Now Open: Applications for Level 1 Visual Journalism      Now Open: Applications for Level 1 Visual Journalism     
Parishioners gather around a table in a small chapel after morning prayers. Every week, residents come together in this chapel for the Sunday sermon following the flooding of their church due to the Kakhovka Dam breach on Jun. 6, 2023. The flood waters produced by the breach submerged numerous towns and villages in Kherson Oblast. Many international experts and Ukrainian officials say the evidence suggests Russian forces, which captured the dam in the early days of the invasion and remained in control at the time of the disaster, were responsible, a claim that Russia denies. Nov. 5, 2023, Kherson, Ukraine. © Oleksandr Rupeta / VII.
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© Luise Thiel.
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Armed Iranian women carrying rifles take part in a parade during a ceremony pledging allegiance to Iran’s new leader, organized by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2026, during a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.-Israel coalition. © Ali Khara.
re-Imagined: Reflections on Peace
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The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo. Pictured: Jannie Nguyễn, Nguyễn Thành Nghệ. Cr: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo
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Ira, 19, supports her boyfriend, Mischa, in the hospital after he lost both his legs defending Ukraine, 2022. © Svet Jacqueline.
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The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time. In a world where beliefs and actions are increasingly out-of-sync with facts and realities, our response is to ensure the truth is documented to enable communities worldwide to make evidence-based choices about the challenges impacting their lives.

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Long lines for water and flour are made by women of refugee families. © Ebrahim Alipoor / VII Mentor Program.

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U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer Eugene Goodman confronts protesters as they storm the Capitol in Washington, D.C., after listening to a speech by President Trump on January 6, 2021. A large mob convened in Washington, D.C., for a "Save America" or "Stop the Steal" rally incited by President Trump and stormed the United States Capitol building, fighting with police and damaging offices and rooms as they made their way through the building. As President Trump openly condoned the violence, the D.C mayor called for a 6 PM curfew and mobilized the National Guard. © Ashley Gilbertson / VII.

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"The Stringer" Director Bao Nguyen and crew. Ho Chi Minh City. March 2024. © Gary Knight.

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Chechnya contact sheet © Christopher Morris.

