Visual Journalism Program

Visitors gather near the shrine of Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, on Feb. 28, 2025. Many stop to take photos with the pigeons and find a sense of peace and relief in their presence. The shrine is a popular spot where people connect with faith, culture, and the calming presence of birds. © Aakash Gulzar for The VII Foundation.

M23 soldiers guard members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as they are loaded into vehicles for transport at an M23 camp outside the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Jan. 30, 2025. After the AFC/M23 captured Goma, some Congolese soldiers surrendered while others, along with local authorities, were evacuated to the nearby town of Bukavu. © Guerchom Ndebo for The New York Times.

Nickel mining facility of PT IWIP (Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park) as seen from Tanjung (Cape) Ulie, District of North Weda, Central Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Locals are impacted by dust and smog coming from the mining activities, which affect their respiratory health. The coastal nickel mining facility stands on top of reclaimed land what was previously mangroves area, which limits access to local fishermen from neighbouring villages Gemaf and Sagea, among other villages. Various parts of Halmahera Island are currently the site of nickel mining, including Weda and Buli, in Central and Eastern Halmahera, respectively. © Joshua Irwandi for the VII Mentor Program.

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VISUAL JOURNALISM PROGRAM

Our training is tuition-free for students undertaking the three levels of the Visual Journalism Program.

This training is delivered in our Arles, France, and Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina campuses and through our global online platforms. We have educated over 1,200 practitioners from more than 100 countries, including the United States, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Brazil, amongst many others.

open for application

Jul

2026

Visual Journalism Program for Native American Storytellers, Level 1 (VJP.1.027)

English

Core, Seminar

application deadline June 29

Level 1

Level 1 caters to students with basic photography experience who want to become visual journalists. It provides a solid foundation of practical skills, including camera control, fulfilling a brief for commissions, and writing captions. It also introduces good practices in ethics, research, social media, video, and running a solo business.

Most students, chosen mainly from emerging visual practitioners, first undertake one of the Level 1 courses. The particular course depends on their geographic location and first language, as the Level 1 courses are taught in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. Each Level 1 course is an online 12-week course run by one of our educators, frequently a contributing photographer to The VII Foundation. Each course enrolls 12 students after an application process, and the foundation runs at least nine Level 1 courses each year.

Level 2

After completing Level 1 or a similar level of training with a passing grade, students can apply to Level 2. These courses equip the best students with additional skills, extending the concepts from Level 1 and adding a writing component taught by a specialist tutor. Level two courses are 12-week online courses led by a contributing photographer to The VII Foundation. They are taught in English to up to twelve students at a time. The foundation runs at least two Level 2 courses each year.

Level 3

Level 3 takes the most accomplished students from Level 2 and brings them together in person for an intensive, interdisciplinary, month-long program taught in English. Students leave as skilled professionals ready to report on vital issues in their communities and the wider world and to understand their role in contemporary journalism.