Contact: Julieleopo@gmail.com

Currently located in Orange County and Ventura County in California. Available for freelance and travel assignments.

Julie Leopo is a California-based award winning photojournalist who explores culture, politics, identity, and social issues in her work. Her first assignment, given to her by her father when she was 10-years old, was to document family road trips from Santa Ana, Calif. to Mexico. This experience ignited a passion to amplify the stories of bicultural and bilingual communities through her photography.

Dedicating nearly two decades to developing her technical skills and artistic practice, Julie’s photographic narratives center the lives and experiences of people and communities that are ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media. Her communication skills and trained eye enable her to highlight the individuality of people who are often overlooked or ignored with spontaneous and informal portraiture. 

Julie’s professional background as a freelance photographer informs her storytelling range that can capture moments of wild celebration and quiet joy, or reveal political corruption and inspire protest. A self-starter with a commitment to excellence, her ability to meet immediate deadlines for breaking news stories, and her adaptability make her a sought-after and reliable photojournalist. As the Director of Photography for Voice of OC, Julie continues her own professional development while managing freelance photographers in the early stages of their careers. 

As a photojournalist rooted in the communities she documents, Julie began her professional career covering gentrification and displacement in downtown Santa Ana, and her most recent work illuminates the inequities of policing, unfulfilled political promises, and the pandemic’s devastating impact on local families. Understanding and respecting that photographic images are a form of powerful storytelling, Julie aims to reveal the truth in every photograph she takes.

CCNMA just named Julie as one of “2021 California’s Most Influential Latina Journalist.”