Paola Chapdelaine Photography

Paola Chapdelaine Photography Photographe documentaire & photojournaliste Hi! My name is Paola Chapdelaine. Let’s make it happen. You deserve to break into the industry.

✔ HOW?

I’m a documentary photographer and photojournalist based in NYC and a member of Women Photograph. Some of my editorial clients include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, AFP, El Pais, and more. Alongside my practice, I specialize in helping women photographers execute on striking documentary projects & build portfolios that get editors' attention, with my 90-day 1:1 mentors

hip program "Stories not singles". Early-career photographers often approach me as they look to improve their technical skills or know where to start to build a project that will make them stand out. They want to ensure how to do it ethically and with a meaningful, unique point of view. But they're frustrated when it comes to having accountability and finding a mentor who can give them feedback and the right pointers to keep them going. And they're often doing things like:
- Aiming to be great technically, before committing to stepping a foot outside
- Spending (too much) time figuring out which gear to buy
- Making single images that look nice aesthetically, but don’t speak to one another
- Mainly taking advantage of holidays or "exotic" places to photograph

Doing this isn't simply inefficient, it's can also be frustrating and costly…

I understand that you're striving to get editors’ attention, knowing that they receive hundreds of pitches a week. When we work on creating your story-based portfolio together, you will be able to …
✔ Confidently pitch your work to publications and editors
✔ Appear like a professional documentary photographer with a unique vision and style
✔ Attract publications to commission you or publish your work

That deep wish to master self-driven projects and call yourself a documentary photographer (no matter what else you have going on)? My 90-day 1:1 mentorship program “Stories not singles” is based on personalized support. I will help you build a story-based photography portfolio that resonates with your artistic vision and the editorial world. I will work hand-in-hand with you to find a topic of interest and dive deep into building your photo project into a cohesive, relevant, and uniquely personal body of work. We will review it and discuss steps to go forward every week. And I will help you navigate technical aspects as they come up, FOR your creative purposes, not for the sake of “talking shop”.

✔ Book a Strategy Call with me here to see how I can help you:
→ www.storiesnotsingles.com

Talk soon!

Jordana Bermúdez & her amore Andrew got married so we went and took pics on the ferry after city hall 💒 Not my usual be...
08/24/2026

Jordana Bermúdez & her amore Andrew got married so we went and took pics on the ferry after city hall 💒 Not my usual beat, but so fun & exciting to document a friend’s special day! 💞

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ. At the link in bio, read from the ...
08/14/2026

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.

At the link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: Evelyn works on her knife skills sitting on a stone table by the Boy Scout cabin at the Closter Nature Center
Pic 2: A group of girls help during a car wash for Keeran’s Eagle Scout project fundraiser at St Mary’s church in Closter, NJ

🙏 Sara Barrett & New York Times Opinion

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.At the link in bio, read from the e...
08/07/2026

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.

At the link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: Zoe, a member of Troop 163, plays at the bottom of the pool after completing some swimming requirements.

Video 2: Girls from Troop 163 during Jemima & Evelyn’s Eagle Scout Ceremony / Quinn holding the flag at Memorial Field in Closter, NJ after Memorial Day Parade / Girls from Troop 163 listen to April play the guitar during a campfire cooking training, ahead of the Klondike Derby (which ended up being cancelled due to freezing temperatures)

Pic 3: Nicole completes her swimming requirements in Closter, NJ.

Pic 4: Aubrey, a member of Troop 163, helps a fellow Scout during the car wash she organized to fundraise for her Eagle Scout project.

Pic 5: Jemima and Evelyn stand during a Court of Honor as they are awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. On that day, they both became the first two female Eagle Scouts of Closter.

Pic 6: Girls from the Scout Troop 163 gather at the Closter Senior Center to honor two of their members, Evelyn and Jemima, who just earned the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming the town’s first two female Eagle Scouts.

Pic 7: Zoe plays volleyball on the beach near fellow scouts Sophie and Nicole before turning in for the night. During the annual Seaside Heights Scout trip, multiple troops from across the country are permitted to camp on the beach, an activity typically closed to the public.

New York Times Opinion Sara Barrett 🤍

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.At the link in bio, read from the e...
08/06/2026

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.

At the link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: Dorothea, a member of Scout Troop 163, holds the American flag before a Memorial Day game played by the USA Patriots Amputee Softball Team.

Pic 2: The troop plays Times Up at the Alpine Scout Camp, NJ.

Pic 3: Nicole and Karis make the scout salute, at the Closter Senior Center where troop members are gathered to honor two of their members, Evelyn and Jemima, who just earned the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming the town’s first two female Eagle Scouts.

Pic 4: Boys from Troop 63, who joined the girls of Troop 163, play with a measuring device during the Oceanography merit badge in Sandy Hook, NJ.

Pic 5: Discourse at the Eagle Scout Ceremony for Evelyn and Jemima, who just became the town’s first two female Eagle Scouts.

New York Times Opinion Sara Barrett

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.At the link in bio, read from the e...
08/05/2026

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.

At the link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: The girls make fire at the Alpine Scout camp, NJ

Pic 2: The boys of Troop 63 join the girls of Troop 63 during an orienteering activity at the Scout Cabin of Closter, NJ

Pic 3: Dorothea scrolls on her phone laying on her bunk bed at Camp Winnebago during « Campsgiving »

Pic 4: Quinn holds the American Flag during Closter’s Memorial Day Parade

Pic 5: Nicole blows a match while working on her knife & fire requirements

Pic 6: Nicole, Karis, Amelia & Evelyn make the scout salute during a ceremony in honor of Jemima & Evelyn, who were being decorated as Closter’s first female Eagle Scouts

Pic 7: Zoe sits at the children station during the Christmas tree lighting event, hosted at the Closter Senior Center

New York Times Opinion Sara Barrett 🤍🎖️

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ. At my link in bio, read from the e...
08/04/2026

From my year-long project Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ.

At my link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: Evelyn’s Eagle Scout medal
Pic 2: Aubrey by the water during the Oceanography Merit Badge near Sandy Hook, NJ
Pic 3: trail blaze at the Alpine Scout Camp, NJ
Pic 4: An overflowing pot of spaghetti for a camp-night dinner at the Alpine Scout Camp, NJ
Pic 5: 2 scouts pick little fish they they caught in a fishnet during the Oceanography merit badge

🙏 Sara Barrett & New York Times Opinion

In March 2025 I started documenting Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ. After the institution st...
08/03/2026

In March 2025 I started documenting Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ. After the institution started allowing girls to join in 2017, it was renamed Scouting America.

At my link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Pic 1: Evelyn gets nectar from a honeysuckle at the local Duck Derby last year in Closter, NJ.

Pic 2: A scout observes an insect on their scout book with a headlamp, during camp at Alpine Scout Camp, NJ.

Pic 3: Evelyn and Nicole arm wrestle as fellow troop members watch during a climbing activity at Gravity Vault in Upper Saddle River, NJ.

🙏 Sara Barrett & New York Times Opinion

07/30/2026

In March 2025 I started documenting Troop 163, the all-girl « Boy Scout » troop of Closter, NJ. After the institution started allowing girls to join in 2017, it was renamed Scouting America.

At my link in bio, read from the experience of Dr. Song, the incredible Scoutmaster of Troop 163 who welcomed me throughout the past year+ — documenting the girls throughout weekly meetings, excursions & merit badge requirements. & who ended up offering that I teach them the photography merit badge (I happily obliged!).

Looking forward to more adventures.

Thank you Sara Barrett & New York Times Opinion for giving this project an amazing platform & for such a great collaboration! 🙏

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