OPEN FOR APPLICATION

Parishioners gather around a table in a small chapel after morning prayers. Every week, residents come together in this chapel for the Sunday sermon following the flooding of their church due to the Kakhovka Dam breach on Jun. 6, 2023. The flood waters produced by the breach submerged numerous towns and villages in Kherson Oblast. Many international experts and Ukrainian officials say the evidence suggests Russian forces, which captured the dam in the early days of the invasion and remained in control at the time of the disaster, were responsible, a claim that Russia denies. Nov. 5, 2023, Kherson, Ukraine. © Oleksandr Rupeta / VII.
Parishioners gather around a table in a small chapel after morning prayers. Every week, residents come together in this chapel for the Sunday sermon following the flooding of their church due to the Kakhovka Dam breach on Jun. 6, 2023. The flood waters produced by the breach submerged numerous towns and villages in Kherson Oblast. Many international experts and Ukrainian officials say the evidence suggests Russian forces, which captured the dam in the early days of the invasion and remained in control at the time of the disaster, were responsible, a claim that Russia denies. Nov. 5, 2023, Kherson, Ukraine. © Oleksandr Rupeta / VII.
PAUL LOWE RESIDENCY 
A residency providing time, space, and professional support for a Ukrainian photographer to further develop a visual documentary project in Sarajevo over the course of one month. Applications close on September 15, 2026.
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© Luise Thiel.
© Luise Thiel.
Getting Started in Natural History Making 
An educational program combining virtual and in-person learning to introduce the fundamentals of natural history filmmaking. Applications close August 15, 2026.
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Riot police are seen with flowers that protesters gave them during an anti-coup protest in Yangon, Myanmar on 6 February 2021. © Ta Mwe.
Riot police are seen with flowers that protesters gave them during an anti-coup protest in Yangon, Myanmar on 6 February 2021. © Ta Mwe.
VJP.4.001 Myanmar 
A tuition-free course for journalists from Myanmar to develop skills in reporting, research, photography, and short-form video production for local, regional, and international media. Applications close July 18, 2026.
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Passersby walk down a street in Caracas, where in the background, a mural of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, who is set to be canonized on October 19 in Rome, can be seen. Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 1, 2025. © Jimmy Villalta for The VII Foundation.
Passersby walk down a street in Caracas, where in the background, a mural of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, who is set to be canonized on October 19 in Rome, can be seen. Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 1, 2025. © Jimmy Villalta for The VII Foundation.
VJP.1.032 Central and South America, Level 1 
A tuition-free, 12-week seminar that equips participants with the skills to produce publication-ready photo essays for editorial contexts. Taught in Spanish by Cristina Baussan. Applications close August 9, 2026.
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Fisherwomen Kasthuri and Sumathi are waving a fishing net during the start of work in Ennore, Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu in Southern India on March 29, 2025. “This place used to be a forest on both sides of the road and there were mangroves around this region. None of these industrial companies used to exist back in the day. After these companies took over the major parts of land in the town, the water quality has drastically dropped down and the color of the water is an indicator of it. Quality of catch of fishes has reduced substantially as a result of it.” says Kasthuri. © Narayana Swamy Subbaraman.
Fisherwomen Kasthuri and Sumathi are waving a fishing net during the start of work in Ennore, Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu in Southern India on March 29, 2025. “This place used to be a forest on both sides of the road and there were mangroves around this region. None of these industrial companies used to exist back in the day. After these companies took over the major parts of land in the town, the water quality has drastically dropped down and the color of the water is an indicator of it. Quality of catch of fishes has reduced substantially as a result of it.” says Kasthuri. © Narayana Swamy Subbaraman.
VJP.1.033 South Asia, Level 1 
A tuition-free, 12-week seminar that equips participants with the skills to produce publication-ready photo essays for editorial contexts. Taught in English. Applications close August 9, 2026.
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Kehinde and Ola, two Micra drivers, wait for passengers in the evening at Eleyele in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, on Nov. 7, 2025. Evening queues reflect the slowdown that follows Ibadan’s peak commuting hours as workers return home from the city center. © Temiloluwa Johnson for The VII Foundation.
Kehinde and Ola, two Micra drivers, wait for passengers in the evening at Eleyele in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, on Nov. 7, 2025. Evening queues reflect the slowdown that follows Ibadan’s peak commuting hours as workers return home from the city center. © Temiloluwa Johnson for The VII Foundation.
VJP.1.034 Southern and Eastern Africa, Level 1 
A tuition-free, 12-week seminar that equips participants with the skills to produce publication-ready photo essays for editorial contexts. Taught in English by Paul Botes. Applications close August 9, 2026.
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news

Hazera Khatun, founder of Maayer Daak, holds a photograph of her missing son, Sajedul Islam Sumon, in this image taken on February 12, 2025. Sumon, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was allegedly abducted by members of the Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka in 2013 and has remained missing since. © Mosfiqur Rahman Johan.
Hazera Khatun, founder of Maayer Daak, holds a photograph of her missing son, Sajedul Islam Sumon, in this image taken on February 12, 2025. Sumon, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was allegedly abducted by members of the Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka in 2013 and has remained missing since. © Mosfiqur Rahman Johan.
Paul Lowe Challenge Supports Mosfiqur Rahman Johan 
Money raised through the Paul Lowe Challenge has funded a fellowship for Mosfiqur Rahman Johan, a documentary photographer from Bangladesh, enabling him to be part of the VII Mentor Program 2026-2027.
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An Afghan girl sits in front of a bakery in the crowd with Afghan women waiting to receive bread in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 31, 2022. © Ali Khara.
An Afghan girl sits in front of a bakery in the crowd with Afghan women waiting to receive bread in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 31, 2022. © Ali Khara.
INTRODUCING the 2026–2027 VII Mentor Program Cohort 
Our open call for application once again received an astounding number of entries, requiring careful review through several selection rounds. In addition to choosing five participants through our open call, we also partnered with Ian Parry Grant to invite the winner, Omar Ashtwy, to be a part of our program. He has been paired with Ali Arkady, himself a former VII Mentee.
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Anti ICE protestors clash with ICE agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building during a protest January 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Anti ICE protestors clash with ICE agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building during a protest January 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ron haviv in in Minneapolis, Minnesota 
“I’ve photographed under dictators, societies on the cusp of breakup, and outright invasion. One of the closest comparisons I see, in terms of class, economics, and values, is the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s...We are not there yet, but when rhetoric is backed by armed force, that’s how escalation begins. We’re starting to get used to the visualization of militarization on the streets,” writes Director of The VII Foundation Ron Haviv.
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