Best Photojournalism Resources
Alex Jones outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in July of 2016. (Photo by Sean Rayford)
I’ve been a photojournalist for more than 25 years and after organizing some of these resources for my own use, I thought others might find the information beneficial as well. Here, you’ll find resources for photojournalism and documentary photography, covering organizations, awards, grants, events and workshops, media entities, and education. If you are interested in learning more, I offer online personal lessons in photojournalism and documentary photography.
Organizations
National Press Photographers Association (NPPA)
Founded in 1946 the NPPA is the leading organization for photojournalists in the United States.
“NPPA is dedicated to promoting visual journalism’s role as a vital public service. We fight for working news photographers, videographers and multimedia journalists. Our ongoing initiatives seek to equip our members and prepare the emerging generation of visual journalists in the face of an ever-changing media landscape."
Formed in 1955 and based in Amsterdam, World Press Photo adressess photojournalism and documentary photography on an international scale. “Our annual contest and thematic exhibitions reach millions of people in over 80 locations world-wide each year, and our online work reaches millions more.”
“Its aim is to promote engagement and dialogue on international affairs, champion independent journalism, and provide a diverse range of training for journalists and other media workers. It is also home to The Frontline Fund, formerly the Fixers Fund, and The Frontline Freelance Register, a self-help group for conflict freelancers.”
This includes The Frontline Fund, formerly the Fixers Fund, and The Frontline Freelance Register, supporting conflict freelancers.
“We are at a pivotal moment in a rapidly changing visual storytelling landscape with the rise of social media, AI-generated images, citizen journalism, and the decline of traditional news outlets (more than 20 percent of Americans now live in areas that have little or no independent news sources on local issues). These factors have created challenges for visual storytellers in sustaining their livelihoods. As such, our communities are at risk of losing rich and diverse photographic representations in both media and art.”
The organization addresses these challenges with a variety of programs across the United States and the world.
International Center of Photography (ICP)
Not to be confused with Insane Clown Posse, the ICP is a museum and school in New York City founded by Cornell Capa in 1974. I visited on one occasion, to see an exhibition from William Klein.
“Through exhibitions, education programs, community outreach, and public programs, ICP offers a forum for dialogue about the power of the image, and is a gathering place for the photography community to meet, exchange ideas, and support one another.”
Founded in 1991 as the Alexia Foundation and created with a mission to promote cultural understanding by supporting photographers as agents for change. In 2021, the program transitioned to the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and became The Alexia. With grants, scholarships and special projects for photographers, filmmakers and other visual creatives, The Alexia promotes global visual storytelling.
Founded in 1952 by Ansel Adams, Minor White, Barbara Morgan, Dorothea Lange this organization is a more aimed at fine art photography but also a proficient publisher of photography books, with more than 600 titles.
Events and workshops
The Northern Short Course was founded in 1981 and has been one of the leading annual events for photojournalists in the United States. I’ve been to the annual conference once and found it to be extremely helpful. In fact, I think it’s a must-have experience for photojournalists and I wish I had done it earlier in my career — and more often.
The Northern Short Course typically is held in the spring in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
I try to make this every year but never do. Founded in 1973, it’s longest continuously operating photojournalism conference in America. The event is typically held in the fall, and in — Atlanta, Georgia.
Catchlight Visual Storytelling Summit
CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit connects San Francisco creatives and a global community of visual storytellers, journalism, art, and media together for high-quality, free educational programming.
Visa Pour L'image photojournalism festival
An annual international photojournalism festival founded in 1989 and held in Perpignan, France.
“There is a genuine need and desire for real stories, with people behind them. News stories that have been checked and validated as authentic are needed even more than in the past. With the glut of potentially fake content, proper reporting is of greater importance, but is also much more challenging.” -Jean-François Leroy (April 25, 2023)
The Workshop accepts college students, professionals with six years or less experience, and U.S. military photographers.
The annual four day photojournalism workshop is merit-based and held in upstate New York on Columbus Day weekend. The tuition free workshop hosts 100 students divided into ten teams of ten, each led by leading professional photographer, editor and producer.
Founded in 1949 at the University of Missouri, at one of the leading photojournalism programs in the United States, the annual workshop was founded by Clifton Edom with the assistance of Farm Securities Administration director Roy Stryker and photographer Russell Lee.
For seven decades the workshop has been documenting small town America and has developed an extensive library of documentary photography.
“In subsequent years, faculty members have been many of America's leading newspaper and magazine photographers and photo editors; a roster of faculty and students reads like a Who's Who of photojournalism.”
“Magnum offers a range of workshops globally, aimed at all levels, from emerging photographers to established practitioners.”
Mountain Workshops at Western Kentucky University
To date, more than 45 Kentucky counties in have been documented by participants in the the Mountain Workshops. In its early years, the Mountain Workshops also documented five communities in north-central Tennessee. Following the workshop, A 50-picture exhibition is held with the publishing of a 100-plus-page photo book. In addition, the photo stories can be found online.
Western Kentucky University is home to one of the leading photojournalism programs in the U.S.
Awards
Some of the most prestigious awards, founded in 1917, applying to journalism, arts, letters and fiction. Last year, journalism entries were accepted from Decemeber through the end of January.
Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar Contest
The deadline to enter the contest is at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT on Friday, October 31, 2025.
Monthly, quarterly and yearly photo competitions from the National Press Photographers Association.
Photography Awards – Sony World Photography Awards
Offering Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions with categories for documentary and sports.
International Photography Awards (IPA)
“IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, 501(c) 3 non-profit, charitable foundation whose mission is to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide.”
Pictures of the Year International
Pictures of the Year International began in 1944 by Cliff Edom at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. It was called the “First Annual Fifty-Print Exhibition and its purpose was, “to pay tribute to those press photographers and newspapers which, despite tremendous war-time difficulties, are doing a splendid job; to provide an opportunity for photographers of the nation to meet in open competition; and to compile and preserve... a collection of the best in current, home-front press pictures.”
In 2001 NPPA and Missouri parted ways and POY became “Pictures of the Year International.”
A contest help by the NPPA and the University of Georgia with awards presented during the Northern Short Course.
Grants/Opportunties
An international competition, The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant is for photographers under the age of 25, or anyone who is studying in a full-time photography course. Ian Perry was killed working on assignment for The Sunday Times (UK) covering the Romanian Revolution in 1989 — at the age of 24.
Eugene Smith was one of the most influential photojournalists of the 20th century working with the legendary Life Magazine. His most famous photo stories include The Country Doctor, Nurse Midwife and Minimata.
“The W. Eugene Smith Grant is designed to encourage and support visual storytellers whose photographic work renews the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s dedicated compassion as evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. Special consideration will be given to work that promotes social change, that embraces new technologies and image distribution, and that seeks to integrate the tradition of photography and social change with contemporary practice. The judges will be looking for a photographer and project that seem most likely to use exemplary and compelling photojournalism and documentary photography (possibly supplemented by or incorporating multi-media) to address an issue of import and impact related to the human condition: social change, humanitarian concern, armed conflict, or other topics of interpersonal, psychological, cultural, social, environmental, scientific, medical and/or political significance, ideally expressing an underlying acknowledgement of our common humanity.”
“For over 30 years, The Alexia grants have supported student and professional visual communicators who produce projects that inspire change by addressing socially significant topics.”
“At CatchLight, we are harnessing the power of visual storytelling to inform, connect and transform communities. Through the CatchLight Global Fellowship, CatchLight supports individuals who want to cultivate significant audience engagement through inventive distribution methods that will increase the impact of their work”
CatchLight has awarded $30,000 to 23 visual storytellers since 2017.
Carmignac Photojournalism Award
“In 2009, while media and photojournalism faced an unprecedented crisis, Edouard Carmignac created the Carmignac Photojournalism Award to support photographers in the field. Directed by Emeric Glayse, it funds annually the production of an investigative photo reportage on human rights violations, geostrategic issues in the world.”
Selected by an international jury, the laureates receive a €50,000 grant to carry out a 6-month field report with the support of the Fondation Carmignac, which produces, upon their return, a travelling exhibition and the publication of a monograph. At the end of each edition, four photographs bequeathed by the laureates are included in the Carmignac collection. "
“Since 2007, The Aftermath Project has given more than $750,000 in grants to photographers. The majority of our grant-giving has been through our traditional post-conflict grant, which currently opens for applications each January, with the grant year beginning in April. In every grant cycle, we also name four finalists as part of our commitment to building far-reaching conversations about aftermath.
In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, the Board of The Aftermath Project voted to create and fund a special five-year grant cycle (2021 – 2025) called “The 1492/1619 American Aftermaths Grant” to support photographers working on the aftermaths of colonialism and enslavement in the United States and its border regions. In addition to the $25,000 grant given each year, each finalist was given an honorarium of $5,000 to continue their work, with the support of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.”
Media / Agencies
Based in London and founded in 1986 to focus on environmental issues, this agency specializes in international media and NGOs.
“Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Maria Eisner, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, and Rita Vandivert. Its photographers retain all copyrights to their own work.”
The New York Times – Lens Blog (Archives)
Launched in May 2009 by James Estrin, Josh Haner, and David Dunlap the blog featured visual storytelling from around the world, photo essays and with features like picture of the day. The Lens Blog is no longer publishing new content but many of the stories and photo essays are available through the NYT website.
This photographer owned agency was founded in 2001 by Gary Knight and John Stanmeyer. The agency formed in response to large corporations acquiring the small photo agencies in the industry.
Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, BBC is the oldest and largest local and global broadcaster. This section of their website highlights “News in Pictures.”
Time Magazine’s spotlight page on photography and photo stories. Unfortunately, Lightbox suffers from inconsistent publishing.
Wire Services:
Getty Images, The Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, EPA
FORMAL Education
If you are looking for a college education in photojournalism the leading programs in the United States are at the following schools. But you can definitely major in another field while also working at a college newspaper.
Western Kentucky Univ.
Informal Education
Sean Rayford, offers personalized online photography lessons, coaching and mentoring — helping documentary photographers and photojournalists with process and career advice. As a photojournalist for more than 25 years — freelancing with the Associated Press,, The New York Times,, Getty Images and The Washington Post for the last ten, Rayford has a wealth of experiences to apply to your personal journey.
You can also check out the photojournalist’s Youtube channel or online articles here on Soda Citizen.