy a DSLR and start teaching myself photography. I decided to aim high, and I secured credentials to photograph one of President Trump’s events for my university’s student paper. My photos turned out well, and knowing that I was just starting out and had photographed a major event made me feel as if any goal was within reach.

Rf: What are the key things you have learned or done that have helped you advance your career since you began shooting?

DS: One of the most helpful things I’ve done to advance my skills is spending time studying the work of professional photojournalists. Every time I read a news article or pick up a newspaper, I spend time looking through the photos to get to know the photographer’s style and see which aspects of the photo did or didn’t work well. I also started to follow a lot of photographers on Instagram and have taken time to question myself about which techniques enabled the particular effect of each photo. It’s important for me to continuously challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone and be ambitious. When I was photographing my very first few events, I wasn’t very aware of what type of gear to bring or which shots to take. I quickly adopted what other photographers were doing that worked well for me, and incorporated the lessons each experience into the next.

Rf: What is the most helpful piece of advice you’ve received and followed?

DS: I had the chance to meet and have my portfolio critiqued by Sara Krulwich, a New York Times theater photographer and University of Michigan alum. She gave me some great advice about angles, cleaning up backgrounds and framing subjects in uncontrolled environments, all of which was very useful when I went out photographing protests recently. I can’t say there’s one specific piece of advice that’s resonated with me the most but while I was at the Senate, Erin Schaff, Tom Williams, Sarah Silbiger, Scotty Applewhite, Stefani Reynolds, and Tom Brenner, among others, were huge inspirations and were all kind enough to talk with me about their profession and acquaint me with the world of photojournalism.

Rf: What motivated you to start this project on Michigan’s rebuilding during COVID-19?

DS: This past April, I started to notice that local businesses were shutting down permanently, as they were unable to sustain themselves in the pandemic. I live in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and although there is a local news website and the University of Michigan’s student paper, there is often news that goes unreported in the area. As time went on, I noticed that a few dozen local businesses were fated to close permanently, yet this fallout had garnered little attention in the news. Many of these businesses had been fixtures in the community for years, and I felt it imperative to tell the stories of loss and recovery for the sake of community awareness and historical documentation.

Rf: Can you tell us about your submission to Fujifilm’s Students of Storytelling program?

DS: After realizing that a large number of local businesses were closing, I decided that I wanted to look at this effect through the lens of socioeconomic inequality. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are two cities in the same county in Michigan and only eight miles apart, yet Ann Arbor remains one of the wealthiest cities in the state while Ypsilanti is one of the poorest. Furthermore, there were major disparities in how the communities were being impacted by COVID-19. Ypsilanti has almost triple the rate of positive tests as Ann Arbor, and Ypsilanti didn’t have a testing site until months into the pandemic. On top of that, Ypsilanti has six times the Black population as Ann Arbor, and in the county, the Black community makes up 30% of cases even though they make up 12% of the population. All of the stories of recovery and loss here need to be told, on both sides.

Rf: What works have you produced with your new Fujifilm systems?

DS: I’m able to take my Fujifilm X-T4 with me everywhere and take more photos than ever before. Having a smaller camera, without forfeiting quality, has also helped me to take more intimate photos because the people I photograph feel more comfortable and less like “subjects” when I’m using a camera that isn’t large and imposing. I’ve begun to take more impromptu photos of people I encounter and have been gravitating more towards street photography.

Rf: Where do you see your work going from here?

DS: This project has driven me to engage with new people in my community, and through the course of telling this story, I’ve found even more stories to explore. As an outcome of this project, I plan on focusing on more documentary work in the near future, and hopefully I can continue to collaborate with Fujifilm.

Rf: Which brand, media outlet or agency is your ideal client?

DS: I would love to have my photos published in an upmarket, national newspaper, because I really value the mission of journalism in informing the public and holding the powerful accountable. I recently have had photos published in CNBC, Metro​​newspaper in the UK, and a few other publications globally by working with Rex Features, a wire-like agency owned by Shutterstock. Because of the international reach of many wire services, it would be wonderful to partner with one and see my work having an impact abroad as well.

Visit the official Fujifilm Students of Storytelling site for more information about the complete program. Follow @sokotoffphoto to stay up to date with Dominick Sokotoff.